Our Lemon Attorneys
About Our Firm - Bickel Sannipoli APC
About Our California Lemon Attorneys
Bickel Sannipoli APC (formerly "The Bickel Law Firm, Inc.") provides statewide lemon law services to consumers who have purchased defective vehicles. Our team of attorneys is devoted to litigating lemon law claims across California. If you have purchased or leased a vehicle that you think may qualify under California’s lemon law, please contact us for a free consultation.
All of our cases are taken on a contingency basis with the anticipation that our office’s hourly attorneys’ fees and court costs will be paid by the manufacturer at the successful conclusion of the claim under California Civil Code § 1794(d). In other words, we are only paid if we win, and we do not charge any up-front fees for attorney consultation or to take on a new lemon law case.
Bickel Sannipoli's trial attorneys are devoted exclusively to the mastery and application of the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act, otherwise known as the California Lemon Law. Our attorneys are well versed in the complexities of the law and are up to date on newly issued court rulings and their effect on consumers’ lemon law rights and remedies. We have successfully litigated California lemon law claims against every automobile manufacturer. And while our aim is always early settlement, and most cases will be resolved shortly after the Complaint is filed, Bickel Sannipoli APC is staffed with experienced trial attorneys, and we have a history of taking lemon law cases to trial when a manufacturer is unwilling to settle.
Having earned our reputation as skilled trial attorneys gives us leverage in negotiating with the manufacturers. It is far less costly for a manufacturer to settle early than it is to litigate through trial due to mounting attorney’s fees and court costs, which can be reasonably expected to reach six figures through a jury trial. For this reason, approximately 98% of our cases have settled without the need for a jury trial.
Please note that under the Rule of Professional Conduct 7.1 and the Business and Professions Code § 6157.2, we cannot and do not guarantee a result for our clients.
Bickel Sannipoli APC - Outstanding Trial Results Since 2005
Established in 2005, the California lemon law attorneys at Bickel Sannipoli APC have won jury trials against Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar Land Rover, Ford, FCA (Chrysler Dodge), Toyota, Honda, and Mazda, among others. At the same time, in the decades we’ve been in operation, other major automobile manufacturers have never taken a Bickel Sannipoli APC case to trial - this notwithstanding their having been sued by our office hundreds of times.
Some of Bickel Sannipoli APC’s Plaintiff’s trial verdicts in recent years are:
- Capil v. Ford Motor Company. San Diego Superior Court, Case No. 37-2017-00049356-CU-BC-CTL. (2022). Ford Motor Company was represented by Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard & Smith LLP. The trial involved a 2015 Ford Escape with a defective rear latch. The jury rendered a Plaintiffs' verdict that ordered the Defendant to repurchase the vehicle, pay full restitution to the Capils, and pay the maximum civil penalty awardable under California Civil Code § 1794(c) of two times the actual damages for the Defendant's demonstrated willfulness. Plaintiffs' total judgment exceeded $98,000.00.
- Kawakami v. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. Los Angeles Superior Court, Case No. BC644440. (2022). Toyota was represented by Sutton & Murphy. The trial involved a 2014 Lexus IS 250 with a defective navigation and radio system. The jury awarded Mr. Kawakami $71,728.95 in actual damages for the vehicle repurchase and $28,271.05 in additional civil penalty damages for Toyota’s willful failure to comply with the Act under California Civil Code § 1794(c). The cumulative jury award to Mr. Kawakami was $100,000.00.
- Zamora v. BMW North America, LLC. United States District Court Central District of California, Case No. 2:20-cv-00838-KS. (2023) BMW was represented by Lehrman, Villegas, Chinery & Douglas, LLP. The case involved a 2016 BMW 328xi that suffered from power loss and shut down. The jury awarded Ms. Zamora $52,174.14 in actual damages for the statutory buyback and an additional $20,000 in civil penalty damages for a cumulative jury award of $72,174.14.
- Williams v. Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC. Alameda County Superior Court, Case No. HG19024866. (2023). Mercedes was represented by Hawkins, Parnell & Young, LLP. The trial involved a 2019 Mercedes-Benz GT63 AMG Edition 1 with a paint defect. The jury awarded Mr. Williams $155,986.80 for the repurchase of his vehicle plus an additional $25,000 in civil penalty damages under California Civil Code § 1794(c). The cumulative jury award to Mr. Williams was $180,986.80.
- Kirker v. Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc. Orange County Superior Court, Case No. 30-2019-01083049-CU-BC-CJC. (2024). Toyota was represented by Beatty & Myers, LLP. The case involved a 2018 Toyota Tacoma with a defective pre-collision system. The jury awarded Mr. Kirker actual damages of $66,449.81 for the repurchase of the truck plus a maximum possible civil penalty award of two times actual damages for an additional $132,899.62 for Toyota’s willful failure to comply with the California Lemon Law. The cumulative Plaintiff award was $199,899.62.
Firm History and the California Lemon Law
California lemon law attorney Brian J. Bickel founded The Bickel Law Firm, Inc. in 2005 as a firm devoted exclusively to litigating Song-Beverly lemon law warranty claims. Most California lemon law attorneys also litigate other types of consumer actions, such as dealer fraud and personal injury, but Mr. Bickel focused his practice exclusively on Song-Beverly lemon law cases from the outset, and it remains our approach to this day. In 2021, Attorney Jordan K. Sannipoli was promoted to named partner, and The Bickel Law Firm, Inc. was rebranded Bickel Sannipoli, APC. Also in 2021, Joshua J. Youssefi was promoted to Lead Trial Attorney, given his demonstrated talent in obtaining outstanding jury awards.
At one time, Bickel Sannipoli APC had grown to be among the largest lemon law firms in the state, with 10 attorneys on staff and a caseload in the hundreds. But, given the complications that can arise with any growing business, we decided to take a new approach and focus on the quality of our representation over the quantity. Likewise, the firm’s caseload was intentionally limited, and the size of our staff was reduced so that we could better focus on providing unparalleled representation to our clients.
Our new approach paid off. From 2019, the California lemon law attorneys at Bickel Sannipoli APC managed 10 consecutive Song-Beverly trial wins, most including additional civil penalty damages against the manufacturers under California Civil Code § 1794(c) for manufacturer willful failure to comply with the Song-Beverly Act. If another firm has accomplished this, we are unaware of it. To our knowledge, we are the first and only firm in the history of the Song-Beverly Act to win ten consecutive lemon law trials in California.
Statewide California Lemon Law Attorneys
Bickel Sannipoli APC is dedicated exclusively to the prosecution and resolution of California lemon law claims. With offices available in greater San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Francisco, our attorneys are well-positioned to represent consumers throughout California, including rural areas where experienced California lemon law lawyers may be difficult to find. Our lemon attorneys have represented thousands of consumers in vehicle lemon law claims across California. In addition to serving in the metropolitan areas, we have also successfully represented clients in less populated areas such as California's Central Valley, Placer County, and El Centro, where accomplished California lemon law Lawyers may not have been locally available.
Bickel Sannipoli APC was established in an effort to raise the bar in consumer education and legal representation in the Song-Beverly Consumer Warranty Act. Our California lemon attorneys place a premium on client communication and awareness and adhere to the highest ethical standards in the prosecution and negotiation of all California lemon law claims.
:: Our Statewide California Lemon Law Services
