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Michael L. Armitage
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Michael L. Armitage

Partner

Biography

Mike Armitage is a partner at Waters Kraus Paul & Siegel in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Admitted to practice in both California and Louisiana, Mike began his career practicing maritime transportation and commercial law, but has focused on personal injury and product liability cases since joining the firm in 2000. Mike’s work on asbestos-related cancer cases has resulted in some of the firm’s most notable verdicts. He serves as a liaison counsel on Bench-Bar Committees for both asbestos and complex litigation issues before the Los Angeles County Superior Court, and he is invited several times each year to serve as a co-chair or speaker at national and international conferences on asbestos and mass tort litigation. Mike earned his bachelor’s degree from Tulane University, where he graduated magna cum laude. He went on to graduate cum laude from Tulane Law School as well, where he was selected to the Order of The Coif, served as a member of the Moot Court Board, and participated as a senior fellow in the university’s legal research and writing program. Born in Surrey, England, Mike is a member of the American Association for Justice, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles Board of Governors, Consumer Attorneys of California, and he is also a proctor member of the Maritime Law Association of the United States. Mike has been selected by his peers for inclusion on the list of The National Trial Lawyers Top 100 for 2025. He has also been recognized on the Thomson Reuters Southern California Super Lawyers® list in the Los Angeles Times for over 15 consecutive years from 2006 to 2025.

Areas of Practice

  • Asbestos Litigation
  • Pharmaceutical
  • Product Liability
  • Qui Tam Whistleblower
  • Toxic Tort

Bar Admissions

  • California, 1991
  • Louisiana, 1987
  • U.S. Supreme Court, 1993
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 5th Circuit, 1988
  • U.S. Court of Appeals 9th Circuit, 1992
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 1991
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 1991
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California, 1991
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, 1987
  • U.S. District Court, Middle District of Louisiana, 1987
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Louisiana, 1987

Education

  • Tulane University, J.D., cum laude, 1987
  • Tulane University, B.A., magna cum laude, with Honors in Political Science, 1984

Pro Bono & Community Service

  • Board of Trustees, Vistamar School, 2012-present

Highlights

Professional Associations & Memberships

  • American Association for Justice
  • Consumer Attorneys of California
  • Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles
    • Board of Governors
  • Maritime Law Association of the United States
    • Proctor Member
  • Public Justice Foundation
    • Board of Directors

Publications & Speeches

  • “Recent Mass Tort Developments,” Advocate Jan. 2013
  • Frequently-Invited Co-Chair and Speaker at National Asbestos Seminars and Conferences, including Co-Chair for BVR Legal’s/Mealey’s 2008 National Asbestos Litigation SuperConference
  • “Shipowners’ Liability for Longshoremen Personal Injuries: The Supreme Court Blocks the ‘Importation’ of Unseaworthiness,” 7 U.S.F. Mar. L. J. 67 (1994)
  • “Judge John Minor Wisdom and the Constitutional and Judicial Approaches to Racial Desegregation,” unpublished Tulane University Honors Thesis (1984)

Honors & Awards

  • Order of the Coif
  • Member, Moot Court Board, Tulane University
  • Senior Fellow, Legal Research and Writing Program, Tulane University
  • Selected for inclusion on the Southern California Super Lawyers list, published by Thomson Reuters, Legal, 2006-2025
  • Selected for Inclusion in The Best Lawyers In America, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010
  • AV® Preeminent 5.0 out of 5, Martindale-Hubbell Featured Peer Review Rated Lawyer
  • Selected for recognition on the “Southern California’s Top Rated Lawyers” list, produced by LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® and published by ALM Media Properties, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
  • Selected for recognition on the “Top Rated Lawyers” list, produced by LexisNexis® Martindale-Hubbell® and published by ALM Media Properties, 2020
  • Member, Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers, The National Trial Lawyers, 2025

We believe absolutely in what we’re doing, and we’ve had great success. These two attributes – conviction and results – create a culture of respect within the firm as well as in the legal community around the country. That respect is key to maximizing results for our clients.”

Michael Armitage

Individual Awards & Honors

Our Results

$880 million award

Historic settlement for over 1,300 survivors of clergy and adult abuse within the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, marking a pivotal moment for justice.

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$725.5 million award

A Philadelphia jury awarded a record verdict against ExxonMobil for failing to warn about cancer risks due to benzene in its petroleum products.

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$20 million award

Confidential settlement for the wife of a Rhode Island man who died of mesothelioma cancer after exposure to window glazing compound contaminated with asbestos.

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