Barry Raymond Schirm

Barry Schirm is the Partner-in-Charge of the Los Angeles office of Hawkins Parnell Thackston & Young LLP. For more than thirty years, Barry has primarily represented local, regional, national and international manufacturers of products, with focus on pretrial preparation and the trial of such matters in both state and federal court. His legal experience also includes all aspects of appellate review. He has represented a number of the major automobile manufacturers in cases involving defect claims related to air bags, sudden acceleration, park-to-reverse, and vehicle crashworthiness. He also has extensive experience with toxic torts, commercial litigation, and general insurance defense litigation. Among his notable cases, Barry served as trial and lead appellate counsel in Soule v. General Motors Corp., 8 548 (1994), in which the California Supreme Court imposed significant limitations on the application of the consumer expectation test in design defect claims. In addition, he submitted an amicus curie brief on behalf of General Motors Corp. in Buttram v. Owens-Corning Fiberglas,16 520 (1997), in which the California Supreme Court concluded that Prop. 51 can be prospectively applied to a cause of action arising from a latent and progressive disease, unless the plaintiff was diagnosed with the disease or otherwise discovered the illness or injury prior to June 4, 1986, the effective date of Prop. 51.

His other legal success includes co-founding the grassroots organization Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse, which strives to prevent abuse in the civil justice system. He has served as an arbitrator and mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court and is a member of PLAC, DRI, the Association of Southern California Defense Counsel, and CLM.