Stephen Holmes is a trial lawyer who represents survivors and injured people in mass tort, catastrophic injury, and complex civil litigation. He has worked on both sides of the courtroom, and he knows how corporations and their insurers value claims, manage risk, and decide when to settle.
At Stinar Lannen, Stephen litigates the firm’s social media addiction cases in the California coordinated proceeding, Social Media Cases, JCCP No. 5255, pending in Los Angeles Superior Court. The firm represents more than 10,000 plaintiffs harmed by social media platforms that were allegedly designed to addict young users.
Stephen began his career as a deputy district attorney, where he built a trial-first approach that carries through every case he handles. He later practiced at a nationally recognized personal injury and mass tort firm, representing people harmed by corporate negligence and dangerous products.
Most recently, Stephen practiced at a boutique, premier personal injury defense firm. Insurers and corporate defendants brought that firm in as “parachute” trial counsel on high-exposure catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases, often close to trial when the stakes were highest. In that role, he defended civil cases involving catastrophic injury, wrongful death, negligence, and 42 U.S.C. § 1983 civil rights claims. He also served as monitoring counsel for excess insurance carriers on high-risk matters. That work included advising carriers on liability, damages exposure, and settlement value, and working with primary defense counsel to shape litigation strategy.
Stephen puts that insider knowledge to work for Stinar Lannen’s clients. He evaluates a defendant’s true exposure from the outset and builds every case for trial from day one. He pursues resolution strategies that reflect the full value of a client’s losses. He has tried numerous cases to verdict and has represented clients in mediation, alternative dispute resolution, and administrative proceedings.