Joshua R. Engel

Joshua R. Engel is a Partner in the Litigation Department in the firm’s Los Angeles office. He is an experienced litigator representing companies and organizations in complex business and commercial litigation. Mr. Engel’s diverse practice spans professional liability defense, commercial litigation, employment law, corporate transactions, insurance defense, and insurance coverage matters. 

Mr. Engel is known for guiding clients through every stage of litigation and achieving efficient, practical outcomes in matters with significant financial and reputational exposure. He has extensive experience counseling clients on case strategy, supervising legal teams, and partnering with businesses to navigate disputes effectively and protect their long-term interests.

Prior to Musick Peeler, Mr. Engel practiced at Garrett & Tully, APC, where he represented clients in complex business litigation, professional liability disputes, and employment matters.

Mr. Engel earned his J.D., cum laude, from Syracuse University College of Law and his B.A., cum laude, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. While in law school, he clerked for the Honorable Michael F. McKeon and completed an internship in London with Man Group, plc. Mr. Engel also served as Lead Articles Editor for the Syracuse Law Review.

Community

Mr. Engel previously served on the Los Angeles County Bar Association's Armed Forces Committee. Additionally, Mr. Engel has volunteered at the U.S.O. to support active duty military and retired veterans while traveling through LAX.

Admissions & Associations

State Bar of California

State Bar of North Carolina

U.S. District Courts for the Central and Northern Districts of California

Representative Matters

(Confidential) v. Singer Lewak: A private equity firm claimed $40 million in damages resulting from its acquisition of a target company and based upon a claim of reliance on an audit of the acquired company performed by the client. After four weeks of trial and six days of cross-examination of plaintiff’s lead witness, the plaintiff settled during trial for a fraction of its claimed damages and less than the pre-trial offer made by the client.

Wyner Law Group v. The Law Offices of Keith L. Howard (Case Number 2:24-cv-6774 (C.D. Cal.): Co-counsel in underlying North Carolina litigation brought an action in federal court in the Central District for California for breach of contract and breach of fiduciary against the defendant law firm for failure to pay funds held by the law firm’s client trust account resulting from their mutual client’s instruction not to distribute funds. The District Court, Donna M. Gee, C.J., granted the law firm defendant’s Motion to Dismiss for lack of personal jurisdiction.

Three Point Capital Holdings, LLC v. TOW Film, LLC, et al. (Los Angeles Sup. Ct. Case No. 24TRCV03193): Mr. Engel's clients audited TOW Film, LLC’s schedule of potential tax credits which was to be utilized by the State of Montana in its determination issuing tax credits. Defendant TOW Films used the potential tax credits as collateral to obtain a loan from Plaintiff. When the State reduced the credits and TOW allegedly failed repay the loan, Plaintiff took action against the auditor clients. Mr. Engel filed a Motion to Quash for lack of personal jurisdiction and rather than opposing, Plaintiff dismissed the clients from the case.