Jim Drimmer recently joined Lynch Carpenter LLP as a partner in the firm’s San Diego office. Jim brings a powerful combination of legal and business acumen to Lynch Carpenter based on a long career in litigation, as well as previous ownership in, and General Counsel to, several business ventures. Jim currently focuses his practice on consumer protection litigation matters, and he helps manage the firm’s diverse profile of cases including those that have been designated for litigation through the mass arbitration process.

Jim started his career at San Diego’s premier plaintiff’s law firm Thorsnes, Bartolotta & McGuire. There he handled cases that ranged from personal injury, to medical malpractice and class action, trying multiple cases to jury and through arbitration. Eventually, Jim and a small team of lawyers from the firm were hired to defend a Fortune 100 company before the California Public Utilities Commission. Over the course of 4 years, Jim and the team’s representation eventually resulted in a complete defense of a $2B exposure matter for the company. During this time as outside counsel, working on the defense side in a large corporation, Jim gained valuable insight and understanding into the risk management philosophies of the types of companies who are typically on the other side of class action lawsuits and mass arbitration.

Eventually, Jim left law firm life and the litigation practice to become a principal in and General Counsel to a mid-sized litigation support firm with multiple offices on the West Coast. There Jim provided legal counsel to the company, lobbying support before the California Legislature on issues affecting the legal industry, and managed the firm’s litigation matters. During this time, Jim also acted as outside general counsel to the United States Tennis Association as well as other businesses related to the tennis and fitness industry.

Jim’s litigation support firm was acquired in 2019 and after a two-year consulting engagement with the purchasing entity, Jim has returned to litigation practice. Jim brings this vast business operations experience, understanding of the General Counsel role, and rich plaintiff’s litigation firm background to his consumer class action litigation practice.

Jim graduated from the University of California, San Diego in 1992 with a degree in Political Science. He went on to the University of San Diego School of Law where he actively participated in the trial advocacy program, winning multiple local tournaments and participating in national mock trial competitions. While there, Jim also clerked at the Fourth District Court of Appeal, as well as the San Diego County Public Defender. When not at work, Jim enjoys a good round of golf, a better glass of wine which based on the level of his golf game is easy to find and pair with a nice cigar.