Esther Holm is a partner in the Orange County office of Lewis Brisbois, co-chair of the Professional Liability Practice, and vice-chair of the Product Liability Practice. Her specialty is Trial Practice in Professional, General, Employment, Transportation and Product Liability matters.

In the area of General, Product Liability and Transportation, Ms. Holm has tried to verdict, cases involving claims of Traumatic Brain Injury, neuropsychological injury, and is a specialist in the use/misuse of PET, SPECT, MRI scans, including Diffusion Tensor Imaging. She has defended and tried to verdict cases involving sexual molestation of a child, bus accidents, paralysis, orthopedic injuries, defamation, wrongful death, wrongful termination of employment and construction defect. In the area of Professional Liability, she has tried to verdict, numerous matters involving real estate agents and brokers. She has defended high profile cases of foodborne illness and served as Lead Counsel for the Jack in the Box franchisees sued during the E.coli outbreak in 1993.

Ms. Holm's experience includes defense of hotels and casinos in cases involving claims of assault/battery, and personal injury, with an emphasis on traumatic brain injury.

In the Professional Liability area, Ms. Holm has defended malpractice claims brought against insurance agents and brokers, attorneys, appraisers, home inspectors, and homeowner associations. She has also defended such claims brought against municipalities, transit authorities, and school districts. She has tried to verdict malpractice claims against real estate agents and brokers. 

Ms. Holm has extensive experience defending Common Interest Development and Homeowners Associations, including class actions.

Ms. Holm is a frequent lecturer to the defense industry on the use of PET scans, Traumatic Brain Injury, psychological injuries, evaluation of damages, and real estate law.

Ms. Holm is the creator, director, and producer of the firm’s Webinar Series. She serves as Moderator for each of the monthly programs. Ms. Holm is Editor of the Professional Liability Newsletter and a member of the Quality Assurance Committee. She is also a former Judge Pro Tem for the Los Angeles Superior Court and a former Volunteer Mediator.

Published Decisions

Appointments

Professional Presentations

• TBI & Lifecare Plans, Webinar, April 2023
• Risk Transfer, Webinar, January 2023
• Reptile Theory, Webinar, June, 2022
• Traumatic Brain Injury, Webinar, April, 2022
• Managing The TBI Claim, Webinar, August 2019
• Mock Direct & Cross Examination of Damage Experts at DRI Damages Seminar, Las Vegas, March 2019
• Today’s Trial: Reptile Theory and Traumatic Brain Injury, New York, December 2018
• Trial Strategies, New York, June 12, 2018
• Reptile Theory, Panel Moderator, Magna March Madness, Las Vegas, Nevada, 2018
• Reptile Theory, Webinar, 2018
• Expert Testimony in the Courtroom: A View from the Bench and the Bar, Forensic Expert Witness Association, Sony Pictures Studios, Culver City, California, 2017
• Reptile Theory, Sacramento, California, 2017
• Reptile Theory, Olathe, Kansas, 2017
• Generic Drug Manufacturer Liability, New Jersey, 2015
• Traumatic Brain Injury: Uses and Misuses of Medical Imaging, New Jersey, 2015
• Traumatic Brain Injury & Damages, North Carolina, 2015
• Masters in Trial Program: Catastrophic Injury Case Involving Truck v. Pedestrian, ABOTA, Los Angeles, 2015
• Traumatic Brain Injury: Uses and Misuses of Medical Imaging, Rancho Cordova, California, 2015
• Lewis Brisbois New York Women’s Event, Panelist, 2015
• Traumatic Brain Injury: Uses and Misuses of Medical Imaging, Laguna Beach, California, 2015
• Traumatic Brain Injury: Uses and Misuses of Medical Imaging, New York, 2014
• Law and Order – Interpretation of Claims Made Policy Language; Handling the Employment Lawsuit; Civil Litigation, Discovery and Dispositive Motions, Olathe, Kansas, 2014
• Admissibility of Expert Witness Testimony, Webinar, 2014
• Damages, New York, 2012
• Case Evaluation from the Defense Perspective – “Can You Read the Tealeaves?" DRI Trial Tactics Seminar,  Las Vegas, 2012
• Litigation Strategies to Avoid Injuries and Lawsuits, Los Angeles, California, 2011
• Ethical Jeopardy in Complex Litigation & Ethical Dilemmas Caused by New Technologies, New York, New Jersey,  2010
• Litigation Strategies, New York, 2009
• Realtors Beware! “The Latest Trends in Real Estate Litigation” RIMS, San Diego, 2008
• PET Scan? Or PET Scam, New York, 2007
• Basic Civil Litigation for Adjusters, Kansas, 2007
• Public Entity Employment Law Seminar, Los Angeles, 2004
• Public Entity Employment Practices Seminar, Los Angeles, 2003
• Litigation Seminar for Claims Adjusters, Los Angeles, 2002

Admissions

• State Bar Admissions
  • California
• State Supreme Courts
  • California Supreme Court
• United States District Courts
  • United States District Court for the Central District of California
  • United States District Court for the Eastern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Northern District of California
  • United States District Court for the Southern District of California

Admissions

California

United States District Court for the Northern, Southern, Eastern and Central Districts of California

Supreme Court of the State of California

Associations

• Advocate - American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA)
• California Association of Realtors Attorney Referral Panel
• Defense Research Institute, Products Liability and Trial Tactics Committee
• Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS)
• Women’s Lawyers Association of Los Angeles
• Federation of Defense & Corporate Counsel
• Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM)
• Fellow, The Trial Lawyer Honorary Society, Litigation Counsel of America, 2019

Awards & Honors

• Daily Journal Top Women Lawyers in California, 2017
• Super Lawyer, 2012-2018
• Selected Top Women Attorneys, Los Angeles Magazine, 2013-2017

Education

Santa Clara University School of Law

Juris Doctor, 1988

University of California at Davis

Bachelor of Arts, 1977