Frank M. Pitre, a San Francisco native, earned his B.S., cum laude, in Business Administration and his J.D. from the University of San Francisco. While at USF, Frank served a legal externship with the California Supreme Court.

Considered one of the outstanding trial lawyers in areas of personal injury/wrongful death, consumer fraud, mass torts and commercial torts, Frank has won millions of dollars for victims of injustice.

His skill as a trial lawyer has earned him recognition among his peers who have elected him a member of the prestigious American College of Trial Lawyers, American Board of Trial Advocates (Advocate), International Academy of Trial Lawyers, International Society of Barristers, and the National Board of Trial Advocacy. In 2018, he was honored by Consumer Watchdog with its Lifetime Achievement Award for his successful advocacy on behalf of consumers over more than three decades.

PUBLICATIONS

Frank is the author of numerous articles, including “Abuse of Process,” California Tort Damages, California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1988; and “Tort Trends,” The Docket, San Mateo County Bar Association, 1989-1994. He is co-author of “Jury Instructions: A Practical Approach to their Use,” Civil Litigation Reporter, March, 1984; “Arguing Punitive Damages,” Civil Litigation Reporter, California Continuing Education of the Bar, 1991; “Effective Opening Statements,” California Litigation, Journal of The Litigation Section, California State Bar, 1991; “Jury Trial Tips: Witnesses,” California Litigation, Journal of The Litigation Section, California State Bar, 1991; and “Winning Through a More Effective Direct Examination,” California Litigation, Journal of the Litigation Section, California State Bar, 1991. Since 1998, he has served as the author of “California Personal Injury Proof,” published by the California Continuing Education of the Bar, which is updated annually to reflect legal changes affecting the essential tools of marshalling proof at trial.

