Paul Vanderwalde - Lawyer in Campbell, CA

Paul Douglas Vanderwalde

Wrongful death Attorney at Campbell, CA

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Fantastic, Friendly, Trustworthy and Thorough

Fantastic folks who saved my otherwise hopeless auto accident case. It was so disheartening to be injured and exhausted with a bad concussion, which turns out to be a notoriously hard-to-settle claim, but everyone at Van Der Walde was professional and thorough. They explained everything along the way as I was utterly clueless about the insurance settlement process - I'd never been in an auto accident of any sort before, and the first lawyer I was working with left me scared and baffled. Whereas Paul, Eva, and Julia stuck by me the whole way, explaining things in normal human terms, not legalese, and going above and beyond anything I would have expected from a lawyer. Thanks so much to all of you at Van Der Walde!

Caring attorney, consummate professional!

My husband and I met with Paul during a very stressful time in our lives. We had just been involved in a serious auto accident in which the other party was seriously injured. We had many concerns about what to expect going forward and felt we needed to seek some legal advice. Paul offered to graciously meet with us on short notice. Even though Paul usually represents injured parties in such cases, he took the time to meet with us and inform us of what we can anticipate in the future and of the options that are available to us. Paul was very attentive, informative and thorough in our discussion of our situation. The knowledge he imparted and the sensitivity he displayed when addressing our concerns helped give us some peace of mind. Paul is a very personable, approachable, highly knowledgeable attorney whose advice to us during a very difficult time is appreciated beyond measure. Paul is a consummate professional who truly cares, and I would highly recommend him!

About Paul

Learn Paul’s areas of practice.

Practice areas

Paul Van Der Walde moved to Santa Clara County in 1990 to study law at Santa Clara University. Previously, he lived in Scottsdale, Arizona, and Boston, Massachusetts before moving to Santa Cruz, California, where he has resided for the past 15 years.

Paul received his Doctorate in Jurisprudence in 1993 and went into practice as a defense attorney for a local insurance defense firm. After spending a year watching insurance companies take advantage of plaintiffs, Paul joined a Bay Area civil litigation practice and specialized in helping plaintiffs in personal injury cases. He became a partner of Cornell & Van Der Walde Law in 1995, and in 1997, Paul founded Van Der Walde & Associates (now Caputo & Van Der Walde LLP).

For the past 20 years, Paul has tried cases in Northern California courtrooms, where he has become a known face to judges, attorneys, and legal professionals. Unlike many firms, Caputo & Van Der Walde strives to develop strong relationships with their clients and provides that personal touch to those injured in serious accidents. Paul specializes in personal injury litigation and has helped hundreds of people resolve their cases.

Licensed for 29 years

State CA

Status Active

Acquired 1993

Updated 12/07/2022

State AZ

Status Suspended

Acquired 1995

Updated 12/21/2022

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2019. See details

Contact Paul

Caputo & Van Der Walde LLP

51 East Campbell Avenue, Suite 120

Campbell, CA, 95008

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Reviews

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4.8 / 5.0

18 customer reviews

5 Star

94%

4 Star

3 Star

2 Star

1 Star

Posted by Elizabeth | June 20, 2013

Fantastic, Friendly, Trustworthy and Thorough

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Posted by Irene | February 26, 2013

Caring attorney, consummate professional!

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Posted by Vincent | February 26, 2013

Highly recommended

Paul and his staff are exceptional attentive to my concerns and display professionalism. He and his staff would respond very promptly when I have to contact his office with questions. They also keep me inform regularly about the status of my case and I would strongly recommend him to anyone that need a lawyer working on their behalf.

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Posted by Mary | February 1, 2013

Vanderwalde & Associates exceeded all of my expectations.

I had a hard time selecting the right attorney for my case. My injuries caused me to have a permanent brain injury and made me confined to a wheelchair. I am very glad I ended up choosing Paul as my attorney. Paul and his staff worked tirelessly on my case and never gave up. Paul has even continued to help me with things even after my case was over. They were fast to answer my questions and always treated me with respect. They took time to explain things to me as sometimes I don't think very well. Whenever I called, there was someone I could speak to who knew what was going on with my case. I will always be grateful to Vanderwalde & Associates and consider Paul to be a friend of mine. He really made a difference in my life - I dont know how I would have handled things without him.

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Posted by Bert | April 6, 2012

Good experience

I have been working with Paul, Eva, Julia as other members in the law firm for my bicycle accident. They handled my case very professionally with great care. They always response to my questions/requests promptly and also let me know the progress of my case in the timely manner. They even compensate me with the fees even though they do not need to do it. I am very happy with the results of my case and I highly recommend this lawyer to other potential clients.

