Personal Background
Michael A. Akselrud is a senior attorney at The Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles, specializing in business litigation, personal injury, and product liability. He joined the Lanier family in 2012 as a law clerk and member of the firm’s pharmaceutical litigation team. Michael has been named by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in Southern California since 2016. Since 2020, Michael has been named to the LawDragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers, one of the most respected guides to the legal profession. In 2022, Michael was profiled in the LawDragon Lawyer Limelight for his work. Michael is licensed to practice in all California State and Federal Courts.
Michael prides himself on being direct and transparent with his clients, making a point to explain not just what he’s doing in a case, but why. He makes it a priority to be responsive to clients as they navigate difficult periods in their lives, so they always feel supported along the way. Michael is also passionate about mentoring the next generation of employees at The Lanier Law Firm, having had the honor of training under Dr. Robert Leone himself. A true team player, Michael never shies away from a task, no matter how big or small.
When Michael isn’t grinding away at the office, he can be found spending time outdoors with his wife, Sara.
Representative Cases
Michael proudly fights for clients who have been harmed by corporate negligence and other wrongful conduct. In this capacity, he has worked on various federal and state court mass tort litigations.
K.G.M. v. Meta & YouTube
Currently, Michael is part of the Lanier Law Firm’s social media addiction lawsuit legal and trial team. Michael leads the committee for the bellwether trial discovery pools and was responsible for securing key witnesses at trial. Acting as what he calls a “utility player,” Michael contributed across multiple facets of the litigation, including managing pre-trial discovery disputes on behalf of all bellwether plaintiffs, pre-trial work up of specific bellwether trial cases, and various trial roles from jury selection and strategy to preparing witnesses for testimony.
Ingham v. Johnson & Johnson
Michael was an integral part of The Lanier Law Firm trial team that achieved a groundbreaking verdict in which a jury awarded $4.69 billion to 22 women and their families who alleged that decades of daily use of Johnson & Johnson’s (NYSE: JNJ) asbestos-laden talcum powder products caused their ovarian cancer. Michael now oversees all case management for talcum powder-related claims, from the initial stages of case workup through final resolution.
Michael led witness preparation and case development for bellwether candidates within coordinated multidistrict discovery pools, including identifying and retaining expert witnesses and building out the specific causation theory for cases in various litigations, including in MDL No. 2855, 3M Products Liability Litigation, MDL No. 2326, In Re: Boston Scientific Corp. Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation and MDL No. 2327, In Re: Ethicon, Inc., Pelvic Repair System Products Liability Litigation. Michael’s work helped build a strong record that supported the litigation team’s strategy across all cases.
Michael was part of the document review team for MDL No. 2299, In Re: Actos (Pioglitazone) Products Liability Litigation, combing through records to flag key evidence and issues affecting the case — work that contributed to the firm’s landmark $9 billion punitive damages verdict against Takeda Pharmaceutical and Eli Lilly, secured by Mark Lanier in April 2014.
Michael also supported case management and settlement work on two major medical device mass torts: MDL No. 2244, In Re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., Pinnacle Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation, and MDL No. 2197, In Re: DePuy Orthopaedics, Inc., ASR Hip Implant Products Liability Litigation.
Community and Professional Activities
Speaker at the Perrin Web Conference, May 2026 – Social Media Addiction Litigation: Ethics, PFS Strategy, and Managing Complex Cases
Member, American Association of Justice
Prior to his time at The Lanier Law Firm, Michael clerked at the Cancer Legal Resource Center and at Bet Tzedek Legal Services, a public interest law firm that provides free legal services for elderly and disenfranchised residents in Los Angeles County.