Resume

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Mayra Fornos, Esq. is an accomplished litigator with 28 years of experience handling a wide range of civil matters, with expertise in the fields of catastrophic personal injury, including spinal cord injuries and vehicular accidents, premises liability, products liability, elder abuse and dependent adult care abuse, wrongful death, medical malpractice, employment discrimination, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and family law.

Ms. Fornos has received numerous awards and accolades for her advocacy. She has been listed in Best Lawyers in America since 2011, Super Lawyers since 2012, and was named one of the Top 50 Women Attorneys in Southern California. She is a recipient of the President’s Award from the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA) and was a finalist for Advocate of the Year by the Women’s Caucus of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC). In addition, she is a recipient of the Los Angeles Business Journal’s Women Making a Difference Award and was listed in Los Angeles Magazine as one of the Los Angeles Women Leaders in the Law. The Westside Chamber of Commerce Women’s Network awarded her with the Women Of The Year Award.

For her decades of steadfast legal work to improve the lives of individuals with catastrophic injuries and those in the disability community, Ms. Fornos received the Chairpersons Award from the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors and the Los Angeles County Commission on Disabilities, in addition to the Ed Roberts Independent Living Award from the Dale McIntosh Center.

Ms. Fornos has also devoted significant time to developing her skills in alternative dispute resolution. She has served as a Settlement Officer and Mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court. In addition, she has extensive training in mediation and conflict resolution from the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, earning certificates in Mediating the Litigated Case and in Elder/Dependent Adult Care Mediation.

Ms. Fornos is fluent in Spanish and is available to conduct mediations entirely in Spanish upon request.

• Personal Injury
• Premises Liability
• Products Liability
• Elder Abuse/Dependent Adult Care Abuse
• Wrongful Death
• Medical Malpractice
• Employment Discrimination
• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• Family Law

• Fornos Law Firm, APC, Founder
• Nelson & Fraenkel, LLP, Former Of Counsel

• Juris Doctor, University of West Los Angeles School of Law
• Bachelor of Business Administration, California State University of Long Beach

• Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA)
  • Board of Governors, Emeritus
  • Former Vice-Chairperson, Government Relations Committee
  • Public Relations Committee
• Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC)
  • Education Committee
  • Legislative Committee
• American Association for Justice (AAJ)
• Loyola Law School, Civil Justice Program Steering Committee
• California Women’s Law Center, Former Board Member
• Culver City Disability Advisory Committee
• Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charity, Founding Friend

Ms. Fornos is frequently sought out as a speaker and moderator for legal seminars, as well as for expos and events for the injured and disabled community. In addition, she has authored numerous legal articles, including The Disability Rights/Personal Injury Crossover Case in Public Accommodations (CAALA Advocate Magazine); Corralling the Evidence (CAALA Advocate Magazine); and Winning Your Case with Written Discovery (CAALA Advocate Magazine). For a complete list of her speaking engagements and articles, please visit her website at www.MayraFornos.com.

Additionally, Ms. Fornos has been featured in the Daily Journal; Los Angeles Times; Culver City Observer; CAOC Forum Magazine; CAALA Advocate Magazine; Wheel:Life Online Magazine; and OYA Online Magazine.

In 2008, Ms. Fornos founded Ralph’s Riders Foundation in honor of her late husband. Ralph’s Riders Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization which inspires and assists individuals with spinal cord injury and other life-altering injuries to achieve their highest level of independence, health, and personal fulfillment. She also serves on the Boards of Global Mobility, a non-profit organization which supplies wheelchairs to developing countries; Familia Unida, a non-profit providing services to the Spanish-speaking disability community; and Infinite Flow, an inclusive dance company. For many years, Ms. Fornos served on the Board of Project Support for Spinal Cord Injury/WYNGS, whose mission was to help rebuild lives after spinal cord injury. As part of her work there, she organized and was Chairperson for their annual Fashion Show Galas and lead fundraisers.