Cynthia L. Garber: Mass Tort & Medical Device Attorney
Cynthia Garber brings a rare combination of legal expertise and frontline medical experience to mass tort litigation. A third-generation California trial lawyer, Cynthia worked for 12 years as a registered nurse in critical care and emergency settings before earning her law degree. This dual background—coupled with her leadership in major pharmaceutical and medical device litigations—earned her the prestigious California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award in 2017 for her work on the landmark Johnson & Johnson talcum powder trials.
CLAY Award Winner – California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (2017)
12 Years as Registered Nurse – Critical Care & Emergency Medicine
“My years as a critical care nurse taught me what’s at stake when corporations put profits before patient safety. Now, as a lawyer, I fight to hold them accountable—bringing both medical expertise and legal skill to every case.”
Cynthia L. Garber
Mass Tort Attorney
Dual Expertise: Medicine & Law
Cynthia’s unique background—graduating top of her nursing class before earning her law degree cum laude—gives her unparalleled insight into pharmaceutical and medical device cases. She understands both the medicine and the law.
SCOTUS
Bar Admission
United States Supreme Court
CLAY
Award Winner
California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (2017)
25
Years of Experience
Mass tort and personal injury litigation
12
Years as RN
Critical care and emergency nursing
Mass Tort Leadership
Cynthia participates in the leadership of several California state-coordinated proceedings (JCCPs) and federal multi-district litigations (MDLs), helping shape strategy and outcomes for thousands of injured plaintiffs. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Each case is unique.
CLAY Award — Talcum Powder Litigation
Cynthia was awarded the prestigious California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award in 2017 for her work on the Echeverria trial in the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder cases (JCCP 4872).
The CLAY Award recognizes California attorneys whose legal work has made a significant impact on the law or society. Cynthia’s recognition reflects her crucial role in holding Johnson & Johnson accountable for the connection between talcum powder products and ovarian cancer.
Roundup Litigation
Cynthia is involved in trial preparation and leadership of the Roundup (glyphosate) cancer litigation, representing plaintiffs who developed non-Hodgkin lymphoma and other cancers after exposure to Monsanto’s herbicide products.
Opioid Litigation
Cynthia participates in the leadership of opioid litigation, holding pharmaceutical manufacturers, distributors, and pharmacies accountable for their role in the opioid crisis that has devastated communities across America.
IVC Filter Litigation
Cynthia’s nursing background in critical care gives her unique insight into IVC filter cases, where defective blood clot filters have caused serious injuries including device migration, perforation, and death.
We Don’t Just Take On Cases—We Take On Causes.
Whether it’s talcum powder, Roundup, opioids, or defective medical devices, Cynthia Garber doesn’t just fight for compensation—she fights to ensure what happened to you never happens to another family. Her unique combination of nursing experience and legal expertise means she understands both the medical harm you’ve suffered and how to hold corporations accountable.
Peer Recognition & Credentials
Awards & Distinctions
⚖️ California Lawyer Attorney of the Year (CLAY) Award – 2017, for work on the Echeverria trial in J&J talcum powder litigation (JCCP 4872)
⚖️ Juris Doctor, Cum Laude – Western State University College of Law (1999)
⚖️ Top of Class – Loma Linda University School of Nursing (1985)
Bar Admissions
Supreme Court of the United States
U.S. District Court, Central District of California
California – 2000
Professional Associations
Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC)
Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA)
Orange County Bar Association
Cynthia’s Practice Areas
Cynthia focuses on mass tort cases involving pharmaceutical products and medical devices, as well as catastrophic personal injury cases. Her nursing background gives her unique insight into the medical aspects of these complex cases.
Mass Torts
Cynthia participates in the leadership of several California state-coordinated proceedings and federal multi-district litigations, including talcum powder, Roundup, opioids, and IVC filters. Her CLAY Award-winning work demonstrates her ability to take on the largest pharmaceutical and medical device companies.
Cynthia handles catastrophic personal injury cases requiring the highest level of medical and legal expertise. Her background as a critical care and emergency nurse means she understands traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and other life-altering injuries from both clinical and legal perspectives.
When pharmaceutical negligence, defective medical devices, or medical malpractice takes a loved one, families deserve an attorney who understands both the medicine and the law. Cynthia brings that dual expertise to every wrongful death case.
Property owners have a legal duty to maintain safe conditions for visitors. When they fail—through wet floors, broken stairs, inadequate security, or other hazards—Amanda holds them accountable for the injuries that result. Her premises liability experience includes slip and fall cases, dog bites, and other dangerous property conditions.
Having worked in hospitals for 12 years, Cynthia knows the standard of care that healthcare providers must meet. When doctors, nurses, or hospitals fail to meet that standard—through surgical errors, birth injuries, or misdiagnosis—she holds them accountable.
From IVC filters to surgical mesh to defective implants, Cynthia fights for patients harmed by medical devices that were rushed to market or poorly designed. Her 12 years of critical care nursing experience gives her unique insight into how these devices fail and the injuries they cause.
When pharmaceutical companies fail to adequately test or warn about dangerous side effects, patients suffer the consequences. Cynthia’s nursing background helps her understand the medical mechanisms of drug injuries and communicate them effectively to judges and juries.
Cynthia comes from a family of trial lawyers. Both her grandfather and father practiced as trial lawyers in Los Angeles and Orange County, California—a legacy she continues today in mass tort litigation.
Loma Linda University
Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing – 1985 (Top of Class)
Cynthia graduated top in her class from Loma Linda University’s prestigious nursing program, laying the foundation for her unique medical-legal career.
Nursing Career
Registered Nurse – 12 Years
Cynthia worked for 12 years as a registered nurse, gaining extensive experience in critical care, emergency medicine, and nursing education. This frontline medical experience would later prove invaluable in pharmaceutical and medical device litigation.
Western State University College of Law
Juris Doctor, Cum Laude – 1999
Cynthia earned her law degree cum laude, combining her medical background with legal expertise to pursue a career holding pharmaceutical and medical device companies accountable.
CLAY Award
California Lawyer Attorney of the Year – 2017
Cynthia was awarded the prestigious CLAY Award for her work on the Echeverria trial in the Johnson & Johnson talcum powder cases—recognition of her significant impact on pharmaceutical litigation in California.
OnderLaw
Mass Tort Attorney – Newport Beach Office
Today, Cynthia leads trial preparation in mass tort cases involving talcum powder, Roundup, opioids, and IVC filters from OnderLaw’s California office. Her dual medical-legal expertise and leadership in state and federal coordinated proceedings make her invaluable to clients nationwide.
OnderLaw Awards & Recognition
Recognized as Top 1-2% of Attorneys Nationwide
When Your Case Becomes Our Cause
Cynthia Garber and the OnderLaw team don’t just fight for compensation—we fight to ensure what happened to you never happens to another family. If you’ve been harmed by a dangerous drug, defective medical device, or pharmaceutical negligence, let’s discuss how your case could create lasting change.
