Some lawyers win quietly. Kitty Szeto does not. When she enters a courtroom, something electric happens. She carries fire in one hand and truth in the other. And in 2025, the world noticed.
Kitty Szeto is not just nominated as Best Lawyer of the Year. She is the name people whisper when a case feels impossible. She’s the one judges respect, and opponents fear. Why? Because she wins. And because she does it without ever backing down.
“What an honor to be named the BEST!” — Kitty Szeto
Kitty didn’t take a straight path to power. She took the hard one. She was born in Hong Kong. Cantonese was her first language. She came to the United States as a first-generation immigrant with grit in her bones. She didn’t ask for easy. She just asked for a shot.
And she made the most of it.
Kitty went to USC. She earned her degree in Business Administration with a Minor in Political Science. But business wasn’t enough. She wanted justice. So, she headed to Loyola Law School. That’s where the lawyer in her took shape. And the fire got hotter.
Fifteen years later, Kitty Szeto is one of the most respected trial lawyers in California. She’s a Senior Counselor at Blair & Ramirez LLP. She used to be a partner at a top plaintiffs’ firm. There, she led wage-and-hour class actions and consumer protection cases. She helped thousands of employees reclaim what was rightfully theirs.
We’re not just talking about small wins. We’re talking millions. Kitty has secured multi-million-dollar verdicts and settlements throughout her career.
One of her most notable victories came in 2014, when she first-chaired a certified consumer class action trial and won what became the second-largest fraud verdict in California that year—a result recognized by The Recorder’s Top California Verdicts of 2014.
That same year, she was honored with the Trial Lawyer of the Year Award by the Antelope Valley Bar Association, a recognition she received again in 2015.
Her excellence in litigation has earned her repeated recognition by Super Lawyers: she was named a Southern California Rising Star from 2016 to 2018, selected among the Top Women Attorneys in Southern California, and most recently included on the Super Lawyers Southern California list for 2023 through 2025.
But titles only tell part of the story.
The real story? Kitty fights for the underdog. Always has. Her focus is clear: protect employees. From wage theft, harassment, retaliation and discrimination. When someone is fired unfairly, Kitty is the one who steps in. And she doesn’t just step in—she storms in.
Her courtroom presence is unforgettable. Some lawyers talk quickly. Kitty talks smartly. Some talk loudly. Kitty speaks powerfully. She weaves together law, facts, and emotion like few can. She’s studied how juries think. She’s studied how people decide. She’s spoken at top legal conferences about cognitive science and behavioral economics in court. She doesn’t guess how to persuade. She knows.
And she teaches others how to do it, too.
For over a decade, Kitty has spoken at big-name legal events. Trial Lawyers University. Bridgeport. The Illinois Trial Lawyer Association. The Consumer Attorneys of California. When she speaks, rooms get quiet. People listen. They take notes. Because Kitty isn’t just a fighter, she’s a thinker.
Kitty also doesn’t shy away from hard conversations. She’s spoken out about gender bias in the courtroom. She’s shown others how to fight it. She’s not afraid to name the problem—and show how to solve it. That’s what makes her dangerous in the best way.
But her impact goes beyond courtrooms and conference rooms. Kitty served as the first Deputy Mayor of the City of Lancaster. She didn’t just argue the law. She shaped policy. She helped build a better community. That’s rare.
Kitty trained at the Gerry Spence Trial Lawyers College in Wyoming in 2023. That’s where the best of the best go to sharpen their edge. And Kitty left sharper than ever. She’s admitted to practice in all California state courts, every U.S. District Court in California, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court.
Yes, that Supreme Court.
Still, for all her awards, speeches, and victories, Kitty hasn’t lost sight of why she started. She never stopped fighting for regular people. The workers. The single moms. The folks who get ignored. She sees them. She hears them. And then she fights like hell for them.
That’s why this nomination matters.
In 2025, the legal world paused to say: “This is what excellence looks like.” And it pointed to Kitty Szeto. Not just for her wins. Not just for her speeches. But for her fierce, unshakable belief that law should protect the people who need it most.
So, when someone asks, “Who’s the best lawyer this year?” You don’t need to think long.
It’s Kitty Szeto.
