Martin Joel Kanarek

Martin Kanarek is a dedicated advocate for the injured. A seasoned litigator, he has been recognized for both his aggressive approach to trial and the compassionate and personalized attention he gives to his clients. Martin recognizes that his clients are real people, many of whom are going through some of the most difficult times in their lives. He takes the time to get to know each individual he serves, understanding their challenges, empathizing with their struggles, and developing innovative legal strategies based on their unique situations. This approach has helped Martin successfully secure numerous favorable settlements and verdicts on behalf of the injured, as well as the families of those wrongfully killed throughout the state of California.

By the age of 40, Martin had tried more than 30 civil jury trials throughout California. He has tried cases to verdict in Sonoma, Marin, San Mateo, Merced, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties, successfully securing multiple six- and seven-figure verdicts. As a result, he was accepted into the prestigious American Board of Trial Advocates by the age of 36 as one of its youngest members.

In June 2022, after a two-week trial in Van Nuys, Martin secured a $1,000,000 jury verdict for non-economic damages only in the case of Martirosyan v. Burbank Unified School District for a broken arm. The top offer by the school district was $300,000.

In March 2024, after a two-week trial in Pomona, Martin received a $800,000 jury verdict against the City of Diamond Bar in the case of Lulin Yan v. City of Diamond Bar. The top offer by the City of Diamond Bar was $200,000.

In March of 2024, after a six-week trial in San Mateo, Martin received an $8.5 million dollar jury verdict in the case of Cesar Soto v. BAHR. The Defendants’ top offer pre-trial was $2,000,000.

During his legal career, Martin has also been asked to speak before his peers by the Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles (CAALA) on the topic of “Dangerous Conditions of Public Property.” In 2017, a year where he tried eight cases to verdict, he was nominated as one of the five “CAALA Rising Stars” finalists.

Martin was born in Honduras and moved to Kansas City as a child. He attended the University of Kansas, obtaining a degree in Latin American History, before going on to earn his law degree from the University of Missouri – Kansas City School of Law. While in law school, he volunteered in the Kansas City Public Defender’s office, where he regularly met and helped prepare clients awaiting trial.

After passing the bar exam and relocating to Los Angeles, Martin continued giving back to his community by volunteering weekly with the Los Angeles County Domestic Violence Project, where he helped women in fear of abuse obtain temporary restraining orders. He then went on to volunteer with and try criminal misdemeanor cases for the District Attorney’s office in Compton and East Los Angeles as a graduate of the Los Angeles County Bar Trial Advocacy Program (TAP).

A gifted public speaker, Martin enjoys advocating for his clients in the courtroom. He is bilingual and speaks fluent Spanish. In addition to being selected as a “CAALA Rising Star” finalist in 2017, he was selected for inclusion in the Super Lawyers® list every year from 2016 through 2021 and has won two Toastmasters competitions.