Jennifer Russell

Based in Costa Mesa, CA, personal injury attorney Jennifer L Russell has built her career on the belief that preparation, persistence, and principled advocacy win cases. As a Partner at Mendez & Sanchez, APC, she has been widely recognized as one of Southern California’s most successful trial lawyers, with over 50 trials to her name over 23 years of practice. Her courtroom presence is matched by a record of exceptional results, including multiple seven- and eight-figure verdicts and settlements in complex personal injury and wrongful death matters.

She began her legal career on the defense side, working all the way up to lead trial partner at a large defense firm, which has helped her understand defense tactics as a plaintiff attorney.

Jennifer’s ’s approach is rooted in meticulous preparation and a deep command of medical and evidentiary issues, skills that have proven decisive in cases involving disputed causation and preexisting conditions. In Edward Hernandez v. Carlos Palomares, CCC America Inc., dba BNB Global (Los Angeles County Superior Court, Case No. 22PSCV01673), she secured a $4,974,000 jury verdict after just 40 minutes of deliberation, ultimately resulting in a recovery exceeding $5.5 million with costs and interest. The case involved a devastating four-vehicle freeway collision in which the defense attempted to attribute the plaintiff’s injuries to prior medical issues. Jennifer’s ability to clarify the medical narrative and focus the jury on accountability proved pivotal.

Her recent work also includes an $8 million settlement in a traumatic brain injury case where the defense denied causation for years before reversing course days before trial, as well as a $6 million settlement in a disputed liability pedestrian case resolved just weeks before trial. In another matter, she transformed an initial offer of less than $20,000 into a $1 million settlement through relentless advocacy and trial readiness. These outcomes underscore a consistent theme: prepares every case as if it will be tried, and that preparation often drives meaningful resolutions.

Beyond her case results, Jennifer is deeply committed to the preservation of the civil justice system. She currently serves as President-Elect of the Orange County chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (OC ABOTA), an invitation-only organization dedicated to protecting the right to trial by jury and promoting professionalism within the trial bar. Jennifer’s excellence in the courtroom earned her the OC ABOTA Trial Lawyer of the Year Award in 2021. Since then, she has continued to try more cases and help mentor younger attorneys as well.

Currently, she serves on the OC ABOTA Executive Committee and is actively involved in Cal-ABOTA and national ABOTA leadership initiatives. In this leadership role, she supports educational initiatives, mentorship efforts, and programs that reinforce civility and ethical advocacy. She is also the chairperson of OC WABOTA (Women of ABOTA) in which works to support woman trial attorneys.

She mentors and supports women trial attorneys, regularly speaking about balancing trial practice with family life and encouraging the next generation of advocates. She was asked to speak at the 2026 Woman in Trial Tavel Summitt (WITTS) to help support and mentor fellow female trial attorneys. While she is deeply committed to supporting Woman in the Law she is an asset and mentor to all trial attorneys. She will be promoting trial skills to younger attorneys in an upcoming OCTLA seminar. She has also been on the trial teams on both the plaintiff and defense side at ABOTA’s prestigious “Masters in Trial” programs. She has also helped teach and spoken on Civility which is another trait she tries to promote, through a webinar and with Civility Matters Programs designed for both sides of the bar.

At Mendez & Sanchez, Jennifer’s impact is both financial and cultural. Her verdicts and settlements strengthen the firm’s standing as a premier contingency-fee litigation practice, while her leadership reinforces a culture built on preparation, integrity, and fearless advocacy. For Jennifer, trial work is not simply about winning, it is about honoring clients’ stories, protecting constitutional rights, and ensuring that juries remain at the heart of the American justice system.

Author: Joe Marchelewski

Joe Marchelewski is the owner of AIJ Communications, a legal PR company located in Los Angeles, California. Joe is a Past President of PRSA-LA of and is a veteran of the legal PR and marketing world, having worked for some of the largest and most prestigious law firms in the world. Joe provides the interviews and Lawyer Spotlight features for OrangeCountyLawyers.com.