About Bruce
Biography
Mr. Abel is rated AV Preeminent (TM), the Highest Possible Raing in Both Legal Ability & Ethical Standards Reflecting the considered opinions of members of the Bar and Judiciary awarded by Martindale-Hubbell (R). Mr. Abel is a Member of the American Board of Trial Advocates which is by invitation only to trial lawyers who are of high personal character and honorable reputation and met the quallifications of the ABOTA Constitution. He is a skilled and successful litigator with 34 years of experience handling substantial civil rights and employment cases, serious personal injury cases, and a broad range of business matters. Mr. Abel has successfully prosecuted bench and jury trials, arbitrations, mediations, and administrative proceedings. He has been lead counsel in appeals that have made California law and argued before the California Court of Appeal and the California Supreme Court.
Throughout the course of Mr. Abel’s legal career he has distinguished himself as a tenacious and competent advocate at all stages of a case, from early settlement to trial and then on appeal. He has settled cases ranging in value from thousands of dollars to millions of dollars. Mr. Abel has experience representing both plaintiff and defendants in all aspects of civil litigation. This broad range of experience and success is one reason that he has been retained by other lawyers to represent them in their legal matters.
In 2004, Mr. Abel was a guest lecturer in Appellate Advocacy at Whittier School of Law where he also invited to judge Moot Court Competition as a Moot Court Judge. He also taught Corporations at Pierce College and Moorpark College. Mr. Abel has sat as a judge pro tem in traffic arraignments and trials. Other quasi-judicial experience includes acting as a Superior Court Referee. Early in his career, Mr. Abel acted as a City Prosecutor, prosecuting misdemeanors for the City Attorney in Los Angeles. This was followed by a number of years representing defendants in criminal matters.
Mr. Abel earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA and then went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Writing from San Francisco State University, one of the 4 most prestigious writing schools in the country. Following this Mr. Abel became a licensed contractor in the State of California in Nevada and ran a multi-million dollar contracting business until he became an attorney in 1982. Mr. Abel graduated with a juris doctorate from Southwestern School of Law where he academically distinguished himself by making the Dean’s List and earning awards for exceptional achievement in Insurance Law and Intellectual Property.
Mr. Abel is admitted to practice before the courts of the State of California, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth District and numerous United States District Courts in California. Mr. Abel is a member in good standing of the California State Bar, the Los Angeles County Bar Association, and acts as an arbitrator for the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Mr. Abel believes that each client is entitled to the best possible representation and accordingly gives personal attention to each case in which he is engaged. This philosophy requires Mr. Abel to be selective about the clients he agrees to represent, but once a person becomes his client, that person is assured of Mr. Abel’s commitment to provide competent and diligent representation.
Practice Areas
1
Practice Area
43 years
Fees and Rates
Cost
Always
Payment Methods
- Cash
- Check
- Credit Card
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Chat withLicenses
Licensed in California for 43 years
State: California
Acquired: 1982
No misconduct found
Location
Abel Law Offices
Attorneys, 77711 Flora Road, Suite 310, Palm Desert, CA, 92211
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Bruce David Abel's Reviews
Showing 1 - 5 of 18 client reviews from Avvo
Posted by anonymous | July 29, 2016 | Hired Attorney
Excellent!!!
I retained Bruce to assist me with a conflict with one of my neighbors. In the scheme of life, my case was pretty "small potatoes," but it was important to me, as my neighbor, an attorney herself, seemed determined to put our conflict on the fast-track to Crazy Town. Ugh. Since I've never before h...
Posted by anonymous | April 27, 2009
Wonderful Experience
Bruce is one of the best attorneys I have worked with, he is a consummate professional and is terribly efficient, sharp and dedicated. Bruce has a good sense of humor, which is important is this line of business where people sometimes take themselves a bit too seriously. He continually educates himse...
Posted by anonymous | April 19, 2009
Kept us calm in a scary situation
With a new business, a lot of things are uncertain. When an unexpected turn of events came to play, Bruce was right there reassuring us he was going to take care of it all. He was caring, thoughtful, listened to our every nervous thought. He took care of the situation without delay, which made us ...
Posted by anonymous | April 16, 2009
Employment Contract
I've known Bruce for quite a long time but have never had the opportunity to work with him. Bruce was very patient and informative while helping to negotiate my employment contract. Whether it was day or night, Bruce was incredibly responsive as well. Bruce ended up helping me through to a positive ...
Posted by anonymous | April 15, 2009
An attorney with a heart.
I was especially impressed with the gentle demeanor of Mr. Abel. Not only was his presence non-threatening, his humbleness, and willingness to accomodate me was out of the norm in comparision to my past experience with other lawyers. I would certainly recommend his services to others.
Bruce David Abel's Lawyer Endorsements
"Not only do I endorse this lawyer, I also hire him for my firm as the lead litigation lawyer. He is calm, cool and to the point with all positive attributes a superb trial lawyer should have."
"I've known Bruce for many years and have litigated several cases against him. At trial, Bruce is absolutely one of the best, especially explaining complex legal theories in understanble ways to jurys. In one case where Bruce represented a plaintiff against a client of mine he achieved a settlement in the high six figures. His trustwortiness and integrity are beyond question. And, because of his legal knowledge and experneicne, I now consider him a mentor. I would recommend Bruce to any employee who has been wronged by a employer and is considering legal action."
