Juan Dominguez (lawyer)

Background

Dominguez came to the United States from Cuba at the age of 10 with his family, and was raised in Southeast Los Angeles, California. His father built a chain of pharmacies in California's Inland Empire. Prior to entering law school, Dominguez worked as a patient liaison for several years at two trauma center emergency rooms in the Los Angeles area: UCLA Medical Center and Saint Francis Hospital.

While he was a law student at the University of California Hastings College Of Law, Dominguez worked as a legal intern for both the Office of the Attorney General, California Department of Consumer Affairs and for the San Francisco Superior Court in Law and Motion.

Dominguez' wife, Edda, is a business administration executive graduate from Universidad de Ciencias Comerciales. He has two children, a boy and a girl.

Education and career

Dominguez attended California State University, Long Beach, where he earned a bachelor of arts in Latin American and Chinese history in 1984. He graduated in 1987 from University of California Hastings College of Law with a Juris Doctor degree, and was admitted to the California bar the same year. Dominguez is also licensed to practice in the Central and Northern district courts, as well as the 9th Circuit.

Dominguez began a sole practitioner law practice in 1987. Since then, his law firm has grown to over 70 employees.

Since 1987, the Law Offices of Juan J. Dominguez has recovered in excess of $300 million in verdicts and settlements in cases involving torts, injuries and wrongful conduct. The law firm has resolved thousands of personal injury and workers' compensation injury cases in Southern California.

Achievements

Dominguez was named the 2013 “Latino Attorney of the Year” by the Hispanic National Bar Association. He was also nominated for “Attorney of the Year” (2010-2011) by the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). He has been named a “Super Lawyer” for four years (2006-2009), as published by Los Angeles magazine and a “Top Attorney” for three years (2010-2012), as published by Pasadena magazine. Dominguez is a member of the American Bar Association, the Consumer Attorneys of California, the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles County Bar Association.

In 2012 and 2013, the Los Angeles Business Journal, in partnership with the Latin Business Association, nominated Dominguez as a finalist for “setting the example of excellence throughout the Latino community in the greater Los Angeles area.” In 2013, Dominguez received the Martindale-Hubbell Client Distinction Award, which was awarded in recognition of his service, value, responsiveness, and communication with his clients.

Dominguez has also been awarded several certificates of recognition by California legislators for his achievements and contributions to the local community..

Involvement in Tellez v. Dole

Dole Food was shown to have continued to use the sterility causing pesticide DBCP in its Nicaraguan banana plantation after it was banned in the US. In a jury trial, six plaintiffs were slated to be awarded damages amounting to more than two million dollars. However, in July 2010, the court dismissed the case, having concluded that the lawsuits reflected fraudulent efforts by American and Nicaraguan attorneys to recruit bogus plantation workers to serve as plaintiffs. The court rejected allegations that Dole paid witnesses to obtain testimony of fraud against the plaintiffs.

Dominguez was criminally investigated for his potential role in the fraud. For this reason, two of his later cases were dismissed by the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Due to this alleged involvement, Dominguez was under investigation by the State Bar of California and the U.S. Department of Justice.

No criminal charges were filed against Dominguez, and on March 1, 2011, Dominguez received a letter from the State Bar of California stating that the "allegations of professional misconduct" do not "warrant further action." The letter also states that the decision is "without prejudice" to the case being reopened at a later date,.