Neil Gehlawat - Manhattan Beach, CA
Attorney at Taylor & Ring
Personal Injury Lawyers in Manhattan Beach, CA
1230 Rosecrans Ave. Suite 360 Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
- Free Consultation
- 1 Super Lawyers®
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13
Years
Experience
Manhattan Beach Personal Injury Lawyer
Updated: 07/17/2026
Areas of Practice
- Personal Injury
- Wrongful Death
- Civil Rights
- Police Misconduct
- Sexual Abuse
Attorney Information
Overview
Neil Gehlawat is a Partner at Taylor & Ring. He concentrates his practice in the areas of sexual abuse, police misconduct, and personal injury/wrongful death. He has extensive experience litigating cases in federal court.
Some of Neil’s successes on behalf of his clients include:
- $27 million settlement with the Moreno Valley Unified School District on behalf of the family of 13-year-old Diego Stolz, who was bullied and killed by two other students at his middle school. This is the largest school bullying settlement in the United States.
- $11.25 million settlement on behalf of three women who were sexually abused by baseball coaches at their high school.
- $9.75 million settlement on behalf of a student who was sexually abused by his teacher at a summer camp and while in middle school and high school.
- $9.5 million settlement with the Los Angeles Police Department in connection with the tragic shooting death of Mely Corado at a Trader Joe’s in Silver Lake.
- $8.5 million settlement on behalf of a high school student who was sexually abused by her swim coach.
- $8 million settlement on behalf of two young boys who were sexually abused by their daycare supervisor.
- $7.5 million settlement on behalf of the family of Kurt Reinhold, an unarmed black man who was unlawfully shot and killed by Orange County Sheriff’s deputies. This is the largest police shooting settlement against the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
- $7.5 million settlement on behalf of a high school student who was sexually assaulted by an after-school counselor
- $6.8 million settlement on behalf of a young girl who was repeatedly sexually abused by her male classmates at school.
- $6 million settlement on behalf of a man severely injured when he was shot at a gas station.
- $5.75 million settlement on behalf of two brothers who were sexually abused by their junior high teacher in the 1970s.
- $5 million settlement on behalf of a high school student who was sexually abused by his history teachers.
- $4.25 million settlement on behalf of a woman who was sexually abused by her former junior high and high school teacher in the 1990s.
- $4 million settlement on behalf of four young men who were molested by their basketball coach in high school.
- $3.4 million settlement in a civil rights case against the Kern County Sheriff’s Office (Silva v. County of Kern), where deputies caused the death of an unarmed man by restraint asphyxia.
- $2.975 million settlement against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in connection with the shooting death of an unarmed man.
Many of Neil’s cases have received significant media attention, including his representation of the family of David Sal Silva, who was beaten and asphyxiated by Kern County Sheriff’s deputies. This case, along with others, prompted The Guardian to author a five-part series about law enforcement abuse in the Central Valley, entitled “The County: The Story of America’s Deadliest Police.” Neil’s work on the Silva case was also profiled in the Hulu documentary, “Killing County.” His work on behalf of victims of sexual abuse and police misconduct has also been profiled in the Washington Post, the New York Times, and the Los Angeles Times.
Awards and Honors
Honors
- 20 Under 40 People to Watch, Bakersfield Life Magazine, 2015
- Rising Stars, Southern California Super Lawyers, 2016 - Present
- Top 40 Under 40, National Trial Lawyers, 2017
- 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers
- Up-and-Coming 100: Southern California Rising Stars, 2020-present
- Best Lawyers in America Ones to Watch, 2021-2025
- 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Civil Rights & Plaintiff Employment Lawyers
- 2024 Daily Journal Top 40 Under 40
Other Sources of Feedback About Neil Gehlawat
Included on the 2026 Southern California Super Lawyers list
Past Lists
- 2025 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2024 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2023 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2022 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2021 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2020 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2019 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2018 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2017 Southern California Super Lawyers list
- 2016 Southern California Super Lawyers list
Education
Legal Education
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The University of Texas School of Law,
Austin,
Texas, 2012
J.D.
Law Review: Texas Law Review, Notes Editor
Non Legal Education
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University of California, Berkeley, 2009
B.A.
