Firm Foundation

Michael Lynch says his law firm, The Michael Brady Lynch Firm, exemplifies what a perfect fit Baldwin Park can be for a small business.

Lynch started his own home law firm in 2011 after years with firms in Orlando and Pensacola. 

The primary concentration of his firm is personal injury with a focus on products liability cases.

“I have been running The Michael Brady Lynch Firm from my home office here in Baldwin Park since 2015,” Lynch says. “Baldwin Park as a community is very conducive to a home office. Many homes have a dedicated office like my own. There are several delicious and convenient restaurants for business meetings. The neighborhood itself is quiet during the day, and the lack of distractions helps make a productive home office environment.”

ARDENT ATTORNEY

Lynch, 52, was born in Queens, New York, but moved to central New Jersey and attended high school, college and law school in that area.

Upon graduating, Lynch already was working in the field to bring suits against pharmaceutical companies and medical device companies.

Lynch’s passion for law began blossomed further during a drug litigation he was involved in called Factor 5.

“Bad blood litigation where blood products were delivered into a mostly hemophiliac population, and that blood was tainted with what was Hepatitis A, B and C, and with AIDS,” he says. “Almost all of my clients died during the course of the litigation, and it was a natural progression to continue that type of advocacy.”

Lynch’s interest in science drew him to his specific law practice. 

“You’re suing big corporations that are almost always picking on the little guy,” he says. “All my clients have real injuries; all my clients have legitimate stories in terms of how these drugs or devices have devastated their lives. … I do feel good as to what I’m doing. I never wake up and say, ‘Am I making a difference?’ or, ‘Are my clients what I say they are?’”

The specific practice area also allows attorneys to make wide-scale changes in the industry.

“We’ve gotten many, many bad drugs taken off the market where you can no longer get them anymore due to the monetary impact of lawsuits,” he says. “I’m sure most of those drugs would still be on the market if it wasn’t for those lawsuits. … Sadly, one of the only ways these pharmaceutical companies usually will get the point is if you hit them in the pocketbook. … The body count doesn’t really seem to make a difference.”

SEEKING SUNSHINE

Although he loved New Jersey, Lynch says he had what he describes as a “wanderlust,” so when the opportunity arose to go to Florida, he took it. 

Lynch first worked for a national law firm called Levin Papantonio Rafferty in Pensacola.

“When you come from a large law firm, I think almost everyone in the back of their minds always would like to have their own firm,” he says. “There’s a lot of pluses to being a large law firm. … But you’re also in a very corporate environment with a lot of personalities and politics. I was always just better suited being my own boss.”

Pensacola is also where Lynch met the love of his life, Rachel.

Lynch says he decided Orlando was a better fit for the couple’s personal and professional lives with an immense amount of opportunities. The area is closer to larger cities, which would be perfect for opening his own law firm.

The couple moved into their Baldwin Park home in 2015.

IN PRACTICE

The Michael Brady Lynch Firm is not an ordinary personal injury practice. 

“The vast majority of my cases involve pharmaceuticals and medical devices,” Lynch says.  “When you see TV commercials or Facebook ads for Roundup, Talcum Powder, Camp Lejune or hair relaxer cancer cases — those are the types of cases I handle regularly.”

One of the most important litigations Lynch currently is handling involves cases of uterine and ovarian cancer associated with the use of hair straightener/relaxer products. 

“The chemicals in many hair-straightening and relaxer products have been linked to cancer — especially when they’re used frequently,” Lynch says. “To make matters worse, uterine cancer is a form of gynecological tumor that can be difficult to detect. It may not show any signs or symptoms until it has grown quite large.”

Lynch and his firm represent hundreds of women with claims involving the products.

HOME SWEET HOME

When the COVID-19 pandemic turned businesses everywhere upside down, Lynch’s firm was ahead of the learning curve.

Being a virtual firm since 2011, the impact of the pandemic was minimal for the business. When social distancing became the norm, the firm already was functioning as usual, while other firms were scrambling to adjust to a virtual workplace.

“We have an outsourced receptionist that answers calls to the firm 24/7 and forwards messages by email,” Lynch says. “Everyone is self-sufficient with computers, phones and scanners. There is simply no need for a physical office.”

Another added benefit of a virtual office is more time with family. The Lynches recently welcomed their first baby, Ava Christina, on Feb. 24.

With the arrival of a new baby, the home office has been transformed into a miniature nursery.

“Being at home allows me to spend so much quality time with my new baby girl,” Lynch says.  “Ava has a special bassinet next to my office desk.”

Lynch also is able to spend more quality time with his 85-year-old mother who lives with the couple nine months out of the year.

Apart from the occasional distraction, Lynch says the freedom of working from home contributes to a happy home life.

“The home office allows for much greater freedom — especially during the down times,” he says. “My daytime breaks are walking the dogs, spending time with baby Ava, bike rides on the Cady Way Trail, having lunch with my wife and mother in our kitchen, or running a quick errand that would not be possible working from a traditional office environment.”