Alan R. Brayton

al brayton headshotWith over forty years of experience, Al Brayton is recognized as one of the West’s leading attorneys representing injured individuals and their families in all types of personal injury, products liability and mass tort litigation. He enjoys a national reputation as one of the foremost attorneys representing victims of asbestos-related disease and has represented clients from virtually every state.

He has been recognized by the Consumer Attorneys of California for his particular experience as a Trial Lawyer in the areas of Products Liability and Professional Negligence. He has successfully tried and settled numerous cases involving victims of mesothelioma and other asbestos-related diseases, products liabilitymedical malpractice and personal injury, and has handled and argued cases involving a wide range of issues before the California Supreme Court and Courts of Appeal and various Federal Courts. Under his leadership, Brayton Purcell has become one of the premier trial firms in the United States.

Born and raised in Northern California, Mr. Brayton graduated from Shasta High School in Redding, California, before attending the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He was commissioned a second lieutenant upon graduation, and spent the next twelve years on active duty in the USAF, serving in a variety of jobs both in the United States and overseas, including seven years as a Judge Advocate and two years as Staff Judge Advocate for Air Forces Iceland. Upon leaving the Air Force he entered private practice in Novato, California, concentrating initially on asbestos litigation and aviation cases.

Early in his career, Mr. Brayton won one of the first asbestos cases ever tried in San Francisco Superior Court, and he successfully tried the first asbestos case in Solano County. He has been instrumental in the development of case management orders that govern the conduct of asbestos litigation in various counties throughout the State of California.

Although most of his time is currently dedicated to asbestos litigation, he also has extensive experience in defective medical device litigation and other toxic tort litigation. He has served as Plaintiffs’ Statewide Coordinating Counsel in California cases involving defective Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ) implants, served as plaintiffs’ co-counsel in Hawaii TMJ litigation, and has served on the TMJ Plaintiffs’ Steering Committee in the nationwide Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) “In Re TMJ Implants Products Liability Litigation.” He has negotiated key settlements in cases involving beryllium exposure and beryllium lung disease in plant worker and end-user cases across the United States. He has also served as lead counsel and settled various consumer class actions involving a wide range of problems ranging from altered medical vaccines to rent control abuses.

He has extensive experience working with asbestos Bankruptcy Trusts, and currently serves as Chair of the Trust Advisory Committee on a number of Trusts involved in providing compensation for current and future asbestos victims. He served as Co-Chair of the Unsecured Creditor’s Committee in the Chrysler Bankruptcy, and was appointed by the Bankruptcy Court to serve as Litigation Manager for litigation stemming from this bankruptcy.

In addition to supervising the firm and working as a trial lawyer, Mr. Brayton has served on the Board of Governors of the Consumer Attorneys of California and reviews and comments on proposed legislation that affects consumer rights and access to the justice system. He has testified before Congress on behalf of asbestos victims to oppose industry efforts to relax stringent asbestos control standards and has been an invited speaker at a symposium on asbestos-related disease sponsored by the University of California at San Francisco Medical School. He also has been an invited speaker at numerous legal conferences on topics involving asbestos litigation, bankruptcy and trial advocacy. Mr. Brayton is an active member of and Past President of the Public Justice Foundation, a nonprofit organization that supports Public Justice, a national public interest law firm dedicated to protecting people, the environment and access to the courts. Mr. Brayton continues his involvement by serving on the organization’s Board of Directors and Case Evaluation Committee.

An active member of the American Bar Association, Mr. Brayton has held various leadership positions in the Tort Trial & Insurance Practice Section. He has served as the Chair of the Plaintiffs’ Involvement Task Force and on the Task Force on Strategic Alliances as well as various committees, and has served on the Section’s Leadership Council. He has also served as Co-Chair of the ABA Asbestos Task Force and as a mentor and Course Director/Dean of the Section’s National Trial Academy. He is a member of the American Association for Justice, Consumer Attorneys of California, the Marin County Trial Lawyers Association, the San Francisco County Trial Lawyers Association, and the Marin County Bar Association. He is a Master in the American Inns of Court. Since August of 2014, Mr. Brayton has served on the Board of Directors for the Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal). In 2012 he was appointed to the National Judicial College’s Board of Trustees and currently serves as Treasurer of the organization. In support of the local community, he serves on the Board of Directors for the Lifehouse Agency and on the Advisory Board of the North Bay Children’s Center.

