Michelle M. West
Michelle Marie West has been a partner at Robinson Calcagnie, Inc. since 2016 and practiced with the firm since 2008. Virtually all of her 23 years as a lawyer has been spent helping those who have been injured due to trucking accidents, automobile collisions, unsafe premises cases, traumatic brain injury, amputation, spinal cord injuries and other catastrophic personal injury and products liability matters. Ms. West handles cases that involving defective products, dangerous public and private property conditions, industrial and construction accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning, cruise ship injuries, unsafe working conditions, dog bites/attacks/aggression, school bullying and assault and sexual assault as well as all variety of motor vehicle collisions and crashes. She is dedicated to serving clients throughout the State of California and across the country with the assistance of local counsel. Ms. West dedicates her practice to making places and products safer and obtaining recovery for those injured by unsafe products, practices and premises.
Ms. West has committed herself to advocating on behalf of those injured by the recklessness or negligence of others. She reviews each case from every angle, works with forensic and other professional experts, and employs numerous resources in order to help her clients obtain financial compensation for their horrific and devastating losses. Ms. West has recovered seven and eight-figure settlements and verdicts on behalf of numerous clients. Her dedication to providing quality, professional representation while maintaining the highest standards of legal ethics helped her to receive and maintain the highest possible rating of AV Preeminent* from Martindale-Hubbell.
Beyond her work in the courtroom, Ms. West is active in the legal community. She is a member of numerous professional associations, including the Orange County Bar Association, the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, the Consumer Attorneys of California and the Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles. Michelle West is a proud Board Member Emeritus of the Los Angeles Trial Lawyers Charities (an organization dedicated to improving the lives of those in need in Los Angeles) and is Past President of Western Trial Lawyers Association. Ms. West is the current President of the Orange County Trial Lawyers Charities which was formed in 2020 and has completed numerous services projects in since its inception giving away over $1,000,000 in donations and grants to charities and those in need in the Orange County community. She also serves as the Founding Member of OCTLC which includes a group of lawyers who donated $10,000 each to get the organization up and running to help the OC Community.
In 1999, Ms. West graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in history from California State University Long Beach. She went on to earn a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law, graduating cum laude and in the top 10 percent of her class. She is a Proud 50 for 50 Member of the Pepperdine University School of Law which is comprised of past law school graduates who have made a significant commitment of $50,000 to provide scholarships to defray the cost of law school to exceptional and deserving students. She is dedicated to the Justice System and ensuring competent and compassionate professionals are able to serve as lawyers for decades to come.
To keep mentally sharp and agile to be the best lawyer for her clients, Ms. West continues to train her body. She is an avid runner and has completed about 100 marathons, over 35 double-century bike rides (200 miles or more), multiple century rides, over ten full Ironman triathlons, and she attempts and often completes 100 mile races, including the Badwater 135 mile race which goes from Badwater Basin in Death Valley up to highest location in the contiguous United States, Mt. Whitney. Ms. West has completed Badwater 5 times and raised money for charity while doing it, including for St. Jude’s Children’s Research, Arthritis Foundation, MS Society, Challenged Athlete’s Foundation and Orange County Trial Lawyers Charities.
As a daughter of a Marine, who grew up in a small town in the Southern California desert town of Yucca Valley, sharing a small home with her 8 brothers and sisters, she knows how to work well with others and can successfully lead a team as well as being part of one.
Selections and Awards
Best Lawyers
Super Lawyers: 2016 – 2025
Rising Stars: 2010 – 2011
Super Lawyers Top lists
Top 50: Women Southern California Super Lawyers: 2020 – 2025
Top 50: Orange County Super Lawyers: 2020 – 2025
Top 100: Southern California Super Lawyers: 2021, 2025