Wildfire Litigation
Overview
CPM is the preeminent wildfire litigation firm in California. CPM’s wildfire team, led by Frank Pitre, is dedicated to quality representation of each and every client that hires us.
CPM has held public utilities accountable for their role in catastrophic wildfires including the Butte Fire (2015), North Bay Fires (2017), Thomas Fire (2017), Woolsey Fire (2018), Camp Fire (2018), Kincade Fire (2019), Dixie Fire (2021), Mill Fire (2022), and McKinney Fire (2022).
Frank Pitre has served on leadership committees for wildfire victims of the North Bay Fires (co-lead), Woolsey Fire, Thomas Fire, Butte Fire, Camp Fire (co-lead), and San Bruno Gas Explosion (co-lead). Donald Magilligan is currently serving on the executive committee for the Dixie Fire cases pending in San Francisco Superior Court.
Following PG&E’s 2019 bankruptcy, Pitre was selected to serve on the Tort Claimants Committee, which represented the interests of individual wildfire victims before the bankruptcy court. He played a key role in securing $13.5 billion for victims of the North Bay Fires and Camp Fire. He then served as a member of the Trust Oversight Committee, which was established to compensate wildfire victims out of the Trust proceeds.
Pitre also served as lead counsel in the PG&E derivative litigation, which held the company’s officers and directors personally liable for their role in causing the North Bay Fires and Camp Fire. The officers and directors case settled for $117 million.
CPM is currently representing victims of the tragic and preventable fires that devastated Maui on August 8, 2023. CPM has partnered with Maui-native Cynthia K. Wong, a tenacious victim advocate based in Wailuku (https://www.legalmaui.net/), and James Bostwick, one of the most respected plaintiffs’ attorneys in the country (https://www.bostwickfirm.com/).
CPM is also currently representing victims of the devastating Eaton Fire, which occurred on January 7, 2025. CPM has partnered with leading firms Panish | Shea | Ravipudi LLP and Walkup, Melodia, Kelly & Schoenberger to fight for the rights of wildfire victims. Together, we bring decades of experience, a deep understanding of wildfire litigation, and an unwavering commitment to securing justice for those impacted by this catastrophic event. For more information about our team and the ongoing litigation, please visit our Eaton Fire page.
CPM’s wildfire team includes Frank Pitre, Duffy Magilligan, Julie Fieber, Nabilah Hossain, Gary Praglin, Kelly Weil, John Thyken, and Andrew Britton.
