No Win? No Fee.
Recognition
Our Award-Winning Attorneys
Clayton Griessmeyer, Esq.
Clay was born and raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin where he learned to love the great outdoors. Clay and his brother would spend summers running, riding bikes, and swimming. After Clay graduated from high school, he went to University of Wisconsin La Crosse where he swam competitively for the school team. After college, Clay worked as a teacher. But, his love of the law won out, and he found himself moving to San Diego for law school.
While in law school, Clay developed a passion for helping people who were hurt by others. He studied under some of the top personal injury attorneys in the country including Gerry Spence at the famed Trial Lawyers College. Clay is an avid triathlete. He uses the same dogged determination to help him fight for his clients. Clay has secured numerous, and substantial verdicts and settlements for his clients throughout the United States. His success has been written about in the New York Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle. He has been awarded the designation of a "Super Lawyer" for his work representing the injured.
In addition to fighting for people's rights, Clay dedicates his time to advancing the rights of bicyclists. He is actively involved in the Wisconsin Bike Federation where he has served as a Board Member. When not fighting for people's rights, Clay enjoys spending time in the great outdoors with his wife and kids, and their dog.
John McCarthy, Esq.
John was born and raised in Salinas, California. He started UC Davis as a neurobiology, physiology, and behavioral sciences major, but local law legend, Sam Lavorato, convinced him that law could be fun. John spent the next 7 years learning how to be a great trial lawyer from Sam and Company. John developed a passion for representing people who had been hurt by others and by corporate greed and excess. Still, John yearned for higher stakes litigation so he went to work for an employment defense firm, representing large employers accused of wage theft, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. He was involved in multiple multi-million dollar lawsuits. But, he couldn't help but feel like he was on the wrong side.
So, John quit his job and started McCarthy Law in San Diego in 2010. He soon developed a reputation as a top-notch lawyer. He has been recognized as one of the top 40 labor and employment lawyers under 40, one of the top wrongful termination attorneys, and one of the top accident attorneys in the United States. He has been recognized as one of the top 2.5% of attorneys in the State of California by SuperLawyers,. He has been recognized as Best of the Bar in labor and employment law by the San Diego Business Journal. He has served as lead counsel in individual cases and class actions against Fortune 500 companies, and even the Courts themselves, securing millions upon millions of dollars for his clients.
Still, the Central Coast was always home. So, John and his wife moved back north and made Monterey the home office in California.
When not fighting for people's rights, John enjoys spending time outside with his family, hiking and biking local trails, playing guitar, and obsessively following the Giants and Sharks.
Our Amazing Team
Alex
Lincoln
Lincoln
Alex is our intake specialist. She has a keen understanding of law, people, and policy. She helps us take on the best cases in California, and Wisconsin.. She is the sweet person you talk to when you call, or the sweet voice you hear asking you to please fill out our case evaluation form. She has been with John from the very beginning of his legal career.
Lincoln
Lincoln
Lincoln
Lincoln the Law Dog is our mascot. He is also responsible for all the DIY content you'll find on our pages.
How Do Lawyers in Wisconsin and California Become Partners?
Clay and John lived together while they were in law school. They soon realized each was passionate about helping others, and willing to go to whatever lengths necessary to do so. They spent a lot of time studying together. They took trial practice classes together. They used each other to sharpen their arguments...and became great friends.
They were at a local bar one night when they made the bet. John knew he was probably staying in California after law school. After all, that's where his family was. Clay knew he was probably moving back to Wisconsin after law school. After all, that's where his family was. They knew it would take something big to change that. So, they bet each other:
Whoever makes a million dollars on a settlement or verdict first, the other has to go work for.
John graduated law school first, and started his own practice in California. Clay graduated law school soon after and started his own practice in Wisconsin. They were in a race to see who could get a million dollars on a settlement or verdict first. When both of them claimed victory, and neither was willing to go work for the other, they knew partnering was the best option for them, and the people they sought to represent.
Why Grizzly Bears for Bicyclists?
Clay and John are both avid bicyclists. Clay rides to work even in the middle of Wisconsin winters. John loves hiking and biking on mountain trails. Bikes are pretty cool when you think about them. They are probably the most efficient self-propelled vehicle out there. Clay and John both think more people should ride bicycles more often in the United States. Think about how much cleaner the air would be. Think about how much more exercise you could get. But, really, Clay and John are also quite fond of motorcycles.
Most bicyclists don't look for fights. Clay and John have heard many people explain how they got hit by a car, and they really just want money from the driver's insurance company to help pay for a new bike. That only seems fair to them.
Unfortunately, insurance companies are all too quick to dismiss such claims. That's where the grizzly bear comes in. See, grizzly bears don't start fights in the wild. But, they sure do finish them. They ferociously defend those they care about.
Gerry Spence once liked representing a client to a grizzly bear protecting its cub.
We take that to heart.