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Posted by Steve | January 24, 2012

Great help

Paul, Eva and Julia have been a great help since an 89yo great-grandmother turned left in front of my motorcycle keeping me out of work since 2008. They have gone way above and beyond what I expected, taking a personal interest in my well being during the 3+ years of my recovery and lawsuit. When the other party's insurance started playing games, trying to low ball me, their expertise, advise and support in everything concerning me seemed personal and almost familial. The fee they received will never cover all I owe to them. Although they are not aware of it, a good friend of mine called Paul about a year and 1/2 ago when he rear-end someone on the freeway. Seems his insurance was playing games and the woman brought suit against him. Although they would normally be on the other side Paul and Eva did take the time to speak with him on at least two occasions and explain how things worked and what his options were. This is an office that really does care about people and not just the fee

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Posted by anonymous | January 24, 2012

A lawer you can rely

My case didn't had any great financial prospect., but I wanted someone to take up my case so that I get adequately compensated for whatever losses I made during the auto accident. Paul took my auto accident case and in no time the case was settled as per my wish. I would highly recommend Paul and Eva.

Posted by Cheryl | October 31, 2011

He and his staff fought hard for my second chance at life, and won!

Paul, Julia and Eva are simply AMAZING. I was so scared about my future, loosing EVERYTHING normal in my life due to my injury. I prayed that I would find a lawyer that one, believed in me and two would be tough enough to fight for me! And GOD blessed me with Paul and the gang! They were there for me through my emotional and physical meltdowns but also genuinely reassured me that all was not lost! That my continued strength along with there dedication and knowledge we would make it through! THANKS GUYS FOR GIVING ME MY LIFE BACK!

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Posted by cheri | August 16, 2011

Highly recommend!

Paul was always reachable, I was always kept infomed and not only by Paul himself, but by Julia and his other assistants. This is a first class office that runs very smoothly and it shows. I would highly recommend Paul and his entire staff to handle a future issue.

Posted by anonymous | March 28, 2011

Highly Recommended

Paul was very easy to work with. He was very knowledgeable about similar cases which allowed him to give me all the scenarios and provide honest opinions on what would be best for me and my case. He provided all the information and facts in a way that I could easily understand them and he was very personable and easy to talk to. He contacted me often to discuss the case and provided me with the information I needed to make informed decisions. His assistants were also very responsive to my emails and were helpful with questions when Paul was not available. Overall I was very pleased with how Paul handled my case and would recommend him to my friends and family in the future.

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Posted by Marilyn | March 6, 2011

Personal Injury

Paul and his staff represented me in a personal injury case. The entire staff made themselves available to answer all my questions, and helped to ensure that I received the best possible medical care. Paul successfully mediated my case/settlement and avoided a jury trial. I would recommend him, and would seek his services again should the need arise.

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Posted by anonymous | November 16, 2010

Outstanding

Paul represented me on a personal injury case which we successfully settled out of court. He is a skillful advocate; also congenial and highly professional. I very much appreciated his commitment to my case and his consistent communication with me throughout. His entire staff is commited to client satisfaction and they do a superb job.

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Posted by Alan Bowles | October 17, 2010

Excellent lawyer, great results wonderful staff

I hired Paul and his staff to represent me when I had my leg crushed in a very serious accident. They always kept me informed, stayed on top of my case and ultimately got a result that exceeded my expectations. Without reservation I would recommend them to anyone in need of legal services for their serious personal injury case

Posted by Patricia | October 8, 2010

An "excellent" rating for this Paul D. Van Der Walde

Mr. Van der Walde represented me in a slip and fall injury suit. He put a great deal of effort into my case, gathering evidence, taking depositions and generally doing everything that needed to be done to prepare the background. All of this finally resulted in a mediation which took place last week. Throughout the day Mr. Van der Walde worked with the mediator to bring us to the point of a satisfactory settlement. I was very pleased with the outcome and felt that Mr. Van Der Walde did everything in a most excellent manner and well represented the profession of an Attorney at Law.

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Posted by Harley | September 15, 2010

Great experience with VanDerWalde & Associates!

Excellent knowledge of law, kept me informed and the staff was great. I had a great experience with Van Der Walde & Associates and would recommend them to others in need of similar services.‎

Posted by anonymous | March 16, 2009

Difficult case - caring and competent representation

Paul and his outstanding staff helped me through a difficult wrongful death case involving my mother. They always made themselves available to take my calls and answer my questions - it felt very comfortable and professional. They are good people who are also great at what they do.

