Atty. Michael L. Baum
Michael L. Baum is the senior managing partner of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman.
Antidepressant Birth Defect Litigation & More Attorney · Serving Greenbrae, CA · 41+ Years Experience
Profile Summary
About Michael L. Baum at a Glance
Michael L. Baum is a Managing Partner based in Greenbrae, California. They have 41+ years of legal experience, licensed to practice since 1985. Their practice focuses on wrongful death, personal injury, class action, whistleblower, and product liability. Admitted to practice in California (1985), U.S. District Court, Central District of California (1986), U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California (1989), and U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (1989). Educated at University of California at Los Angeles (B.A., 1982). Recognitions include AV Preeminent. Serves clients in Greenbrae, CA and the surrounding metropolitan area.
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About Michael L. Baum
- Michael L. Baum is the senior managing partner of Baum, Hedlund, Aristei & Goldman
- He has successfully led the firm through thousands of wrongful death and personal injury cases stemming from major pharmaceutical drug catastrophes, harmful consumer products, and commercial transportation mass disasters
- He began his career more than 30 years ago, primarily handling airline accidents and other commercial transportation disasters as well as some pharmaceutical product liability litigation
- While he oversees all aspects of managing the firm, Michael directs all of the firm’s mass tort litigation, including defective or harmful pharmaceutical drugs, medical devices, herbicides, and consumer products
- He also oversees our class actions and whistleblower qui-tam actions. “Some of our staff were friends long before they started working here and they remain friends after almost three decades of working together
- They actually like each other and enjoy making a difference in the lives of others
- One of my favorite quotes, which I like to recite to my staff, sums up the work environment we’ve created at the firm: ‘In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun
- You find the fun, and – SNAP – the job’s a game!’” Award-Winning Pharmaceutical Litigation Team Under Michael’s leadership, Baum Hedlund has developed a reputation as a law firm that can be counted upon to go above and beyond what is needed to get the job done, a firm that has successfully litigated personal injury, wrongful death and consumer fraud cases against major pharmaceutical companies such as Alpha Therapeutic, Armour Pharmaceutical Co., Baxter Health Care Corp, Bayer Corp., Dalkon Corporation, Eli Lilly, Forest Labs, GlaxoSmithKline, and Pfizer
- In 1999, Michael served on the trial team in the only Hemophiliac AIDS case to go before a jury
- Michael and the trial team represented Leo and Shirley Dixon, whose son, Ken Dixon, contracted the HIV virus and AIDS allegedly as a result of using hemophilia medication contaminated with HIV
- Evidence presented at trial showed the medication Ken Dixon used was plasma‑derived medication contaminated from the use of high-risk donors with the HIV virus
- The jurors found that two of the medication manufacturers, Cutter Biological and Alpha Therapeutics, were strictly liable for product liability, negligence, and fraud
- The jurors further found that after Ken Dixon initially was infected with the AIDS virus (which was not known to him at the time), the continued use of the contaminated products further aggravated Ken’s condition, exacerbating and accelerating the development of AIDS
- The jury awarded Leo and Shirley Dixon $35.3 million in survival and wrongful death damages
- Although the judge overturned the verdict based on a technical issue, the verdict provided essential justice for not only the Dixon family but for hemophiliacs across the country who have suffered and died as a result of their HIV-infected medication
- Fast-forward twenty years later, to find Michael continuing to fight for those injured by Big Pharma products
- The National Law Journal recognized Michael and his team as 2018 Elite Trial Lawyers and Pharmaceutical Litigation first place winners for their unprecedented jury verdict against a brand-name drug manufacturer (GSK) for the wrongful death of a man who took a generic form of Paxil
- Groundbreaking Verdicts in Monsanto Roundup Litigation Michael served on the trial team for three of the first Monsanto Roundup lawsuits to go before juries
- In the first trial, Michael and a team of lawyers represented Dewayne “Lee” Johnson, a Benicia, California school district groundskeeper, who alleged exposure to Monsanto herbicides caused him to develop terminal non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- A jury in San Francisco unanimously awarded Mr. Johnson $289M in compensatory and punitive damages, finding that Monsanto acted with malice, oppression, or fraud
- In the wake of this groundbreaking verdict, The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 recognized Michael and his team as the 2019 Trial Team of the Year in the Mass Torts category
