I have never met Dan Petrocelli, but I heard stories. For example, an associate told me about the time a partner e-mailed Mr. Petrocelli the final version of a brief, after which Mr. Petrocelli cursed him out for emailing it instead of printing it and dropping it off in person -- humiliating the partner in front of coworkers.
Once, an associate told me that someone had contacted numerous attorneys in the firm, complaining that Mr. Petrocelli had kicked a person under the table during a deposition.
To share another story . . . back in 2014, nine partners left Mr. Petrocelli's Century City office in about seven months (links one and two.) A person who, by their position, appeared knowledgeable about the goings-on told me that they left because of Mr. Petrocelli.
Or there was the time I overheard Brian Boyle remark, to another attorney, that one of his biggest wishes was to retire from O'Melveny without ever having to work with Mr. Petrocelli. Yes, the torture advocate who criticized the Geneva Convention felt he was too civilized to work with Dan Petrocelli. So apparently Mr. Petrocelli seems to be a rough guy, at least if you believe the stories.
I guess this turbulence crept into his home's culture as well, and perhaps rubbed off on his son Adam, who was recently arrested for "fight[ing] in a public place," "trespassing" and violating an order to prevent domestic violence.
After receiving the above tip, I wondered if I should add it to the blog. By grace, I have never been arrested. But like everyone I've been through some adversity and hard times. So I wondered if it would be inappropriate to report on someone else's difficult circumstances.
But I'm going to add it. From reportedly threatening sexual assault victims, to choosing not to stop racist comments about a judge, to defending alleged corruption in government, Mr. Petrocelli's work is responsible for some content here. The goal of this blog is to help readers understand the firm, and Mr. Petrocelli is its most eminent attorney. Perhaps this story will give readers insight into his world, and help them understand him.
The information below comes from the Monterey County Sheriff's Office.
Adam Daniel Petrocelli arrest
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