John Fiske has dedicated his career to “protecting what’s right” in so many ways: mentoring youth, rescuing farm animals, and seeking justice for those whose health and homes have been decimated by polluters and the manufacturers of pollutants throughout the United States. Mr. Fiske represents large public entities including San Diego, Long Beach, San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley, Chula Vista, Portland, Port of Portland, Spokane, Seattle and the State of Washington in environmental and public nuisance actions against Monsanto Company for polluting America’s waterways with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). He has been appointed a Special Assistant Attorney General for the State of Washington in the case.
Mr. Fiske is lead counsel for the Town of Paradise and Butte County in the case against PG&E for the 2018 Camp Fire. Mr. Fiske represents these public entities in state court and in the federal bankruptcy proceedings.
Mr. Fiske represents the County of Sonoma, the County of Napa, the County of Mendocino, the County of Lake, the County of Ventura, the City of Ventura, the County of Santa Barbara, the City of Santa Barbara, Montecito Water District, Fire Protection Districts and other public entities in both Northern and Southern California in litigation against PG&E and SoCal Edison for damages resulting from the devastating wildfires of 2017. In addition to several public entities, Mr. Fiske represents thousands of families and businesses who lost everything due to the negligent maintenance, inspection, and operations of these investor-owned utilities. Mr. Fiske also represents Calaveras County in the Butte 2015 Wildfire and has recovered $25.4 million on behalf of the County.
Mr. Fiske also represents the interests of approximately 10.5 million California residents through the California Opioid Consortium, a group of 32 counties in California who are suing the nation’s largest pharmaceutical distributors and manufacturers for their role in creating the devastating opioid epidemic. The Consortium is comprised of the following cities and counties: City of Chula Vista, Counties of Amador, Butte, Calaveras, Contra Costa, Del Norte, El Dorado, Fresno, Glenn, Imperial, Inyo, Lake, Lassen, Madera, Mariposa, Mendocino, Merced, Modoc, Mono, Monterey, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Sacramento, San Benito, San Diego, Shasta, Siskiyou, Sutter, Tehama, Trinity, Tuolumne, and Yuba.
Mr. Fiske also represents students and teachers exposed to toxic fumes by the multi-billion dollar aerospace company Ametek, Inc., which improperly dumped toxic chemicals into groundwater, creating one of the largest trichloroethylene (TCE) plumes in the state of California.
John Fiske earned his law license at age 23 from California Western School of Law, a private, non-profit law school located in San Diego which was founded in 1924. Mr. Fiske attended law school on a full scholarship and served as Associate Editor of the Law Review while there.
Mr. Fiske has been declared a Super Lawyer in 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. In 2013, San Diego Metro Magazine named John Fiske to its list of “40 Under 40” (people to watch). He was a 2012 “Top Influential” (The Daily Transcript), a 2009 “Top Young Attorney” (The Daily Transcript), and a 2007 “50 People to Watch” (San Diego Magazine). Mr. Fiske has also served as a Barrister with the Louis M. Welsh Inn of Court, an amalgam of judges and lawyers who come together throughout the year to improve the skills, professionalism and ethics of the bench and bar.
John Fiske is a past-president of the board of directors of the San Diego Brain Injury Foundation, getting involved after obtaining a $10.8 million jury verdict for a brain injured client. He has also served as an advisory board member for the University of California San Diego’s Bannister Family House, which acts as a home away from home for families of patients undergoing long-term care. In addition, Mr. Fiske has been a board member of Solutions: Exploring Success Post-High School, which provides an affordable way for high school students and their families to shape a clear, actionable vision of their post-high school path based on individual interests, aptitudes, and financial resources. On top of that, Mr. Fiske served as a “Red Coat” for the San Diego Bowl Game Association, a group of dedicated men and women who volunteer their time throughout the bowl’s year-around events, leading up to and including the Holiday and Poinsettia Bowl games in San Diego. And as if all that were not enough, Mr. Fiske mentored two young men in a very personal way, by having been a “Big Brother” to two “Little Brothers” in the Big Brothers Big Sisters of America organization.
When John Fiske is not discussing legal topics on television, including programming on Fox, ABC, KPBS, and KUSI, he spends time riding horseback, snorkeling, hiking and camping. He’s stays fit by racing in the Spartan Beast, Ragnar Relay and Tough Mudder competitions.
In 2016, Mr. Fiske founded the San Diego Farm Animal Rescue, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to rescuing horses, pigs, hens, and roosters. As relayed by the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union Tribune, SDFA Rescue educates people about the environmental impacts of large scale animal agriculture while providing a unique interactive experience for visitors. In 2016, San Diego Magazine named Mr. Fiske’s rescue organization San Diego’s “Best Animal Encounter Experience.” Baron & Budd is extremely proud to have this dedicated public servant and compassionate human being in our San Diego office.