- The second Roundup lawsuit to proceed to trial, Hardeman v
- Monsanto Company, resulted in an $80 million jury verdict
- In May of 2019, the third Roundup cancer trial culminated in a historic $2.055 billion verdict in favor of a Bay Area couple who alleged years of exposure to Roundup weed killer caused them to develop non-Hodgkin lymphoma
- Holding Companies Responsible for Aviation Disasters In addition, his firm is known for successfully resolving major transportation disaster cases against companies such as Airbus, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Amtrak, Bell Helicopter Co., Beechcraft, Boeing, Cessna, China Eastern Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Airlines, EgyptAir, Ford Motor Co., McDonnell Douglas, Piper, Robinson Helicopter Co., Sikorsky, SwissAir, TACA Airlines, TWA, United Airlines, and US Airways, among many others
- As part of the plaintiffs’ trial team for families who lost loved ones in the United 232 Sioux City, Iowa, crash, Michael found the smoking gun document that showed General Electric’s engineers’ graphs predicting the next DC 10 engine failure, which happened to be the date of the United 232 crash five years later. “Rigorously investigating and litigating the types of devastating cases we handle on a daily basis requires relentless focus and dedication to our clients’ causes
- Approaching things from the perspective that every problem has an optimum solution waiting to be apprehended simplifies our team’s outlook on every aspect of each case we handle.” Influencing Public Policy Michael was invited to speak before governmental and regulatory entities on several occasions concerning serious health hazards exposed, in part, due to his firm’s litigation
- He testified in Brussels at a public hearing before the European Parliament’s Special Committee Hearing on the EU’s authorization procedure for pesticides (PEST), concerning environment impacts of pesticides, including Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer
- He and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. delivered the keynote address to members of the European Green Party at the start of their pesticides hearing during that same trip
- He and his partner, R. Brent Wisner, also briefed members of Parliament of Canada’s Green Party about the first Roundup cancer verdict we helped obtain, as well as the evidence we presented at that trial
- Medical officials from foreign governments in countries such as Ireland, Japan, Russia, and Taiwan have sought Michael’s advice and assistance with their countries’ public policies concerning consumer drug safety
- They’ve done so after becoming aware of Michael’s impressive understanding of biomedical research, clinical trials, statistics, the pharmaceutical industry and marketing, as well as his firm’s successful and effective discovery procedures and extensive work with experts on complicated scientific issues related to Baum Hedlund’s pharmaceutical litigation
- Career Highlights Among his many achievements, accomplished with the help of his team, Michael is most proud of: - Being recognized, along with his firm, as a national leader in the antidepressant Paxil, Prozac, and Zoloft suicide litigation
- - Working to bring about the black box suicidality warning for children and young adults, now on most antidepressant labels
- - Helping spur funding for the Ricky Ray Hemophilia Relief Fund Act of 1998, which was made part of the negotiated settlement to help scores of hemophiliacs infected with HIV by contaminated medication
- - Arranging for the face-to-face presentation between pharmaceutical company executives and dozens of hemophiliac families that got to say, person by person, holding before and after photos of themselves or departed loved ones, how the hemophilia-AIDS epidemic, and the manner in which the companies caused and covered it up, impacted their lives
- - Being one of the leaders in the fight against federal preemption, a doctrine pushed by the pharmaceutical industry to wipe out consumers’ rights to sue drug companies for injuries caused by their drugs (Preemption was finally defeated in 2009 with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Wyeth v
- Levine)
- - Creating the first class action ever filed against an SSRI-antidepressant manufacturer, ending with the successful resolution of more than 3,000 Paxil injury cases
- - Finding “needles in haystacks” and “smoking guns” in document productions, such as GE engineers’ graphs predicting the next DC 10 engine failure which mirrored the date of the United 232 crash five years later, an internal study linking SSRIs to cardio birth defects, or documentation of company programs to ghostwrite medical journal articles for academic opinion leaders to give the appearance of objective science when actually serving marketing objectives to increase prescriptions, i.e. disguised advertising
- - Negotiating the first official public apology by an airline for the 2003 Air Midwest Flt. 5481 Charlotte, North Carolina crash
- - Eliminating California law that protected tobacco companies from lawsuits
- For many years, the statute of limitations was considered to begin to run from the date the plaintiff knew or should have known that he/she was addicted to tobacco