Honors: With Highest Honors
Major: Political Science
Major: Rhetoric
Current Employment Position(s)
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Partner
Classes and Seminars
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The Nuts and Bolts of Practicing in Federal Court, CAOC Hawaii Travel Seminar, 2019
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Speaker, UC Irvine School of Law Civil Rights Litigation Clinic, 2020
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“Litigating the Police Shooting Case,” CAOC Hawaii Travel Seminar, December 2021
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“Deposing the Defense Expert,” CAOC Annual Conference, November 2023
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Motions In Limine in Sex Abuse Cases, CAALA Vegas 2024
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Understanding the Intricacies of Representing Minors, CAOC Annual Conference 2024
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Salcedo v. Moreno Valley Unified School District, NCVBA Annual Conference Portland 2024
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Handling Police Restraint Asphyxia Cases, NPAP Conference Dallas 2024
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CAALA webinar "Government Claim Series - Part 1 - Abuse and Bullying Claims Involving Schools and Public Entities" June 2024
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Pre-litigation strategies in Sexual Abuse Cases, CAOC Palm Springs Seminar 2025
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Speaker, CAALA New Lawyers Pre-Trial Skills Seminar, June 2025
- Government Torts, CAALA Vegas 2025
Pro Bono Activities
- California Alumni Chapter of Bakersfield, Founder
- National Police Accountability Project, Member
Published Works
Articles
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Chain | Cohn | Stiles Celebrates New Building with Special Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Chain | Cohn | Stiles held a ribbon cutting ceremony and open house to celebrate its new home that will help better serve clients, while contributing to the ongoing revitalization of downtown Bakersfield. -
The Wrongful Death Case of David Sal Silva
Neil Gehlawat helped settle a wrongful death, civil rights case that brought national and international media attention to Bakersfield. For the Silva family, that settlement was a vindication of a three-year campaign for justice. -
Chain | Cohn | Stiles Selected to Fourth Consecutive ‘Best of Bakersfield’ List
For the fourth year in a row, Bakersfield-based personal injury and workers’ compensation* law firm Chain | Cohn | Stiles has been selected to the “Best of Bakersfield” list. -
Publication Highlights ‘America’s Deadliest Police’ of Kern County, Law Firm Cases, The Bakersfield Californian
The Guardian unveiled its five-part series that examines the use of deadly force, rough justice, sexual misconduct cases and other issues involving “America’s deadliest police” of Kern County, including cases handled by Chain | Cohn | Stiles. -
Attorney Neil Gehlawat, Father Give Delano High Schools Funding Boost with Generous Donation
The Delano Joint Union High School District has received a $100,000 donation from the family of attorney Neil Gehlawat to help provide after-school and weekend tutoring for high school students, mentors, scholarships, and more. - Poor Patient Care at Many Nursing Homes Despite Stricter Oversight, New York Times, 2017
- Sexual harassment in the Workplace Persists, but with the Law on the Victim’s Side, Kern Business Journal, 2017
- Building Your Case For Parental Dependency In Wrongful Death Actions, Forum Magazine, July/August, 2015
- 'First Look': Attorney Discusses Group Home Death, The Bakersfield Californian, 2014
- Taft High: Hazing Liability, Eyewitness News, 2014
- What Are ‘Spit Hoods,’ and Why Do the Police Use Them?, The New York Times, Sept. 3, 2020
- Litigating Civil Rights Cases In Federal Court, Forum Magazine, May/June, 2018
- Using The Mini-Opening To Your Advantage, Daily Journal, February, 2020
- Dismantling The Defense Medical Expert, Forum Magazine, July/August, 2020
- “Taylor & Ring Urges Juries to Ask, ‘Who’s Going to Police the Police?’” interview with Lawdragon (March 10, 2022)
- Keeping Video of Police Encounters Outside The Domain Of Confidentiality, Advocate Magazine, (August 2021)
Bar Admissions
- California
- U.S. District Court Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court Central District of California
Other Affiliations
- Consumer Attorneys of California (Member)
- Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (Member)
- Kern County Bar Association (Member)
- American Association of Justice (Member)
- Consumer Attorneys of California, New Lawyers Division (Board Member)
- Consumer Attorneys of California New Lawyers Division, Education Committee (Chair)
- Consumer Attorneys of California, Board of Directors
- National Crime Victim Bar Association (Member)
Photo
Contact
1230 Rosecrans Ave.
Suite 360
Manhattan Beach, CA 90266
Phone Number: 310-622-9508
Email: Send a message
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