"Bruce Abel is the consummate professional. A very powerful advocate on behalf of his clients. Other seasoned attorneys contact Mr. Abel for his feedback and counsel! It is always a pleasure to work with him."
"Over the last five years, I’ve worked with Bruce on various litigation matters arising out of complex business disputes. Bruce has a keen ability to quickly home in on the key legal/factual issues in a case and then formulate appropriate and effective litigation strategies for advancing the client’s interests. He knows how to marshal and organize the evidence needed to win, and his writing and oral advocacy skills are top notch. Bruce is also a highly effective trial attorney. Experienced and always well prepared, he thinks fast on his feet, has great trial instincts, possesses an excellent command of the rules of evidence, and communicates persuasively with judges and juries alike. In short, Bruce is the ideal attorney for anyone who needs legal assistance with a complex business dispute, and I highly endorse him for such work."
"I endorse Bruce. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."
"Bruce is an excellent communicator who is well respected, trust worthy, and likable. He is a true leader and seasoned professional who I contact when I need support and encouragement. As a new lawyer, he has welcomed me into the legal community by generously offering his advice and guidance. Without a doubt, I would trust Bruce to handle any of my own personal legal matters. Hands down, he's got my endorsement!"
"I endorse this lawyer's work. He is a very competent lawyer in the field of personal injury."
"I worked for Bruce Abel during the first two years of my law career and the skills I learned from him are priceless as they are crucial in this profession. Bruce is a hard-worker, ethical and a great advocate. His written work is near perfection and his memory of statutory provisions is impressive. I endorse this lawyer's work!"
"I endorse this lawyer's work. Mr. Abel is a seasoned, excellent trial lawyer. Mr. Abel has established a reputation as a fierce litigator who gets results. And, he practices his profession with integrity and the highest ethical standards. I highly recommend Mr. Abel."
"Bruce Abel is the epitome of what an attorney should be. He is highly skilled with negotiation, aggressive and professional, scholarly with research, trustworthy, and always available for clients. He communicates clearly, analyzes with precision, formulates persuasive arguments, and sees the big picture. Mr. Abel is straight forward with clients, opposing counsel, and all he comes into contact with. He is my law partner at Abel & Abel, LLP, my father, and has successfully represented my interests as my lawyer."
Personal injury lawyer
Litigation lawyer
Medical malpractice lawyer
Business lawyer
Litigation lawyer
Lawsuits and disputes lawyer
Family lawyer
Employment and labor lawyer
Insurance lawyer
Criminal defense lawyer
Experience
Honors
2006
Newspaper Recognition, Daily Journal (Los Angeles); Metropolitan News
2004
Award of Appreciation - Moot Court Judge, Whittier School of Law
2003
Newspaper Recognition, The Los Angeles Daily Journal
2001
Newspaper Recognition, Daily Journal - Executive Presentations
1989
Merit of Appreciation - Judge Pro Tem, Municipal Court of California
1989
Merit of Appreciation - Settlement Referee, Superior Court of California
1989
Newpaper Recognition, Sacramento Bee
1982
Exceptional Achievement - Insurance Law, Southwestern School of Law
1982
Exceptional Achievement - Intellectual Property, Southwestern School of Law
1982
Dean's List, Southwestern School of Law
Work Experience
2007 - Present
Attorney, Abel Law Offices
2016 - 2016
Arbitrator, Los Angeles County Bar Association
2004 - 2004
Moot Court Judge, Whittier Law School
2003 - 2005
Attorney - Defense Counsel, AIG Iinsurance Company
2001 - 2002
Volunteer Attorney, Adoption
1997 - 2007
Attorney - Partner, Hindin & Abel, LLP
1995 - 1997
Volunteer Attorney, Reseda Senior Citizens
1994 - 1996
Adjunct Professor of Law, Los Angeles County Community Colleges
1989 - 1989
Settlement Referee, Superior Court of California
1989 - 1990
Judge Pro Tem, Municipal Court of California
1985 - 1985
Prosecuting Attorney, Los Angeles City Attorney's Office
1985 - 1992
Counsel, Krause's Sofa Factory
1983 - 1987
Attorney, L. A. County Alternative Defense Counsel
1982 - 1997
Attorney, Law Office of Bruce Abel
1980 - 1986
Owner - Instructor, Abel's Traffic School
1974 - 1984
Licensed Contractor, Empire Carpet
Associations
1982 - Present
State Bar of CaliforniaMember
Sample of Legal Cases
Excess Ins. Co. May Have a Duty
Prevailed in Enforcement of Settlement Agreement
Attorney fee award must be supported
Education
1982
JD - Juris Doctor
1974
MA - Masters
1970
BA - Bachelor of Arts
Speaking Engagements
2005
How to Achieve Top Exam Performance
2004
Apellate Advocacy - How to Prepare and Win Your Appeal
2002
Legal Research for New Lawyers and Paralegals
1996
Corporation Law
1995
Corporation Law
1984
Constitutional Law
Publications
1995
Languages
English
Activity
Legal Answers
Legal Guides
Legal Answers
What is the statute of limitations in California to sue for an unpaid invoice for freelance design work? Thank you.
28 Apr 2009
I understand in CA everything gets split 50/50. Does that apply to inheritances that come from parents of one spouse?
27 Apr 2009
Hello As a makeup artist is it best to freelance or go under a business name an get a dba an license
26 Apr 2009