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Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLPPartner
Wilson M. Dunlavey, Ph. D.
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Wilson M. Dunlavey, Ph. D.

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275 Battery Street, 29th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94111

About Wilson M. Dunlavey, Ph. D.

Wilson M. Dunlavey represents government entities, consumers, small businesses, workers, fishers, and residents in complex litigation against fossil fuel companies, automobile manufacturers, and other polluters. Through creativity and tenacity, Wilson has changed company practices and recovered over $16 billion for his clients in just ten years of practice.

Wilson has been a driving force in changing the law to benefit victims of environmental disasters, including negligence, nuisance, and trespass law.

Among his many active cases, Wilson currently represents the State of California against Big Oil in arguably the most significant environmental litigation ever. They seek to hold Exxon, Shell, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, BP, and the American Petroleum Institute accountable for the decades of deception regarding the impact of climate change.

Wilson’s past successes include, in rough reverse order, a $237.5 million dollar settlement reached in 2024 on behalf of U.S. vehicle owners with Hino Motor Company for misrepresenting their emissions and exceeding regulatory limits; a $70 million dollar settlement reached in 2024 on behalf of property owners with a pipeline company arising out of an oil spill in Santa Barbara; a $95 million dollar settlement reached in 2023 on behalf of fishers, property owners, and local businesses with a pipeline company and shipping companies arising out of the 2021 Oil Spill in Huntington Beach, California; a $230 million dollar settlement reached in 2022 on behalf of property owners and fishers with Plains Pipeline Company arising out of the 2015 Santa Barbara Oil Spill; a $1.8 billion dollar settlement reached in 2021 on behalf of area residents with Sempra Energy Corporation arising out of the largest methane leak in U.S. history in Porter Ranch, California in 2016; and a series of settlements on behalf of vehicle owners against Volkswagen, Porsche, and Audi in 2022, 2019, 2018, and 2017 arising out of the 2015 “Clean Diesel” Scandal.

Wilson’s pro bono practice includes successfully representing unaccompanied Central American minors in obtaining immigration relief.

His hobbies include backpacking, gardening, and singing nursery rhymes with his children on the streets of New York City.

Honors & Awards

•“Lawdragon 500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers in America,” Lawdragon, 2023-2026
•“Lawdragon 500 X - The Next Generation,” Lawdragon, 2023-2025
•“Rising Star for Northern California,” Super Lawyers, 2019-2025
•“California Lawyer of the Year,” California Daily Journal, 2018
•“Consumer Attorney of the Year Finalist,” Consumer Attorneys of California, 2017
•“Outstanding Private Practice Antitrust Achievement,” American Antitrust Institute, 2017

Publications & Presentations

•Panelist, “Safe Water for All: The Key Challenges and Successes in Addressing Water Justice Issues in North America,” ABA SEER Flow Forward: North American Water Quality Forum, May 2025

In the News

•February 17, 2026
30 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Recognized as Lawdragon “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2026
•October 30, 2025
21 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Selected as 2025 New York Metro Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
•July 14, 2024
Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Named to Lawdragon’s 2025 “Lawdragon 500 X - The Next Generation” List
•May 14, 2025
Wilson Dunlavey to Be a Featured Panelist at ABA SEER Flow Forward: North American Water Quality Forum
•February 28, 2025
33 Lieff Cabraser Attorneys Recognized as Lawdragon “500 Leading Plaintiff Consumer Lawyers” for 2025

 

Wilson M. Dunlavey, Ph. D. (San Francisco, California) View website

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Services

Experience

  • Bar Admission & Memberships
    Admissions
    2015, California
    2016, U.S. Court of Appeals, 9th Circuit
    2016, U.S. District Court, Central District of California
    2016, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
    2019, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan
    2021, U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia
    2023, New York
    2023, U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan
    2026, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
    Memberships

    Professional Associations

    •American Association for Justice, Class Action Litigation Section: Secretary (present)
    Content Curator (2024-2025)

  • Education & Certifications
    Law School
    Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, California
    J.D.
    2015 Law Journal: Berkeley Technology Law Journal

    Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, California
    J.D.
    Associate Editor
    Other Education
    St. John's College, Annapolis, Maryland
    Class of 2003
    B.A.

    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    Class of 2011
    M.A.

    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    Class of 2015
    Ph.D.
    cum laude

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Attorneys FAQs

  • What year was this attorney first admitted to the bar?
    Wilson M. Dunlavey, Ph. D. was admitted in 2015 to the State of California.
  • Does this attorney speak any other languages?
    Wilson M. Dunlavey, Ph. D. speaks German.
  • How many attorneys are in this law firm?
    Lieff, Cabraser, Heimann & Bernstein, LLP has 100 attorneys at this location.
  • What law school did this attorney attend?
    Wilson M. Dunlavey, Ph. D. attended Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley, California.
  • Is this attorney listed in the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers?
    Wilson M. Dunlavey, Ph. D. is listed in the Antitrust Law, Aviation Law, Civil Rights, Civil Trial Practice, Environmental Law, Labor and Employment Law, Personal Injury, Product Liability Law, Securities Law and Toxic Torts section of the Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers.

Attorney information displayed in this FAQ section is based upon information the lawyer has included on their profile, in addition to the information we collect from state bar associations and other organizations that license legal professionals.

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