JONATHAN MICHAELS, ESQ.

FOUNDER AND CEO

Jonathan Michaels has established himself as one of the nation's preeminent automotive product liability attorneys. As Founder and CEO of MLG Attorneys at Law, he has successfully litigated cases against every major automotive manufacturer in the world, securing numerous seven and eight-figure verdicts and settlements.

Jonathan's groundbreaking work has drawn attention from major media outlets including The New York Times, Reuters, Fortune, USA Today, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. His high-profile cases have been featured on CBS Mornings, CBS Evening News, and ABC Evening News. Most significantly, his legal efforts have resulted in Congressional hearings and the recall of millions of vehicles across the United States. In 2024, his leadership drove MLG Attorneys at Law to be named to the Inc. 5000 Fastest Growing Companies in America.

Innovator in Legal Education and Trial Advocacy

Jonathan's passion for advocacy has evolved into a commitment to legal education. Under his direction, MLG constructed a state-of-the-art mock courtroom at its Orange County headquarters, where the firm's attorneys conduct weekly mock trials to refine their litigation strategies. Through his "MLG-U" initiative, Jonathan hosts educational events for the broader legal community, teaching masterclass techniques on all aspects of trial presentation.

A sought-after speaker, Jonathan regularly lectures at law schools and consumer attorney associations nationwide, where he shares his unconventional approaches to trial work. Recent speaking engagements include the CAALA and CAOC annual conferences, Trial Lawyers University, Western Trial Lawyers Association, Banyard Inn of Court, Chapman Law School, and Pepperdine Law School.

Distinguished Author and Thought Leader

In 2019, Jonathan authored Automotive 101: The Car Industry Exposed, which reached number five on Amazon's best-seller list. His prolific writing extends to over 100 articles for the prestigious Los Angeles Daily Journal—more than any contributor in the paper's 140-plus year history. His investigative journalism on the GM ignition switch recall earned him a 2015 Pulitzer Prize nomination in Journalism.

Professional Recognition and Academic Excellence

Jonathan's exceptional work has earned consistent recognition from his peers. He has received the prestigious "Super Lawyers" award annually since 2012, a distinction reserved for the top five percent of lawyers in California. He is also featured in Best Lawyers and Who's Who in America. In 2012, his alma mater named him "Attorney of the Year."

His professional success builds upon an impressive academic foundation. Jonathan graduated from the USC Marshall School of Business in 1992 before attending Whittier Law School, where he graduated summa cum laude in 1995. During law school, he served as Notes and Comments Editor of Law Review, competed in several national Moot Court Honors Board competitions, and published a Law Review article now permanently housed in the U.S. Library of Congress.

Jonathan enhanced his trial advocacy skills through the prestigious Gerry Spence Method in Wyoming, completing both the three-week program and the advanced one-week trial skills program. He has also served on the boards of directors for the Consumer Attorneys of California and the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association.

Automotive Passion Beyond the Courtroom

Jonathan's professional dedication stems from his lifelong passion for automobiles. A true enthusiast with encyclopedic knowledge of cars both vintage and modern, he has translated this passion into competitive racing. He has built two race teams that competed in the world's most prestigious races: the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Indianapolis 500.

Jonathan is admitted to practice in California, Colorado, and Michigan. He remains actively involved in the Southern California community and is the proud father of two sons.

HONORS & AWARDS

PROFESSIONAL

California State Bar – Admitted
Colorado State Bar – Admitted
Michigan State Bar – Admitted
U.S. Supreme Court – Admitted
9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals – Admitted
6th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals – Admitted
Federal Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals – Admitted
U.S. District Court, Central District of California – Admitted
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California – Admitted
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California – Admitted
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California – Admitted
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan – Admitted
U.S. District Court, Federal Circuit – Admitted
Ninth Judicial Circuit Historical Society – Member
Super Lawyers – Member and Blue Ribbon Panelist
Association of Business Trial Lawyers – Board of Directors
Orange County Trial Lawyers Association – Board of Directors
Robert A. Banyard Inn of Court – Member
American Bar Association – Member
Orange County Bar Association – Masters Division
Los Angeles County Bar Association – Member
Young Entrepreneur’s Organization – President, OC Chapter
Young Entrepreneur’s Organization – Membership Chair, OC Chapter
Young Entrepreneur’s Organization – Events Chair, OC Chapter
Consumer Attorneys of California – Board of Directors
Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles – Member
American Association for Justice – Member
America’s Top 100 – Member
The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 – Member
Attorney Information Exchange Group – Member
Gerry Spence Method – Graduate
Best Lawyers – Member
Western Trial Lawyers Association – Member