Publications

California Personal Injury Proof, California Continuing Education of the Bar

Assault Weapons: The Case Against The TEC-9

In the News
30 Jun 2026
Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Homeowner Injured by Tracy Warehouse Fire
16 Jun 2025
What Maui fire victims need to know to file for settlement money
12 Jun 2024
CPM Attorneys Recognized as 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Financial Lawyers
03 Oct 2023
Wells Fargo Shareholder Sues Bank’s Executives for Sham Interview and Hiring Practices to Increase Workforce Diversity
08 Sep 2023
Top Maui Law Firm Files Series of Lawsuits on Behalf of Lahaina Fire Victims
23 Mar 2023
Tesla Buyers Ask Calif. Judge To Shut Down 'Full Self Driving'
12 Dec 2022
Tesla: Our ‘failure’ to make actual self-driving cars ‘is not fraud’
08 Dec 2022
Tesla says its self-driving technology may be a ‘failure’ — but not fraud
04 Oct 2022
Lawsuit Filed Against Roseburg Forest Products Co. Over the Start of the Mill Fire
29 Sep 2022
Former PG&E executives to pay $117 million to settle claims over California wildfires
29 Sep 2022
Former PG&E executives agree to $117-million settlement over California wildfires
15 Sep 2022
Tesla Buyers Say Elon Musk Overhyped 'Self-Driving' Tech
14 Sep 2022
Lawsuit Filed Against Tesla for Allegedly Misleading the Public Regarding its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving Technology
05 Jul 2022
CPM Attorneys Selected to 2022 Super Lawyers and Rising Stars List
27 Sep 2021
Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy Announces SoCalGas Well Blowout Lawsuit has Settled for a Record $1.8 Billion
07 Jul 2021
17 CPM Attorneys Honored as Northern California Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
17 Mar 2021
Congratulations to Frank Pitre and Niall McCarthy for Winning the 2021 California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year Award
24 Feb 2021
Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy, LLP Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Justice John Trotter (Ret.), Trustee of the PG&E Fire Victim Trust, Against Certain PG&E Officers and Directors
13 Jan 2021
Despite Court Closures, 2020 Brought Big Courthouse Wins for Plaintiffs in the Southern California Gas Leak Cases
20 Nov 2020
Parents of Slain Saugus High School Student Sue School District on the Anniversary of 15-Year-Old Gracie Muehlberger's Tragic Death
10 Jun 2020
CPM Partners Joe Cotchett and Frank Pitre Named to Distinguished List of Daily Journal’s ‘Top Plaintiff Lawyers’ in California for 2020
19 Jun 2019
CPM Partners Selected to the Daily Journal’s Top Plaintiff Lawyers
15 May 2019
As CPM Fights for Fire Victims, California Says PG&E Power Lines Caused Camp Fire That Killed 85
2019
CPM Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit and FAA Claim on Behalf of Young American Woman Killed in Boeing 737 MAX 8 Crash in Ethiopia
04 Mar 2019
CPM Clients Wildfire Victims Accuse PG&E of Resisting Oversight
01 Mar 2019
Attorneys (including CPM): PG&E has long failed to handle wildfire risk
PG&E bankruptcy will be an expensive process
10 Dec 2018
CPM Files Series of Lawsuits on Behalf of Camp Fire Victims
19 Sep 2018
Four CPM Partners Named Daily Journal's Top 100 Lawyers in California
11 Jun 2018
PG&E Sees ‘Significant Liability’ in California Wildfire Report
08 Jun 2018
Cal Fire Releases Cause of a Dozen More October Fires: Nearly All Tied to PG&E
02 Jun 2018
CPM Partner Frank Pitre Receives the 2018 Lifetime Legal Achievement Award for Advocacy Regarding California Wildfires
SIX-TIME FELON PG&E WANTS A FREE PASS – DON'T LET THEM HAVE IT
14 Nov 2017
CPM client former SF mayor among plaintiffs in seven new lawsuits against PG&E over North Bay fires
14 Nov 2017
CPM Among Five Top Law Firms to Announce Series of Lawsuits against PG&E on behalf of Fire Victims
14 Nov 2017
CPM Sues Pacific Gas and Electric Company for Rash of Deadly Northern California Wildfires
31 Oct 2017
New PG&E reports show widespread problems during Wine Country fires
12 Oct 2017
California fire mystery: PG&E lines fell in winds that weren’t ‘hurricane strength’
12 Oct 2017
Dispatch calls link PG&E power lines to North Bay wild fires, cause still under investigation
CPM Wildfire Litigation Experts Leading Charge of Investigation on North Bay Fires
03 Aug 2017
CPM Files Lawsuit Against Immigration and Customs Enforcement for Family of Fallen Oakland Muralist, Tony Ramos
PG&E DERIVATIVE LITIGATION NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT
21 Apr 2017
CPM Secures $90 Million Settlement in PG&E San Bruno Explosion Case
10 Feb 2017
CPM Helps First Major Wave of Millennium Tower Individual Owners File Suit
As CPM Fights for Justice to Be Served, Government Disclaims Responsibility for Kate Steinle’s Death
19 Oct 2016
CPM Partner: Exploding Samsung 7 Phones Are Just the Tip of the Iceberg
26 Sep 2016
California police officers required to lock up guns after bill signed into law
09 Aug 2016
Federal Jury Finds PG&E Guilty of Obstructing Investigators
19 Jul 2016
Multiple CPM Litigators Recognized as Northern California Super Lawyers 2016
17 Jun 2016
Lost in the Debate: The Threat to Judicial Independence
02 Jun 2016
CPM Files Federal Claim Against ICE for Family of Slain Oakland Muralist, Tony Ramos
27 May 2016
CPM Client Kate Steinle's Family Sues Federal Agencies After Alleged Murder By Undocumented Immigrant
2016
CPM Partner Frank Pitre Chosen as One of Two of State’s Top Consumer Lawyers Among Dream Team to Lead Nationwide Class Action Cases Against Volkswagen
16 Nov 2015
Unaccounted For: Hundreds of Guns Lost or Stolen From Bay Area Police Agencies Since 2010
25 Sep 2015
CPM Files Lawsuit Against Volkswagen on Behalf of Stanford Professors for Allegedly Using Software to Circumvent Emissions Testing
01 Sep 2015
CPM Client Steinle Family Files Claims to Hold SF Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, ICE and the Bureau of Land Management Responsible for Daughter's Death
28 Aug 2015
Court Orders PG&E Directors to Answer, Allowing CPM Client Shareholders' Suit to Proceed
16 Jul 2015
Multiple Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy Lawyers Honored as Super Lawyers For Northern California
15 Jul 2015
CPM Partners Cotchett, Pitre and Murphy Selected to List of Daily Journal's Top 25 Plaintiff Lawyers
18 Jun 2015
Experts say balcony collapse that killed 6 likely due to dry rot
09 Mar 2015
Public Radio Airs Story on CPM’s Counterfeit Screws Litigation
CPM Partner Pitre Selected by “Best Lawyer” as 2015 Personal Injury Lawyer of the Year
CPM Represents City of Richmond Regarding Chevron Refinery Fire
In Defective Airbags Product Liability Case, CPM Represents Numerous Owners of Honda and BMW Cars with Defective Takata Airbags
CPM Fights Against Oil Pollution of Farm Lands in Kern County
CPM's Consolidated Shareholder Derivative Lawsuit Moves Ahead Against PG&E Officers and Directors
03 Nov 2014
Center for Investigative Reporting Covers CPM's Spinal Screw Case
05 Aug 2014
Blast lawsuit seeking money from PG&E execs gets go-ahead
27 Jul 2014
CPM Attorneys Win National Trial Lawyer of the Year
09 Jul 2014
CPM Partners Cotchett, Pitre, McCarthy and Jabagchourian Named to 2014 Top 100 Northern California Super Lawyers List