Mr. Brayton is admitted to the California Bar (1977), the United States Supreme Court, the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth and Third Circuits, U.S. District Courts, Northern and Eastern Districts of California and Hawaii and the Court of Military Appeals. He is rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale-Hubbell, a rating that indicates that he has practiced law for many years and has achieved the highest level of skill and integrity, and has consistently been selected as a Northern California Super Lawyer.

Education

University of California at Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, Berkeley, California

  • J.D. – 1976

United States Air Force Academy

  • B.S. – 1971
  • Major: Economics

University of California at Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California

  • M.S. – 1972
  • Major: Finance

Other Affiliations

  • Consumer Attorneys of California, Board of Governors
  • Public Justice Foundation, Member & Past President
  • American Bar Association, Member
  • American Association for Justice, Member
  • Marin County Trial Lawyers Association, Member
  • San Francisco County Trial Lawyers Association, Member
  • Marin County Bar Association, Member
  • American Inns of Court, Master
  • Lawyer Friends of Wine, Member
  • Bay Area Legal Aid (BayLegal), Board of Directors
  • National Judicial College, Board of Trustees
  • National Judicial College, Treasurer
  • Lifehouse Agency, Board of Directors, 09/2017 to Present
  • North Bay Children’s Center, Advisory Board

Bar Admission

  • California - 1977
  • Hawaii
  • U.S. District Court Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 3rd Circuit
  • U.S. Supreme Court

Honors

  • Rated “AV Preeminent” by Martindale–Hubbell
  • Champion of Justice – Public Justice Foundation, 2013
  • Super Lawyers, 2004 – 2022
  • America’s Top 100 Personal Injury Attorneys, 2019 – Present

Classes & Seminars

  • Speaker, Symposium on Asbestos–Related Disease, University of California at San Francisco Medical School
  • Speaker, Involving Asbestos Litigation, Bankruptcy and Trial Advocacy

Litigation

  • 100%

Current Employment Position

  • Founding and Senior Partner

What Our Clients Say

  • Brayton Purcell has done a lot of work for me and I appreciate very much what you’ve done, what everyone has done…Thank you very, very much and I appreciate everything that has been done.
  • I just wanted to thank you so very much for all the work that you’ve done for us. This has allowed me to help my daughter an awful lot…This allowed me to buy her her first home, also put away a savings bond and started a little annuity for her. I wouldn’t have been able to do any of this had you not worked so hard to get the monies that you did. I just want to let you know I really appreciate it.
  • On behalf of myself and my family, I would like to extend our appreciation and gratitude for the way your firm handled my late husband’s case. Everyone that I dealt with was courteous, patient, and prompt in responding to my questions and concerns. Thank you very much for the excellent job, and most of all for your support during the process. Your guidance and the resolution to our case has brought closure to a difficult chapter in my life.
  • When The Brayton-Purcell Firm took my case I had almost given up hope of ever getting before a jury. I had a difficult and long standing case and had already been with two firms. Brayton-Purcell attorney Jason Rose worked closely with me, keeping me updated and giving me access to him which gave me a feeling of having someone truly on my side; a feeling that they were putting their whole effort into my case. Just getting this case a court date was an amazing feat. When we went to trial I met Gil Purcell and watched these two work professionally against great odds. They knew what they were doing, knew how to adapt to issues as they came up and all the while helped me hold up. We received a terrific verdict and are now in the appeal process. I have confidence that the Brayton-Purcell appellate team will be as competent and compassionate for me as my trial team was. Coming together with this firm has brought me a sense of confidence and peace that I wasn’t sure I was going to get a chance to feel.
  • I’d like to thank Brayton & Purcell for all the work your firm has done for me. I have asbestosis and without Brayton Purcell representing me the likelihood of getting compensated by asbestos manufacturers and the material suppliers of asbestos products would be zero. The law partners who run the show already know this, but I am going to write it down anyway. Every contact I had with anyone at Brayton Purcell LLP be it phone, fax, email and or personally, I’ve been treated courteously and promptly by your great employees.
  • From my first contact with your firm, I have been treated with respect, compassion, and in a most professional manner. …Nothing will ever take away this pain of loss but the settlement will help provide since I have health problems and am unable to work.
  • Your work has allowed us to continue to live our lives without fear of financial ruin and to be able to plan a future. . .
  • . . .Thank you for all you have done for me and for Bill before he died. You have been so caring. . .