ACADEMIC

USC Marshall Partners – Chairman, OC Chapter
USC Marshall Partners – Executive Committee
USC Marshall Alumni Association – Member
USC-Harvard Business Conference – Committee Chair
Whittier Law School – Dean’s Council

AUTOMOTIVE

National Association of Motor Vehicle Boards – Member
Motor Press Guild – Member
National Association of Dealer Counsel – Member
California New Car Dealers Assn. – Member
Orange County Automobile Dealers Assn. – Member
Southland Motor Car Dealers Assn. – Member
Specialty Equipment Manufacturer Assn. – Member
Checkered Flag 200 – Member
Historic Motor Sports Assn. – Member

PHILANTHROPIC

Child Guidance Center – Board of Directors
Orangewood Foundation – Humanitarian Award
Segerstrom Center – Circle Council
Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities – Honorary Member
MLG Legal Empowerment Grant – Founder

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

National Association of Dealer Counsel – Speaker
California New Motor Vehicle Board – Speaker
Motor Press Guild – Speaker
Vistage – Speaker
Young Entrepreneur’s Organization – Speaker
Consumer Attorneys of California – Speaker
Trial Lawyers University – Speaker
USC Marshall School of Business – Guest lecturer
Pepperdine School of Business – Guest lecturer
Whittier Law School – Guest lecturer
Chapman Law School – Guest lecturer
CAALA – Speaker
Western Trial Lawyers Association – Speaker
Banyard Inn of Court – Speaker
Western State College of Law – Speaker

AUTOMOTIVE 101

BUY ON AMAZON

SCHOLARLY WRITINGS

9/18/18– LADJ Article, “Chapter 11, Here We Come”
8/14/18– LADJ Article, “All Things 100”
7/19/18– LADJ Article, “Investor’s Paradise”
6/19/18– LADJ Article, “Driving to Recessionary Times”
5/15/18– LADJ Article, “The Long And The Short Of It”
4/24/18– LADJ Article, “A Development in Progress”
3/13/18– LADJ Article, “A Bit More Than A Coin”
2/13/18– LADJ Article, “The Future of Privacy”
1/9/18– LADJ Article, “Electrifying!”
12/6/17– LADJ Article, “Will They Make the Turn?”
11/8/17– LADJ Article, “It’s Harder Than It Looks”
10/10/17– LADJ Article, “When Will They Stop?”
9/6/17– LADJ Article, “Autonomous Fear”
8/1/17 – LADJ Article, “The Truth About Lithium”
7/7/17 – LADJ Article, “Selling Cars in Tomorrowland”
6/6/17 – LADJ Article, “Oh, Snap!”
5/2/17 – LADJ Article, “Phantom Stock”
4/4/17 – LADJ Article, “Generation Next”
3/14/17 – LADJ Article, “Drive it Like You Stole It”
2/8/17 – LADJ Article, “Mexican Standoff”
1/4/17 – LADJ Article, “Automobile Weaponry”
12/6/16 – LADJ Article, “Public Enemy No. 1: Texting and Driving”
11/1/16 – LADJ Article, “The Next Four Years”
10/5/16 – LADJ Article, “Formulas One’s $8 Billion Deal”
9/8/16 – LADJ Article, “The Exporting Enigma”
8/2/16 – LADJ Article, “The Brazilian Nightmare”
7/12/16 – LADJ Article, “Britian’s Exit and the Auto Industry”
6/14/16 – LADJ Article, “Airbag Recall Understood”
5/3/16 – LADJ Article, “NY’s Response to Texting and Driving”
4/5/16 – LADJ Article, “Autonomous Cars Have Finally Arrived”
3/8/16 – LADJ Article, “EPA’s Slams the Door on High Performance”
2/4/16 – LADJ Article, “Oil’s New Economy”
1/6/16 – LADJ Article, “What Will Become of Us?”
12/1/15 – LADJ Article, “The Harder They Fall”
11/4/15 – LADJ Article, “Generation Forward”
10/7/15 – LADJ Article, “When Will They Stop?”
9/1/15 – LADJ Article, “Gold Rush”
8/5/15 – LADJ Article, “Chrysler’s Redord-Breaking Fine Not Nearly Enough”
7/8/15 – LADJ Article, “Uber’s Worst Nightmare”
6/3/15 – LADJ Article, “War Crimes”
5/5/15 – LADJ Article, “The Tragedy of Progress”
4/8/15 – LADJ Article, “Paul Walker, Concluded”
3/3/15 – LADJ Article, “Getting It Right”
2/4/15 – LADJ Article, “Swimming in a Sea of Oil”
1/6/15 – LADJ Article, “An Uber Mess”
12/2/14 – LADJ Article, “Year of the Snake”
11/11/14 – LADJ Article, “A Failed System”
10/7/14 – LADJ Article, “Twenty Years Out”
9/4/14 – LADJ Article, “The Shocking Truth”
8/6/14 – LADJ Article, “There’s No Honor in the System”
7/8/14 – LADJ Article, “The Company Without a Soul”
6/3/14 – LADJ Article, “Moments of Atrocity”

