Scott H. Carr is a highly respected trial lawyer and represents clients in the areas of business litigation, legal malpractice, personal injury, products liability, and employment litigation. He enjoys Martindale-Hubbell’s highest rating for competence and ethics and has been repeatedly recognized by his peers as one of the pre-eminent attorneys in California. As a result of his trial skills, he was named Consumer Attorney of the Year for the State of California in 2016.
Notably, Scott was one of the lead attorneys for Sportscaster and Entertainer Erin Andrews in her landmark case against the Nashville Marriott hotel, resulting in a $55 million verdict. His efforts have contributed to increased privacy, security and safety for hotel guests worldwide.
His additional accomplishments include obtaining $11.9 million in a wrongful termination case involving violation of public policy for filing a claim with California’s Division of Labor Standards Enforcement; $10.4 million in a business fraud action relating to the sale of a business; $5.25 Million in a Product Liability action for a defective swimming pool; $4.5 million in a collision at Los Angeles Airport involving a police vehicle and an airline tug; $2 million in confidential settlements for cases involving the failure of a corporation and stock transfer agent to timely transfer stock certificates; $3 million in a legal malpractice action based on an underlying wrongful termination action; $3 million in an action related to a defective golf cart; $5.5 million in a premises liability action involving a defective skylight; $5 million in a Dangerous Condition of Public Property case and $3.7 million in a breach of contract action involving a loan organization company and a bank.
Additionally, Scott was involved in the Binkow v. Osbourne action related to Binkow’s creation of the idea and concept for the highly successful television series “The Osbournes,” the Bethea v Burnett action involving the creation of the television series “The Apprentice,” and the Burton v DeLaHoya action involving the creation of the television series “The Next Great Champ.”
Scott has obtained verdicts and confidential settlements in legal malpractice and personal injury cases in excess of $250 million. In addition, he was instrumental in the settlement of a $2.25 million case involving an automobile collision that resulted in the death of a comedian; a $3 million industrial accident involving brake failure on a loader; a $2.4 million product liability action concerning a household appliance’s ignition of flammable vapors; a $3 million tire tread separation case; and $9 million in a Highway Design case against the State of California.
At trial, Scott’s achievements include: Andrews v. Marriott, a $55 million verdict in a hotel privacy action; McLaughlin v. CLP Mountain High, a $22 million gross verdict in a ski accident case; Ebrahimi v. American Express Bank, Int., $3.2 million verdict in addition to a punitive damages finding, which was a wrongful termination action; Scholz v. State of California, $3.7 million verdict, which involved road design issues; Meruelo v. Marcus & Millichap, $1.3 million verdict, a fraud action against a real estate broker and Schluep v. Gunsenhauser, $1.145 million verdict in a breach of contract action.
In 2005, 2006, and 2008-2023 he was named as a Super Lawyer in Law & Politics’ Southern California Super Lawyers which lists the top five percent of established Los Angeles and Orange County attorneys. In 2018, the same publication named Scott as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California. He has also been named to the list of ‘Best Lawyers in America’ from 2010-2023.
He previously served in the prestigious position of President of the Los Angeles chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, where he also served on the Executive Committee and the Board of Governors.
Scott writes regularly and his published articles include: “Tax Implications of Tort Damage Awards,” Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association, Advocate October, 1992; “23 USC ‘409: The State’s Attempt to Abolish Highway Design Cases,” California Trial Lawyers Association Forum, November, 1994; “Measure of Damages for Interference with a Shareholder’s Ability to Sell Stock,” Association of Business Trial Lawyers Report, Spring and Summer 2003; and “The Reality of Idea Theft,” Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, The Advocate, April 2006. He also frequently speaks at seminars and conferences to educate other lawyers on issues related to business litigation and consumer rights.
Scott also gives back to the community through his numerous civic and charitable activities. He was appointed by the City Council of Thousand Oaks to serve on the Board of Governors for the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza, as well as the Board of Directors of the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza Foundation. He has long been active in raising awareness and money for various charities including the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.
In addition, for more than 30 years, Scott has mentored college students through his work as an officer with the Sigma Phi Epsilon Alumni Board for the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he currently serves as President. In 2021, he was bestowed the highest honor the fraternity awards, the Order of the Golden Heart. He was also awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award for his numerous contributions to Sigma Phi Epsilon and was the initial recipient of its Exemplary Service Award in 2016.
A graduate of University of California at Santa Barbara, Scott received a B.A. in political science and business economics in 1986. He earned his J.D. from Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles in 1991, where he made dean’s list, and was a 1991 recipient of the American Jurisprudence Award in Products Liability and Remedies.
Representative Cases
- Andrews v. Marriott
- McLaughlin v. CLP Mountain High
- Ebrahimi v. American Express Bank, Int.
- Scholz v. State of California
- Meruelo v. Marcus & Millichap
- Schluep v. Gunsenhauser
- Botez v. Hertzfeld & Rubin
- Binkow v. Osbourne
- Lattanzi v. City of Los Angeles
- Weidenaar v. State of California
- LA Pacific v. Paul Hastings
- Burton v. De La Hoya
- Bethea v. Mark Burnett
- Crawford v. MGM
Bar Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Court Central District of California
Education
- Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, California
- Honors: Dean’s List
- Honors: Recipient, American Jurisprudence Award in Products Liability&Remedies,1991
- University of California, Santa Barbara, California
- Major: Political Science and Business Economics
Published Works
- Establishing Causation and Damages in Transactional Malpractice Cases after Viner v. Sweet, Forum Magazine, March/April, 2008
- The Reality of Idea Theft, Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles, The Advocate, April, 2006
- Measure of Damages for Interference with a Shareholder’s Ability to Sell Stock, Association of Business Trial Lawyers Report, Spring and Summer, 2003
- 23 USC ‘409: The State’s Attempt to Abolish Highway Design Cases, California Trial Lawyers Association Forum, November, 1994
- Tax Implications of Tort Damage Awards, Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Association, Advocate, October, 1992
Professional Associations & Memberships
- Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Los Angeles Chapter, President
- Los Angeles chapter of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers, Board of Governors, Executive Committee
- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles, Member
- Consumer Attorneys of California, Member
- American Association for Justice, Member
- Los Angeles County Bar Association, Member
- American Bar Association, Member
Honors & Awards
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers Guide, 2022-2023
- America’s Top 100, Personal Injury Attorneys, 2019
- Recipient – “Consumer Attorney of the Year”, Consumer Attorneys Association of California, 2016
- Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyer, Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs, 2010 – 2023
- Best Lawyers in America, Best Lawyer, Product Liability Litigation - Plaintiffs, 2023
- Distinguished Alumnus Award winner, Sigma Phi Epsilon, 2011
- Exemplary Service Award recipient, Sigma Phi Epsilon, 2016
- President of the Los Angeles Chapter, Association of Business Trial Lawyers, 2009 – 2010
- Law & Politics Inaugural Issue of Southern California Rising Stars Magazine/Los Angeles Magazine, 2004
- Southern California Super Lawyer, 2005, 2006, 2008 – 2023
- Top 100 Southern California 2018
- Top 100 Civil Plaintiff Trial Lawyers in CA, The National Trial Lawyers, 2019
- Sigma Phi Epsilon’s Order of the Golden Heart, 2021
