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Partner
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Chris Hulburt is widely regarded as one of San Diego’s most accomplished and respected trial attorneys. His career has been defined by courtroom excellence, leadership within the legal profession, and a lifelong commitment to advocating for people harmed by abuse, negligence, and institutional failure.
“Chris embodies the absolute core values of our law firm,” said Managing Partner Vincent J. Bartolotta Jr. “He possesses an authentic sense of integrity, going to work every day with a philosophy and mission of making lives better, with his unique level of experience.” Those values have shaped Chris’s work from the very beginning of his career.
Chris’s path as a trial lawyer began early. While attending the University of San Diego School of Law, he led the school’s mock trial team to a Regional Championship in Hawaii and a berth in the National Finals in Washington, D.C., all while working full time as a law clerk at Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire. Following graduation, he joined the firm as an associate and quickly became a partner, translating early promise into consistent courtroom success.
His first trial drew national attention in both legal and popular media. In what was reported as a first-of-its-kind case, Chris successfully pursued civil claims on behalf of a woman against her husband for physical and emotional injuries arising from domestic violence. The case helped open new legal ground and marked the beginning of a career devoted to representing individuals and families harmed by violence, abuse, and corporate misconduct.
In 2000, Chris launched his own firm, focusing on medical malpractice, catastrophic personal injury, and product liability cases. During this period, he earned widespread recognition from his peers, including honors as Trial Lawyer of the Year, Consumer Advocate of the Year, and four-time recipient of the Outstanding Trial Lawyer Award from the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. In 2024, Chris was inducted into the Trial Lawyers Hall of Fame.
Throughout his career, Chris has been a sought-after mentor and educator within the legal community. He has coached the USD Mock Trial team to a national championship, taught trial practice at the law school for nearly fifteen years, and spoken extensively at legal seminars and conferences. His leadership roles include serving as President of the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego, election to the Executive Committee of the American Board of Trial Advocates, and selection as a Master of the Louis B. Welsh Inn of Court.
Recognizing that many cases resolve outside the courtroom, Chris also devoted himself to mastering negotiation and mediation. He became a certified mediator through the National Conflict Resolution Center and completed advanced training at the Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution at Pepperdine Law School. Beginning in 2015, he developed a part-time mediation practice with West Coast Resolution Group, where he became known for his careful listening, emotional insight, and ability to craft creative, durable resolutions in complex cases.
That work led naturally to broader service. In 2016, Chris became Director of Development for the National Conflict Resolution Center, a national leader in conflict resolution education and restorative justice. In that role, he helped expand NCRC’s Avoiding the Pipeline to Prison initiative, a nationally recognized restorative justice program addressing school discipline and juvenile justice reform.
In 2020, Chris returned to Thorsnes Bartolotta McGuire as a partner, bringing with him decades of trial experience, mediation expertise, and professional leadership. He continues to represent clients in serious and catastrophic injury matters, including medical malpractice, personal injury, and product liability cases.
Beyond the practice of law, Chris’s life reflects a deep commitment to service. He and his wife, Annalee, have been together since high school and are the parents of four adult children and grandparents to five. Following a profound spiritual reorientation in 2007, Chris was ordained a permanent deacon in the Catholic Church in 2013. He and his wife serve at Saint Brigid Catholic Church in Pacific Beach, where Chris preaches, teaches, counsels individuals and couples, and officiates weddings, baptisms, and funerals. He also serves on the Board of Regents for the Franciscan School of Theology, is a founding member of the Pacific Beach Interfaith Coalition, and coaches the Morse High School Mock Trial Team.
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