A smaller firm, on purpose.
Guardian Justice Law Group was started in 2014 by a former insurance defense lawyer who had spent seven years watching how claims are actually valued, and how badly injured people are treated when nobody is fighting for them.
The firm has grown to three attorneys and stays there deliberately. Every client has one attorney from the first call to the final check, and every attorney keeps their caseload small enough to know each file by heart.
What we believe
- That an injured person should be able to reach their attorney, not a case manager, and get an answer the same day.
- That the fee should be explained in dollars before you sign, and that “no fee unless we win” should mean exactly that.
- That most cases should settle, because most cases should be prepared so thoroughly the insurer would rather not go to trial.
- That telling a client an offer is fair, when it is, matters more than a larger fee.
How your case is staffed
One attorney, named on day one.
The attorney who takes your call is the attorney on your case. Their direct number is on the first email you receive from us.
A paralegal who knows your file.
Each attorney works with one paralegal who handles records, bills and scheduling. You will know them by name too.
No hand-offs.
Your case is never transferred to a junior lawyer or a settlement desk. If a case needs a second attorney at trial, you meet them well before.
The attorneys
Daniel Okafor
Founding partner
Spent seven years defending insurers before switching sides. Knows exactly how they value a claim, and where they cut corners.
Daniel started the firm in 2014 after seven years as defense counsel for two of the largest auto and commercial insurers in California. He left because he was tired of being asked to minimize payments to people who were plainly hurt.
He has tried more than forty cases to verdict and handles the firm’s trucking and wrongful death matters personally. He is a member of the Consumer Attorneys of California and speaks regularly on commercial vehicle litigation.
Focus
- Truck and commercial vehicle collisions
- Wrongful death
- Catastrophic injury
María Elena Vásquez
Partner
Former deputy district attorney. Handles the firm’s Spanish-speaking clients directly, in Spanish, from the first call.
María Elena prosecuted vehicular manslaughter and serious injury cases for six years in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office before joining the firm in 2017. She understands accident reconstruction and cross-examination from the inside.
She was raised in Boyle Heights, is a native Spanish speaker, and handles Spanish-speaking clients herself rather than through an interpreter. She leads the firm’s pedestrian, bicycle and premises cases.
Focus
- Pedestrian and bicycle collisions
- Premises liability
- Spanish-speaking clients
Rachel Kim
Trial attorney
Handles rideshare, car and dog bite cases. Has never let a client accept an early offer without knowing what the case is worth.
Rachel joined the firm in 2020 after clerking for a Superior Court judge in Orange County and practicing at a plaintiff’s firm in San Francisco. She has built the firm’s rideshare practice and has written on how app-based insurance tiers apply in California.
She is known among clients for returning calls within the hour and for her refusal to let anyone sign an early offer before the full extent of their injury is known.
Focus
- Rideshare and car collisions
- Dog bites
- Motorcycle collisions