Atty. Donald C. Arbitblit
Donald C. Arbitblit is a leader among plaintiffs’ attorneys in assessing the legal, medical, and scientific aspects of personal injury, mass torts , and environmental and toxic exposure litigation .
Profile Summary
About Donald C. Arbitblit at a glance
Donald C. Arbitblit is a personal injury, class action, and product liability attorney based in San Francisco, California, practicing at Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein LLP. They have 47+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1979. Admitted to practice in Vermont, Vermont Bar Association (1979) and California, The State Bar of California (1986). Educated at University of California Berkeley (J.D., 1979) and Tufts University (B.S. (Magna Cum Laude), 1974). Recognitions include Best Lawyers in America — Mass Tort Litigation / Class Actions - Plaintiffs (2026), Best Lawyers in America — Personal Injury Litigation - Plaintiffs (2026), and Best Lawyers in America — Awards: (2026). Serands clients in San Francisco, CA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About
- Donald C. Arbitblit is a leader among plaintiffs’ attorneys in assessing the legal, medical, and scientific aspects of personal injury, mass torts, and environmental and toxic exposure litigation
- Don has served on Plaintiffs’ Science/Expert Committees in several national cases and served on the Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the Actos bladder cancer injuries federal multidistrict litigation that settled in 2015 for $2.4 billion
- Don was a member of the trial team that won the first Actos bellwether trial in April 2014, including a $9 billion punitive damage award
- Don was also Chair of the Epidemiology/Causation Subcommittee of the federal Vioxx litigation from 2005-2010, and he was a member of the trial team that won a plaintiffs’ verdict in that litigation in 2006
- Between 1998 and 2014, Don has served on science and expert witness committees in the Actos, Yaz, Fen-Phen Diet Drug, Rezulin, Baycol, Vioxx, and Sulzer hip implant cases
- Since 2018, Don has served as a leader of the Plaintiffs’ Expert Witness Committee in the national Opioids Litigation MDL, working with experts in the fields of addiction medicine, psychiatry, pain management and epidemiology
- Don was listed in the 2021 Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers guide, based on “submissions, journalistic research and editorial vetting from a board” of his peers
Practice Areas Explained
Donald C. Arbitblit's Areas of Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Donald C. Arbitblit handles, with a brief overview of what that area of law covers.
Personal injury attorneys help accident victims recover compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain & suffering. Most work on contingency — no fee unless you win.
Donald C. Arbitblit is one of 264,852 personal injury attorneys indexed nationally. Browse personal injury attorneys in California →
Donald C. Arbitblit is one of 26,424 class action attorneys indexed nationally. Browse class action attorneys in California →
Donald C. Arbitblit is one of 66,193 product liability attorneys indexed nationally. Browse product liability attorneys in California →
Jurisdictional Context
Why local counsel matters in California
Practicing law in California. Legal matters in California are governed by state-specific rules of civil and criminal procedure, statutes of limitations, and substantive law. Cases originating in San Francisco are typically filed in the local municipal court or the appropriate California state district court, depending on subject matter and amount in controversy. An attorney licensed in California brings working knowledge of local procedural deadlines, judicial practices in this andnue, and the substantive law that applies to cases brought here. Out-of-state attorneys generally cannot represent clients in California courts without local counsel or pro hac vice admission.
Looking for additional California attorneys? Browse all attorneys in San Francisco or all attorneys in California.
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