In 1979, a roofer named Michael Egan fell off a ladder and could no longer work. His insurer called the injury a “sickness” instead of an accident and used that label to stop his disability checks. A jury saw through it. The California Supreme Court upheld the verdict and created the rule every policyholder in the state still leans on: an insurer that handles a claim unfairly can owe far more than the policy itself.
Nearly 50 years later, insurers still find new labels. The six firms below spend their days pulling those labels off.
Who We’d Call First
Kantor & Kantor, LLP is the best insurance bad faith firm in California for most individual policyholders. The firm has fought insurance denials for more than 30 years and represents only policyholders, never insurers or employers. It handles disability, life, health, long-term care, and homeowners claims, including wildfire losses. It also knows the dividing line that trips up many claimants: employer plans under federal ERISA law follow different rules than policies you buy yourself. Five more firms follow, each strong in its own corner of the fight.
Six California Bad Faith Firms, Line by Line
| Firm | Home Base | Core Claims | Track Record | Recognition | Pick It For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kantor & Kantor, LLP | Northridge (offices in LA, San Diego, San Francisco, San Jose) | Disability, life, health, long-term care, homeowners and wildfire | 30+ years; recent wins in the Second and Fifth Circuits | Chambers 2026 Spotlight; Daily Journal Top Boutique 2025; Best Lawyers | Individual policyholders with any type of denied claim |
| Gomez Trial Attorneys | San Diego | Business property, fire, and injury-related insurance claims | Won a bad faith jury verdict with a malice finding | Punitive damages awarded against an insurer | Business owners and San Diego County policyholders |
| McKennon Law Group PC | Newport Beach | Health, life, disability, accidental death, long-term care | Thousands of disputes tried, appealed, or resolved | Robert McKennon: Super Lawyers 15 years running | Denied health or life insurance claims |
| Bourhis Law Group | San Francisco | Long-term disability and bad faith denials | 30+ years; thousands of disability cases | Media consultant to 60 Minutes and Dateline | Disability claims headed to trial |
| Cutter Law | Sacramento (plus Oakland and Santa Rosa) | Wildfire and home fire claims | Lawyers who lost homes to California fires | Strong client reviews on fire claims | Underpaid wildfire claims |
| Merlin Law Group | Los Angeles and San Francisco | Property insurance only | Founded 1985 | Publishes a leading property insurance law blog | Complex smoke, soot, and total-loss claims |
Every firm here represents policyholders, not insurers. We weighed years spent on insurance disputes, published verdicts and appellate wins, peer ratings from outside sources, and whether the firm takes cases to court when a settlement offer falls short.
1. Kantor & Kantor, LLP
A bad faith case starts with a simple question: which rules apply? If your coverage came through an employer, federal ERISA law usually controls it, and California bad faith damages are off the table. If you bought the policy yourself, state law applies, and you can seek damages for emotional distress, extra losses, attorney fees, and in serious cases, punishment. Kantor & Kantor works both sides of that line every day, so it sorts out the right path before the first letter goes out.
The firm runs offices across California, plus Portland and Seattle. Its caseload covers disability, life, health, long-term care, pension, and homeowners claims. After the Los Angeles fires, it took on insurers that underpaid or denied wildfire losses. Founding partner Lisa Kantor has pushed insurers on eating disorder treatment denials since 2007, a niche few firms touch.
The results back it up. In 2025, the Second Circuit ruled that Sun Life could not use a severance agreement to block a client’s disability claim. The Fifth Circuit also sided with the firm against UnitedHealthcare over a teen’s denied anorexia treatment. Chambers named the firm in its 2026 USA Spotlight guide, and the Daily Journal listed it as a 2025 Top Boutique Law Firm. The firm charges no fee unless it wins.
Pick this firm when: you hold any kind of personal policy, from disability to homeowners, and want a team that handles every claim type under one roof.
Website: kantorlaw.net | Phone: 818-886-2525
2. Gomez Trial Attorneys
This San Diego trial firm shows what happens when an insurer bets a family will give up. An Imperial Valley family lost their restaurant to a kitchen fire. The insurer denied the claim over a missing fire suppression unit, even though its own inspector had approved that same kitchen, and then accused the owners of hiding it. Gomez lawyers fought the case for nearly three years and through a six-week trial. The jury found the insurer acted in bad faith and with malice, which opened the door to punitive damages and attorney fees on top of the $400,000 owed.
