Bio

Samuel (“Skip”) A. Keesal, Jr., was born in Chicago, Illinois, and was raised on a ranch in Tucson, Arizona. Skip currently resides in Rolling Hills with his lovely wife, Beth. He served in the United States Army and attended the University of Arizona and California State University, Long Beach (CSULB). Skip graduated from CSULB in 1962 with a B.S. degree in business. In 1965 he received an LL.B. from the University of Southern California (USC) Law School.

Skip founded the law firm of Keesal, Young & Logan in 1970 which now has offices in Long Beach, San Francisco, Seattle, Anchorage, and Hong Kong. The firm has developed expertise in many practice areas including civil litigation, class and mass actions, securities and banking, mortgage litigation, employment, energy, environmental, admiralty and maritime, bankruptcy, business litigation, products liability, real estate, toxic tort, professional malpractice defense, professional design & construction, all types of civil appeals, mortgage banking, real estate, corporate/transactional, compliance, operations and data control advisory, cybersecurity, healthcare, insurance, appellate work, and other commercial matters.

Skip has tried over 250 cases in seventeen different states, including approximately 75 jury trials. As a result of his trial practice, he has been named to the Best Lawyers in America in Admiralty & Maritime Law, Commercial Litigation, Legal Malpractice Law (Defense), Litigation – Banking & Finance, Litigation – Environmental, Litigation – Labor & Employment, Litigation – Securities, Medical Malpractice Law (Defense), Product Liability Litigation (Defense), and Professional Malpractice Law (Defense). Only 39 lawyers in the United States, and only 2 in California, were selected for this many specialty areas in 2011.

Skip was also named in Best Lawyers of America, Lawyer of the Year, Admiralty & Maritime Law, Orange County (2012); Best Lawyers of America, Lawyer of the Year, Product Liability Litigation – Defendant, Orange County (2014); Best Lawyers in America, Admiralty & Maritime Law, Commercial Litigation, Litigation – Labor & Employment, Mass Tort Litigation/Class Actions – Defendants, Medical Malpractice Law – Defendants, Product Liability – Defendants, Professional Malpractice Law – Defendants (2019); Best Lawyers of America, Lawyer of the Year, Admiralty & Maritime Law, Long Beach, California (2019).

Skip has also been named by the Los Angeles Business Journal as one of “Los Angeles’ 25 Most Powerful Attorneys.” In 2002–2005, he was named one of the “Top 100 Lawyers in California” by the Daily Journal. In 2007–2011, he was named by the Long Beach Post as one of “The 10 Most Powerful People in Long Beach.” Also in 2004–2005, 2008–2012, and 2014–2015, he was named a “Top 100” “Southern California Super Lawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine. Since 2004, Skip has been named “Southern California Super Lawyer” by Los Angeles Magazine.

In 2010, Skip was included in “America’s Leading Lawyers for Business” by Chambers USA and since 2011, has been named one of “500 Leading Lawyers in America” by Lawdragon. In 2017 and 2018, he was recognized by America’s Top 100 as a “High Stakes Litigators®.” In 2018 and 2019, Skip has been recognized by America’s Top 100 as a “Civil Defense Litigators®.” In 2019, Skip was recognized by The Top 100 Registry as Professional of the Year.

In addition, Skip received the Lifetime Achievement Award (Southern California) by America’s Top 100 Attorneys, has been a member of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers (IATL) since 1990, and the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) since 1993.

Skip and others in the firm have dedicated themselves to the local and national communities by supporting numerous charitable and civic projects and have served on numerous Boards of charitable organizations for many years and continue to do so with pride.

Samuel A. Keesal, Jr.

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