A. Barry Cappello, managing partner of the Santa Barbara law firm of Cappello & Noël, LLP, was named one of the top 100 trial lawyers in California by the American Trial Lawyers Association (ATLA).
The ATLA is a national organization comprised of the 100 top trial lawyers from each state. ATLA selected the attorneys based on their “leadership, reputation, influence, stature and profile as trial lawyers.”
Cappello founded Cappello & Noël in 1977. He is recognized as one of the nation’s leading trial lawyers and authorities on complex commercial litigation including lender liability, class actions, catastrophic personal injury matters and environmental litigation.
In 2006, the UCLA School of Law named its moot trial court the A Barry Cappello Courtroom and its trial advocacy clinical course the A Barry Cappello Trial Advocacy Clinic.
Before entering private practice, Cappello served a seven-year tenure as City Attorney of Santa Barbara. During that period, he was the chief litigator against Union Oil, Mobil, Gulf and Texaco for the massive 1969 Santa Barbara Channel oil spill. The disaster and the ensuing litigation awakened the nation’s conscious to the dangers to our environment and the tragic consequences if not protected.
Prior to being appointed City Attorney of Santa Barbara, Cappello prosecuted numerous murder, business, crime and major felony cases. He was Assistant District Attorney and Chief Trial Deputy in the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office. Cappello also served as a Deputy Attorney General for the State of California assigned to the Special Trials and Investigations Division.