- This effectively barred plaintiffs, many of whom began smoking in their teens, from suing
- Now, the statute of limitations runs when the plaintiff’s physical injuries are (or reasonably could be) discovered
- - Developing a rigorous, skillful, and technical method for locating hard-to-find manufacturer documents in order to successfully litigate against major pharmaceutical companies, positioning his firm as a leader in the fight to increase public health and safety
- - Creating coalitions of activists, attorneys, and Baum Hedlund staff, who work together to resolve global problems caused by harmful and defective drugs, which no individual could accomplish alone. “We have adopted Margaret Mead’s philosophy, ‘Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world
- Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.’” Michael has served on numerous trial teams and plaintiffs’ steering committees in mass tort litigation involving pharmaceutical product liability cases as well as major airline crashes
- He has an AV® 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rating through Martindale Hubbell, and is listed in The Best Lawyers in America®, Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers, Southern California Super Lawyers, Who’s Who in American Law, and Aviation Counsel Magazine’s List of Recommended High Flyers
- In his spare time, Michael enjoys spending time with his family, playing foosball, softball, volleyball, and boogie boarding
Practice Areas Explained
Michael L. Baum's Areas of Legal Practice
Each practice area below reflects the types of cases Michael L. Baum handles, with a practical overview of what that area of law involves and how it may apply to your situation in Greenbrae.
Wrongful Death in Greenbrae
Michael L. Baum is one of 30,932 wrongful death attorneys indexed nationally. Browse wrongful death attorneys in California →
Personal Injury in Greenbrae
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.
Michael L. Baum is one of 262,557 personal injury attorneys indexed nationally. Browse personal injury attorneys in California →
Class Action in Greenbrae
Michael L. Baum is one of 26,226 class action attorneys indexed nationally. Browse class action attorneys in California →
Whistleblower & Retaliation in Greenbrae
Michael L. Baum is one of 3,523 whistleblower attorneys indexed nationally. Browse whistleblower attorneys in California →
Product Liability in Greenbrae
Michael L. Baum is one of 65,610 product liability attorneys indexed nationally. Browse product liability attorneys in California →
Jurisdictional Context
Why Local Counsel Matters in Greenbrae
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 Greenbrae 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 venue, 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.
Greenbrae Courts and Legal Process
Choosing a Greenbrae-based attorney means your counsel already knows the local docketing timelines, preferred filing formats, and how individual judges typically rule on procedural motions — details that only come from practicing in this jurisdiction day after day. That local familiarity can translate to better strategy, faster filings, and fewer costly surprises.
Looking for additional California attorneys? Browse all attorneys in Greenbrae or all attorneys in California.
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Professional Profile
Why Clients in Greenbrae Choose Michael L. Baum
Selecting an attorney is one of the most consequential decisions you can make when a legal matter arises. Below are the core qualities that distinguish Michael L. Baum's practice in the field of wrongful death, personal injury, class action, whistleblower, and product liability.
Decade-Tested Legal Experience
Michael L. Baum brings 41+ years of hands-on legal practice — enough to have navigated the recurring fact patterns, procedural traps, and negotiation dynamics that shape case outcomes.
Multi-State Bar Admission
Licensed in California, U.S. District Court, Central District of California, and U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, Michael L. Baum can represent clients in cases that span state lines or require counsel in multiple jurisdictions.
Broad Practice Area Coverage
Covering wrongful death, personal injury, and class action, Michael L. Baum can address the full spectrum of a client's legal needs without requiring referrals to separate specialists for each issue.
Local Presence in Greenbrae
A Greenbrae-based practice means Michael L. Baum attends hearings in the same courthouses, knows the local clerks, and understands the unwritten scheduling norms that affect every case filed here.
Case Types
Common Legal Issues Michael L. Baum Handles in Greenbrae
Below is a representative sample of the types of matters Michael L. Baum has experience with under California law. If your situation involves one of these case categories, this attorney may be well positioned to help you understand your options.
This list is illustrative, not exhaustive. Contact Michael L. Baum directly to discuss the specifics of your situation.
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