Posted by anonymous | September 29, 2007

Best Lawyer Ever!

Paul Van Der Walde jumped right in and took my case after I was abandoned by another attorney. He and his associates did a great job building my case and involving me in the process. I was kept informed about all details and always knew what was going on. Paul gave me good advice and supported my decisions. He helped me out in so many ways. I was very happy with the settlement that he negotiated and will hire him again, if the need should ever arise.

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Posted by anonymous | October 11, 2011

not happy

I would never hire this lawyer ever again. He and his staff were rude and did not inform me properly. I also feel that I was way over charged. He was cold and extremely uncaring - cold as ice on the phone. I had to wait a year and a half just to get one of my payments of a very small amount of money. It was just AWFULL!!

Response from Paul Vanderwalde November 29, 2011

At Van Der Walde & Associates we strive to obtain the best possible result for our clients while maintaining the personal touch that distinguishes us from other firms. I wish this client had listed his or her name so we could have addressed any concerns and not have a similar dissatisfied person in the future! Unfortunately, due to new Medicare laws, it can take a year or more to get a final reimbursement amount due to Medicare. As attorney's, we are put into a bind - on the one hand we must release enough money to the client, all the while holding back enough to satisfy Medicare's claims. I invite you to meet me and my staff and judge for yourself if we can help you get the just compensation you deserve!

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AVVO RATING 5.8 (Average)

Professional misconduct

This lawyer was disciplined by a state licensing authority in 2019.

Reciprocal - Suspension with Probation issued in AZ, 2019
updated on 06/19/2019

This means that the attorney's misconduct in another state, or jurisdiction, also violated the rules for practicing law in Arizona.

Discipline with Actual Suspension issued in CA, 2018
updated on 01/16/2019

This sanction means the attorney lost his or her license to practice law for a period of time. The attorney typically returns to practicing law when the suspension expires.

Work Experience

Partner
Caputo & Van Der Walde LLP
2015 - Present

Senior Partner
Van Der Walde & Associates
1997 - 2015

Education

Santa Clara University School of Law
JD - Juris Doctor
1993

Arizona State University
BS - Bachelor of Science
1989

Legal Cases

Confidential Settlement
$1.975 million

Caminiti
1.5 million

Bowles v. Big O Tire
1.475 Million

View all legal cases

Associations

Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Member
2000 - Present

Santa Clara County Bar Association
Member
1999 - Present

Consumer Attorneys of California
Member
1998 - Present

Association of Trial Lawyers of America
Member
1998 - Present

State Bar of California
Member
1993 - Present

State Bar of Arizona
Member
1993 - Present

Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association
Member
N/A

Sunnyvale Cupertino Bar Association
President
2006 - 2007

Santa Clara Bar Association
Board of Trustees
1999 - 1999

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Languages Spoken

English

Awards

Outstanding Lawyers
AVVO
2011

Top Rated Lawyers
Attorney Search Network
2009

Personal Injury Attorney of the Year
Consumer Business Review
2007

Who's Who in American Law
Who's Who in American Law -Marquis
2000

Member - Million Dollar Advocates Forum
Million Dollar Advocates Forum
1999

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Speaking Engagements

American National Insurance Seminar
Insurance Issues: Personal Liability, Recklessness vs. Negligence, and Reimbursement
2011

Continuing Education Seminar
Tort and Trial Practice
2008

Attorney endorsements

Received (13)

Given (12)

Endorse Paul

Brett Borah

Personal injury Attorney | Mar 16
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work. I have referred several clients to Mr. Van der Walde and all have reported back that they are pleased with his level of representation. I will continue to refer clients to him."

Patricia Fox

Car accident Attorney | Mar 16
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr Vanderwalde consistently provides superior results. He is a leader in the community."

Michael Waddington

Personal injury Attorney | May 23
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse Paul. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."

Tazewell Shepard

Personal injury Attorney | Dec 27
Relationship: Other

"I am happy to endorse this lawyer."

Christy Thompson

Personal injury Attorney | Jul 29
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Herbert Ellis

Unknown Attorney | Dec 10
Relationship: Other

"I endorse this lawyer."

Nancy Bucknell

Unknown Attorney | Oct 04
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Christian Lassen

Unknown Attorney | Jan 27
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Top-notch attorney. Highly recommended."

Michael Ehline

Brain injury Attorney | Oct 26
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer's work. He is known by other lawyers such as Kirk Bernard as one of the best in his areas of practice. If I am injured, I know who to call: Paul Douglas Vanderwalde!"