Chang | Klein, founded by Deborah S. Chang and Candice Klein, brings together more than 60 years of combined legal experience. Both founders are renowned California trial lawyers who built strong reputations at major firms before launching their boutique practice in 2020. Their commitment to challenging powerful defendants and protecting individuals from negligence or malice has established the firm as a leader in personal injury litigation.
Track Record of Excellence
Since its inception, Chang | Klein has consistently delivered results that extend beyond courtroom victories. The firm's legal achievements have influenced both local and state policies, earning it a Tier 1 ranking for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs from Best Law Firms® 2025. Candice Klein has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America® for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs since 2018. Deborah Chang, named the 2022 “Lawyer of the Year” for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in Los Angeles by The Best Lawyers in America, emphasizes their broader mission: “We fight for justice on behalf of clients to make the world a better and safer place.”
Landmark Cases and Societal Impact
In the past year alone, the firm has secured over $100 million in judgments and settlements in elder, dependent adult and neglect cases against hospitals, facilities and nursing homes. More importantly, as a result of this litigation, the defendants have made meaningful changes to improve staffing and patient safety.
Chang | Klein has also effected changes in various municipalities in diverse cases, including dangerous condition cases and against police departments. In 2024, for example, Chang | Klein secured a $6.125 million settlement from the City of San Diego for the family of a single mother and daughter killed by a reckless driver speeding at over 100 mph in the wrong direction on a highway. The driver was suffering from a mental health crisis and was the subject of a 5150 call earlier that morning. Police officers responding to the call failed to see, evaluate or even speak with him, despite the pleas of his parents and a family friend who was a psychiatrist. As a result of the case, the San Diego Police Department reviewed and revised its procedures to prevent similar tragedies in the future.
Leadership and Professional Influence
The impact of both partners transcends their courtroom successes.
Deborah Chang served as president of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA) in 2022 and president of the Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC) in 2021. Her leadership and mentorship have been recognized with multiple awards, including the Consumer Attorney of the Year Award (2012, 2023), the California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year award (2019) and the Marvin E. Lewis Award (2023), which honors guidance, loyalty and dedication to the legal community. In 2025, she received the 2025 Lee B. Wenzel Civility Award by the Los Angeles Chapter of ABOTA, an accolade that recognizes attorneys who “elevate the standards of integrity, honor and courtesy in the legal profession.”
Candice Klein is an active member of CAOC and serves on the Board of Governors for the Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles (CAALA). Her dedication to women’s and children’s rights was demonstrated through her service as co-chair of CAALA’s Women in Law Committee. She is also a board member emeritus of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers’ Charities, which provides financial assistance to the homeless, hungry, disabled, survivors of abuse, veterans and children’s education.
Affiliations and National Recognition
Chang | Klein is affiliated with Athea Trial Lawyers LLP, co-founded by Chang and several prominent trial lawyers. Athea Trial Lawyers has also received a Tier 1 ranking for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs from Best Law Firms® since 2022.
Athea Trial Lawyers made national headlines by representing the family of Esther Nakajjigo, Uganda’s ambassador for women and girls, who was tragically killed in 2020 at Arches National Park in Utah. In December 2022, Chang and her colleagues secured a $10.5 million verdict—the largest wrongful death verdict ever issued by a federal court judge in Utah—for Nakajjigo’s family.
Commitment to Justice and Systemic Change
Chang | Klein’s approach combines compassion for the firm's clients with a determination to address broader societal issues.
“We take only those cases that we are passionate about,” Chang said. “We like to say that we turn our cases into causes, and we really want to make the world a better and safer place with each of our cases and trials.”
Through the firm's landmark cases, policy influence and leadership in the legal community, Chang | Klein continues to set new standards for advocacy and justice in California and beyond.
