Super Lawyers - Southern California 2016

Q: When were you in the Marines?
A: I was on active duty from 1986 to 1989
or 1990. Then I was on inactive reserves
until I got recalled when we had the
Persian Gulf War.
Q: Wasn’t that shortly after the Marines
first accepted women?

A: I don’t know the answer to that, but I can tell you the ratio of women to men in the Marine Corps was pretty astonishing back in 1986. The guys didn’t like that women were in the Marine Corps and they didn’t have any qualms about telling you.

But being in the Marine Corps served me
well. You don’t have the luxury to buck
the system, so you have to learn to adapt;
there is no other option.
Q: Any bad incidents?
A: Oh yeah. But the things that are painful
to you at the time they are happening
are the things that cause you to: a) build
character, and b) grow up.

This is kind of a lame example, but it’s a good example. I was in the Marine Corps and I was dating somebody that my First Sergeant didn’t think I should be dating. So he ordered me to not date him. I think, in his weird little head, he thought he was doing me a favor.

He told me that he would write me up if I was
found to be dating him. He made my life hell.
Q: Wow. That’s about the last thing I
thought you were going to say.

A: Well, there’s the typical things you would presume I would say, and all of those things happened, too. But I think—and this is going to sound even more awful—those are the things you expect when you sign up. You know you’re going into an environment where there’s a very disproportionate male/ female ratio. You know that everyone isn’t going to respect your presence there. I don’t know [if I] appreciated the degree to which there would be such hostility about women in the military. But I don’t let people offend me too easily. I stand up for myself really well.

Q: Where did you grow up?
A: Long Beach.
Q: What did your parents do?
A: My dad was a fireman and my mom was
a homemaker.
Q: What’s Long Beach like?

A: There’s some really nice parts of Long Beach and some ghetto parts of Long Beach. I grew up in the ghetto part of Long Beach. I went to some pretty rough schools—again, character-building. I only lived at home until I was 14; I was legally emancipated when I was 16. At one point, I was homeless. I’ve now started this nonprofit, Operation Helping Hands, where we give backpacks to homeless people with hygiene items in them.

Q: Were you still going to school when
you were homeless?
A: I was for a period of time. But
eventually my mom filed a report that

Scott Ferrell is one of California's most successful trial lawyers.

In recent years, he has tried 25 commercial cases to verdict as lead counsel—winning 23. His trial record enables him to obtain favorable settlements in the vast majority of those cases that do not reach trial. The Daily Journal recognized Ferrell as one of California’s “Top 20 Attorneys Under 40” at age 31. In 2010, 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016, Ferrell was named on the Southern California Top 100 Super Lawyers list; in 2005 through 2007 and 2009 through 2016, he was named on the Orange County Top 50 Super Lawyers list. As a recognized expert on trial strategy, Ferrell lectures frequently at bar-approved CLE seminars on topics including jury selection, cross-examination and closing argument.

Newport Trial Group’s attorneys possess an impressive array of educational credentials and prestigious law firm experience. With a results-driven approach to litigation, Newport Trial Group has a national reputation for success. Newport Trial Group is proud of Victoria Knowles, Ryan Ferrell, and David Reid for their recognition on the 2015 Southern California Rising Stars list.

Reid, Newport Trial Group’s managing partner, was honored this year to be named on both the 2015 Up-and-Coming 100 Southern California Rising Stars and 2015 Up-and-Coming 25 Orange County lists.