About GJEL Accident Attorneys · San Francisco
GJEL Accident Attorneys is a California personal injury law firm founded in 1972 by Andrew (Andy) R. Gillin and Ralph Jacobson, who met while providing free legal services at the San Mateo County Legal Aid Society. The firm — formally known as Gillin, Jacobson, Ellis, Larsen & Lucey — works on a contingency fee basis, meaning clients pay nothing unless the firm wins, and has recovered more than $980 million for injured Californians with a 99% success rate. Its San Francisco office is located at 883 Sacramento Street in the Financial District, near Chinatown and North Beach, and serves car, truck, motorcycle, bicycle, pedestrian, rideshare, and wrongful death cases throughout the city and the wider Bay Area.
GJEL Accident Attorneys traces its roots to the early 1970s when founders Andy Gillin and Ralph Jacobson — both products of legal aid work for low-income families — decided to build a practice dedicated to standing up for injured people against large insurance companies. The firm was incorporated in 1972 and grew into one of California's most recognized personal injury firms, with offices across the Bay Area and Central Valley. Its San Francisco office, situated in the Financial District just outside Chinatown at 883 Sacramento Street, handles the full range of accident and negligence cases the firm is known for: car, truck, and motorcycle crashes; bicycle and pedestrian injuries; traumatic brain and catastrophic injuries; rideshare and scooter incidents; dangerous property claims; and wrongful death actions. San Francisco personal injury lawsuits are filed at the Civic Center Courthouse at 400 McAllister Street, where GJEL attorneys have tried cases for decades. The firm is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell, selected to Best Lawyers in America (Andy Gillin was named 2024 Lawyer of the Year for personal injury litigation and Luke Ellis is recognized in the same publication), and featured on California Super Lawyers. Andy Gillin served as lead counsel in the Tenet Healthcare mass tort litigation that recovered $117 million for patients who underwent unnecessary surgeries at Redding Medical Center, prompting a major overhaul of Tenet's corporate governance. Beyond litigation, GJEL sponsors community organizations including Walk San Francisco, Bike East Bay, the California Bicycle Coalition, TransForm, and NatureBridge, runs an annual community-involvement scholarship for Bay Area high school seniors, and operates the GJEL Drink and Alive campaign, which reimburses free cab rides on major holidays to reduce drunk-driving incidents.
- In business
- Founded 1972 (over 50 years)
- Owner
- Founded by Andrew (Andy) R. Gillin (Managing Partner) and Ralph Jacobson; partners include Luke Ellis, Jim Larsen, and Kristin M. Lucey. Full partnership name: Gillin, Jacobson, Ellis, Larsen & Lucey.
- Serves
- San Francisco and the greater San Francisco Bay Area, including Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Contra Costa, Alameda, and surrounding Northern California counties. Headquarters in Orinda, CA, with multiple office locations statewide.
- Rating
- 5.0 stars on Google for the San Francisco office (per the firm's own profile page). Firmwide: approximately 4.9 stars across ~280 Google reviews (Top Law Dog, 2024); 5.0 (39 reviews) on ChamberofCommerce.com for the SF location; 4.7 across 31 Yelp reviews firmwide.
Firm History and Founding Story
GJEL was founded in 1972 by Andrew R. Gillin and Ralph Jacobson, who met in East Palo Alto while working at the Legal Aid Society of San Mateo County, a non-profit providing free legal services to low-income individuals and families. The founders' first office did not even have interior walls or electricity; they shared a single plywood-and-2x4 desk for the first two months of practice. From those humble beginnings the firm has grown into one of California's most recognized personal injury practices, though partners Luke Ellis, Jim Larsen, and Kristin Lucey have all joined in what the firm describes as the original spirit and commitment of the founders.
- Founded 1972 by Andrew R. Gillin and Ralph Jacobson
- Origins in San Mateo County Legal Aid Society
- Humble first office — shared plywood desk, no walls or electricity
- Original mission: 'fighting for the little guy'
- Partnership name: Gillin, Jacobson, Ellis, Larsen & Lucey
San Francisco Office and Practice Area
The San Francisco office sits at 883 Sacramento Street, at the corner of Sacramento and Powell in the Financial District, adjacent to Chinatown and North Beach. The location is wheelchair accessible and within walking distance of the Montgomery Street and Powell Street Muni and BART stations. San Francisco personal injury cases filed by the firm are typically brought in the San Francisco County Superior Court at the Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister Street, where GJEL attorneys have appeared for years. The firm emphasizes local knowledge of judges, procedures, and timelines as part of its San Francisco practice.
- Address: 883 Sacramento St, Apt A, San Francisco, CA 94108
- Located in the Financial District, edge of Chinatown
- Wheelchair-accessible entrance and restroom
- Near Montgomery St and Powell St Muni/BART stations
- Cases filed at Civic Center Courthouse, 400 McAllister St
Types of Personal Injury Cases Handled
While car accidents are the most common injury matter the firm sees in San Francisco, the San Francisco office handles the full range of negligence-based injury claims. The practice covers commercial and large-vehicle crashes, two-wheeled and foot-traveler injuries, brain and catastrophic injuries, fatal accidents, and newer categories of risk such as rideshare and shared scooter incidents as well as dangerous property claims.
