Lawrence D. Esten is a Partner in the Orange County office of Manning Kass. He is a member of the Special Investigations Unit / Insurance Fraud Litigation and Trucking and Transportation teams.

Mr. Esten launched the firm’s Orange County office in 1995 and served as its Managing Partner for 16 years. Mr. Esten has a diverse practice which includes a focus on professional liability defense, premises and products cases, and special investigation unit (SIU) matters.

Mr. Esten began his legal career as a deputy district attorney in Contra Costa County. After nearly three years as a prosecutor, Mr. Esten went into private practice as a civil litigator.

With his prosecutorial skills and litigation background, he is able to investigate suspect automobile, commercial, and homeowner claims and conduct effective examinations under oath. He is often called upon by clients and others active in the field to lecture and advise on the issue of defense against fraudulent claims.

Mr. Esten completed the CRC 2.813 and CRC 2.815 training and continuing education requirements mandated by the State of California for temporary judges to hear small claims and traffic matters. He previously served as a reserve police officer in Northern California and was selected by a grand jury panel to serve as a special representative of the Third Supervisorial District in Orange County on the Measure M Citizens Oversight Committee. Mr. Esten also serves on University of California, Irvine's Athletic Fund Board of Directors. He is active in city government, having served on a Housing and Human Services Committee and now serves on the Parking, Traffic and Circulation Committee for the City of Laguna Beach.

Mr. Esten holds an AV Preeminent® rating (the highest available) for his "exceptional legal abilities and professional ethics beyond question," given by the prestigious legal publication, the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory. He was also invited as a member of the distinguished American Board of Trial Advocates (ABOTA), an award only bestowed upon proven trial attorneys. Additionally, he has been named a 2006 Super Lawyer.

Mr. Esten graduated from Loyola Law School (Juris Doctor) and from the University of California, Irvine (Bachelor of Arts) with a major in Political Science.