Attorney Samantha Dorey gives some clues as to what makes Everett Dorey one of the fastest-growing law firms in Orange County.
“You include people in the big decisions, in the big cases and the wins and the losses,” Dorey told the Business Journal on Nov. 5. “And then that investment in your workplace is what gives people professional satisfaction.”
Dorey founded Irvine-based trial attorney firm Everett Dorey just over eight years ago with Seymour Everett III.
The full-service civil litigation firm had 52 lawyers as of earlier this month. It is adding a 53rd with the news on Nov. 10 that one of its summer associates passed the California bar examination.
Everett Dorey experienced nearly 90% growth in attorneys over the three years starting in 2022, making it the fifth fastest growing law firm with offices in Orange County, according to Business Journal data.
Trial Experience Early for New Lawyers
“We like to hire first-year associates and train them up,” Dorey says, adding that the young lawyers get courtroom experience early in their careers. The firm has a big summer associate program and plenty of mentorship from older lawyers.
“This is not a giant place where you’re going to feel like a billing machine,” she says. “That’s not how we get good results for the client.”
Everett Dorey received the 2025 Advancement of Women Award at the Orange County Women Lawyers Association (OCWLA).
“That award last month really was a shining moment for us,” she says. “We really set out to be a place that removes artificial barriers to being an attorney and a litigator.”
She says the firm prides itself on being a place “where female attorneys feel like they can thrive.”
The firm also offers a full array of benefits, including parental leave and matching 401(k) plans.
In addition to its Irvine headquarters, the firm has offices in nine other cities, including Los Angeles and San Diego.
Retention, Inclusion
“We have great retention because of the emphasis that we have on making sure that this is an inclusive place for everybody,” according to Dorey. “Clients are looking for attorneys who have a great trial record and that’s us.”
She says representing public entities is about a third of its work.
“We represent many of the cities in our area. We are currently in trial on behalf of the city of Santa Ana,” Dorey says.
A case involving the city of Costa Mesa was recently settled, according to her.
Private clients make about a third of the firm’s work.
Is she surprised that the firm she co-founded has taken off so quickly?
“We’re very fortunate,” she says. “I just felt so strongly about it that I knew it would work.”
