Donahue Fitzgerald Launches Wildfire Defense Practice as Fire Litigation Grows
On January 16, 2026, the Daily Journal published an article by Douglas Saunders Sr. featuring the launch of the firm’s Wildfire Litigation practice group focused on defending utilities and contractors in complex, expert-driven fire litigation. The article quotes David Bona, the Wildfire Litigation practice Chair, for his expertise and industry insights.
Excerpted from the article:
“Relentless wildfires across the West, particularly in drought-stricken California, have transformed catastrophic fire events from a seasonal anomaly to a grim reality.
In response, the Bay Area law firm Donahue Fitzgerald LLP has launched a dedicated Wildfire Litigation Defense Practice Group focused on defending clients against high-stakes claims arising from major fire events.
Wildfire litigation is heavily driven by technical and scientific evidence. Donahue Fitzgerald’s practice handles forensic investigations, origin-and-cause analysis, fire behavior and progression studies, GIS mapping, remote sensing, climatology and damage assessments, while also advising clients on utility regulations and compliance.”
Bona is quoted on fire origins and describes that, “litigation often becomes a battle of experts.” Verdicts and settlements in wildfire cases have trended upwards and, “it’s going to continue to go up in the short term. At some point it’s got to level out.”
Bona also commented on industry efforts to reduce risk have evolved significantly since the late 2000s from more awareness from utility and contractors in the field to alert systems. However, “with climate change – and I know that can be a sensitive topic for some – it’s problematic and unfortunately, it’s not something you can completely eliminate, which has reshaped how the industry views fire season as not just a period of time during the year, but rather just the entire year.”
Read the full article, Donahue Fitzgerald launches wildfire defense practice as fire litigation grows.