- Car accidents
- Truck and large commercial vehicle crashes
- Motorcycle accidents
- Bicycle accidents and pedestrian injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries and catastrophic injuries
- Wrongful death claims
- Rideshare, scooter, dangerous property, and other negligence claims
Fees, Consultations, and Client Services
GJEL operates strictly on a contingency fee basis: clients pay no attorney fees unless the firm wins or settles their case. Initial consultations are free, available 24/7 by phone and by appointment in person or online. The firm's full-service approach includes setting up medical appointments with specialists, coordinating accident investigations, communicating with health insurers, and following up with both the at-fault driver's insurance carrier and the client's own auto insurer. Clients are intentionally limited in number so each case receives full attention.
- Contingency fee — no fee unless the firm wins
- Free consultation, 24/7 by phone
- In-person and online consultations by appointment
- Coordination of medical, vehicle repair, rental car, and insurance matters
- Selective caseload to ensure individual attention
Attorneys and Leadership
The firm's named partners are Andy Gillin (founder and managing partner), Ralph Jacobson (co-founder), Luke Ellis, Jim Larsen, and Kristin M. Lucey. Andy Gillin, raised in Southern California, earned his B.A. at UC Berkeley and his J.D. at the University of Chicago Law School before returning to the Bay Area to practice. Luke Ellis, who joined the partnership and was named 2024 Lawyer of the Year for personal injury litigation by Best Lawyers, holds one of the largest personal injury jury verdicts on record in Alameda County and serves as a Settlement Commissioner by appointment of the Alameda and Contra Costa County Superior Courts.
- Andrew (Andy) R. Gillin — Founder and Managing Partner, Bar No. 45226
- Ralph Jacobson — Co-founder
- Luke Ellis — Partner, Bar No. 68863, 2024 Best Lawyers 'Lawyer of the Year' for personal injury litigation
- Jim Larsen — Partner; former Alameda County public defender
- Kristin M. Lucey — Partner
- Attorneys attended Stanford, UC Berkeley, University of Chicago, and other major law schools
Notable Cases and Results
The firm's most prominent matter was a mass tort litigation against Tenet Healthcare Corporation over unnecessary surgeries performed at Redding Medical Center in 2002. Of the 769 total claims in the case, GJEL brought 183 and recovered $117 million for its clients; the matter also triggered a $54 million government fine and a major overhaul of Tenet's corporate governance. Andy Gillin has also written and lectured on personal injury topics for organizations including the California Continuing Education of the Bar (CEB) and the California Trial Lawyers Association, and is co-author of California Government Tort Liability Practice (CEB).
- Tenet Healthcare mass tort — $117 million for GJEL clients
- 769 total claims in the Tenet matter; 183 brought by GJEL
- Resulted in corporate-governance overhaul at Tenet
- Co-author of California Government Tort Liability Practice (CEB)
- Multiple reported verdicts and settlements exceeding $1,000,000
Community Involvement and Public Safety Advocacy
GJEL is an active sponsor of Bay Area transportation, safety, and legal-services organizations and runs its own community programs. The firm works with Walk San Francisco, Bike East Bay, the California Bicycle Coalition, and TransForm on walkability, bikeability, and pedestrian-safety initiatives, and testified alongside the California Bicycle Coalition in support of the 3-foot passing bill signed into California law. It also supports NatureBridge (environmental literacy), the Zen Hospice Project, and the Alameda County Bar Association's Volunteer Legal Services Corporation, and provides mentorship through a high-school summer internship program.
- GJEL Drink and Alive Campaign — reimburses holiday cab rides to reduce drunk driving
- GJEL Community Involvement Scholarship (with TransForm CA) — $2,500 awards to Bay Area high school seniors
- GJEL College Scholarship Program — $2,500 annual award
- Law Student Scholarship — bi-annual award
- GJEL Summer Internship Program for high school students
- Sponsors of Walk San Francisco, Bike East Bay, California Bicycle Coalition, TransForm, NatureBridge, Zen Hospice Project, ACBA VLSC, and CCCBA
Reputation, Awards, and Reviews
GJEL markets itself as one of California's top-rated personal injury firms, with a 99% success rate and more than $980 million recovered for injured clients. The firm is AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell, listed in Best Lawyers in America, and selected to California Super Lawyers. The San Francisco office holds a 5.0-star Google rating per the firm's own profile page; firmwide third-party trackers report roughly 4.9 stars across about 280 Google reviews and 4.7 stars across 31 Yelp reviews.
- 99% success rate; over $980 million recovered firmwide
- AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell
- Best Lawyers in America; California Super Lawyers
- 5.0-star Google rating on the San Francisco profile
- BBB-accredited (file opened 2006)
- Featured in East Bay Times and San Francisco Best Lawyers magazine