5/8/14 – LADJ Article, “Tesla’s Federal Showdown”
4/1/14 – LADJ Article, “GM’s Day of Reckoning
3/4/14 – LADJ Article, “What Evil That Men Do”
2/4/14 – LADJ Article, “Rock Bottom”
1/7/14 – LADJ Article, “Success Redefined”
12/4/13 – LADJ Article, “Life Interrupted”
11/5/13 – LADJ Article, “Dodging a Bullet”
10/1/13 – LADJ Article, “Head Rush”
9/4/13 – LADJ Article, “Pop the Champagne”
8/6/13 – LADJ Article, “The Deadliest Weapon”
7/2/13 – LADJ Article, “So You Think You’re Safe”
6/4/13 – LADJ Article, “Eliminating All Doubt”
5/7/13 – LADJ Article, “The Fallen Angel”
4/2/13 – LADJ Article, “The Root of All Evil”
3/6/13 – LADJ Article, “Chasing the Seven Percent”
2/5/13 – LADJ Article, “The Electric Car Myth”
1/8/13 – LADJ Article, “Chrysler Dealers Bring Suit Against U.S. for the Fifth Amendment”
12/4/12 – LADJ Article, “Oh, What A Tangled Web We Weave”
11/2/12 – LADJ Article, “Obama and the Automotive Industry”
10/3/12 – LADJ Article, “Could GM Be At It Again?”
9/5/12 – LADJ Article, “Market Forces Challenge Electric Car Industry”
8/7/12 – LADJ Article, “The Grand Ol’ Plan”
7/3/12 – LADJ Article, “Theft, Hiding and Restitution.”
6/6/12 – LADJ Article, “Chrysler Dealers Get Rejected Once Again”
5/1/12 – LADJ Article, “An Industry Lost”
4/3/12 – LADJ Article, “The Love of All Things Ferrari”
3/6/12 – LADJ Article, “Fisker’s Power Outage”
2/7/12 – LADJ Article, “Porche’s Billion Dollar Blunder”
1/5/12 – LADJ Article, “Up in Smoke”
12/6/11 – LADJ Article, “Spend it Like You Got It”
11/1/11 – LADJ Article, “Basking in the Ferrari Sun”
10/4/11 – LADJ Article, “The Pain is Far From Over”
9/6/11 – LADJ Article, “Troubles with the New Fuel Regulations Sure to Come”
8/8/11 – LADJ Article, “The $1 Million Question”
7/5/11 – LADJ Article, “Will the Real Team Lotus Please Stand Up”
6/7/11 – LADJ Article, “Winning at All Costs”
5/3/11 – LADJ Article, “How Soon We Forget”
4/4/11 – LADJ Article, “Will Oil Become Extinct?”
3/7/11 – LADJ Article, “How Many More Have to Die”
2/8/11 – LADJ Article, “Do it for the Kids”
1/12/11 – LADJ Article, “Ethanol Still Ablaze”
12/6/10 – LADJ Article, “The Dirty Little Secret”
11/4/10 – LADJ Article, “The Killing Fields”
10/8/10 – LADJ Article, “Ghost in the Machine”
9/7/10 – LADJ Article, “Electric Shock”
8/2/10 – LADJ Article, “Somebody Tell Them the Party’s Over”
7/6/10 – LADJ Article, “Tesla Business Model: Brilliance or Impending Disaster?”
5/13/10 – LADJ Article, “Auto Dealers Beware: Big Brother is Looming”
2/10/10 – LADJ Article, “The Appropriateness of Toyota’s Gas Pedal Recall”
1994 – Whittier Law Review, “The U.S. Constitution and the Texas Death Penalty”

Education

Whittier Law School (J.D. 1995, Summa Cum Laude)
University of Southern California (B.S. 1992)

Certifications & Memberships

California State Bar
Colorado State Bar
Michigan State Bar
U.S. Supreme Court
U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit
U.S. Court of Appeals, Federal Circuit
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
U.S. District Court, Federal Circuit

“Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.”

Winston Churchill

JONATHAN MICHAEL'S NOTABLE CASES

ZF-TRW Airbag Control Unit

Automakers Kia, Hyundai, and FCA (Fiat-Chrysler) recalled approximately 12.3 million vehicles due to faulty airbag control units (ACU), which posed the risk failing to engage the airbags in the event of a collision. The same defect is also linked to Toyota, Acura, Honda, Mitsubishi, Porsche, and Volkswagen vehicles.

ZF-TRW