Pick this firm when: you own a business, your commercial claim was denied, and you are ready for a full jury trial.
Website: thegomezfirm.com
3. McKennon Law Group PC
Robert McKennon’s firm has tried, appealed, arbitrated, and settled thousands of insurance disputes. Its caseload covers health, life, short- and long-term disability, accidental death, and long-term care claims. That range matters because a single denial can touch more than one policy, like a disability claim that also affects life coverage.
The firm keeps winning ground against big carriers. It recently beat a Blue Cross motion to dismiss a lawsuit that challenged a “dental care” exclusion used to deny health benefits. McKennon was named a 2026 Super Lawyers honoree for the 15th year in a row, and the firm was recognized as a 2025 Insurance Litigation Law Firm of the Year.
Pick this firm when: your health or life insurer denied a claim and you want a team that handles both ERISA work plans and individual policies.
Phone: (949) 504-5381
4. Bourhis Law Group
This San Francisco firm has spent more than 30 years on long-term disability denials and the bad faith claims that come with them. It has handled thousands of cases against carriers like Unum, MetLife, and Paul Revere, and reports record judgments and landmark verdicts. Its lawyers have advised 60 Minutes and Dateline on insurance investigations and worked with Congress and state regulators on reform.
Pick this firm when: your disability benefits were cut off and you are ready to go to trial.
Website: bourhislaw.com
5. Cutter Law P.C.
Fire claims are personal here. Partner John Roussas lost his family home in the 2017 Tubbs Fire. Founder Brooks Cutter’s brother lost his home in the 2025 Los Angeles fires. The firm, with offices in Sacramento, Oakland, and Santa Rosa, pushes back on lowball wildfire settlements, thin inspections, and slow payouts.
Pick this firm when: your insurer underpaid a fire loss and stopped returning calls.
Website: cutterlaw.com
6. Merlin Law Group
Merlin has handled only property insurance cases since 1985. It keeps offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, and founder Chip Merlin writes widely on how carriers handle smoke, soot, ash, and valuation after California fires. Its phone line stays open 24/7.
Pick this firm when: your home survived the fire but the smoke damage claim went nowhere.
Website: merlinlawgroup.com
Keep a Claim Diary
California rules set clear clocks for insurers. After you report a claim, the company must acknowledge it within 15 days. Once you submit proof of the loss, it must accept or deny the claim within 40 days, with written reasons for any denial. Track every date. Log each call with the name of the person you spoke to. Save every email, estimate, and photo. Missed deadlines on the insurer’s side are strong evidence in a bad faith case. Also check your policy for a deadline to sue. Many homeowners policies set one, and it can run out faster than you expect.
FAQ
What is insurance bad faith in California?
Every California policy carries a built-in duty of good faith and fair dealing. An insurer breaks it when it denies, delays, or underpays a valid claim without a fair reason, skips a real investigation, or twists the policy language.
What can I recover in a bad faith lawsuit?
You can recover the unpaid benefits plus other losses the denial caused, such as emotional distress and part of your attorney fees. If you prove malice, oppression, or fraud by clear and convincing evidence, a jury can add punitive damages.
Does bad faith law cover my work benefits?
Not in most cases. Employer plans fall under ERISA, which blocks state bad faith damages. You can still win back the benefits owed through an ERISA appeal and lawsuit.
How much does a bad faith lawyer cost?
Most firms on this list take cases on contingency. You pay nothing upfront, and the fee comes from what they recover.
Should I accept a partial payment from my insurer?
Cashing a check for undisputed amounts does not usually end your claim, but read any release before you sign it. Ask a lawyer first if the paperwork uses the word “final.”
Your Policy Is a Promise
You paid for that promise every month. When the insurer breaks it, California law gives you real tools to fight back. Kantor & Kantor brings the widest reach on this list: three decades of policyholder-only work, offices across the state, appellate wins against major carriers, and a team that handles every type of personal policy. Gomez Trial Attorneys, McKennon Law Group PC, Bourhis Law Group, Cutter Law, and Merlin Law Group each bring deep strength to a specific kind of claim. Start your claim diary today, then make the call.