Vanessa Pena

Pena Law

Vanessa Pena Personal Injury Lawyer

Pena Law

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Firm Summary

At Pena Law we try to stay away from cheesy billboard lawyer lines, but we couldn’t help but resonate strongly with this one:

For Others, It’s Just Business. For Us, It’s Personal.

That line perfectly captures Vanessa Peña’s journey and the heart behind our female-founded, client-centered law firm in San Diego.

The first case Vanessa ever filed was a bad faith claim against a major health insurance company that wrongfully denied coverage to a close friend. That case opened her eyes to how these companies put profits before people—and how devastating that can be for families. Vanessa won that case, and from that moment forward, she made it her mission to fight for individuals- specifically women, and children who need a fearless advocate when life turns upside down.

Since founding Peña Law in 2013, Vanessa has recovered over $30 million in settlements and verdicts for her clients—including numerous multi-million-dollar results in catastrophic injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, and insurance bad faith cases. Despite those big wins, Peña Law has remained intentionally small and personal, ensuring that every client receives hands-on attention, transparency, and unwavering support.

We represent real people, not case numbers. Our all-female legal team is proud to stand up for women, mothers, and children who too often get dismissed or silenced by the system. We bring compassion, intelligence, and relentless drive to every case—because we know what’s at stake for families like ours.

Vanessa, a proud Southern California native, graduated near the top of her class from San Diego’s Thomas Jefferson School of Law, earning multiple academic honors. Before launching her own practice, she worked at a major insurance defense firm, gaining insider knowledge about how those corporations think, delay, and deny claims. Today, that experience fuels Peña Law’s strategic advantage in every negotiation and courtroom battle.

When she’s not in trial or negotiating settlements, Vanessa is a devoted mom to three boys and two happy pups—proving that strength and softness can coexist, and that women can build both a powerhouse career and a meaningful life.

At Peña Law, we don’t just represent women and families—we are women and families.
We fight like it’s personal, because it always is.

Awards

• 2025 – National Trial Lawyers, Top 40 Verdicts in California
• 2024 – Best of the Bar San Diego
• 2024 – Super Lawyers, Rising Star
• 2024 Vogue Magazine Business Women of San Diego
• 2023 – Super Lawyers, Rising Star
• 2022 – Super Lawyers, Rising Star
• 2021 – Super Lawyers, Rising Star
• 2020 – Super Lawyers, Selected Member
• 2019 – Super Lawyers, Rising Star
• 2016 – Best of the Bar, San Diego Business Journal
• 2012 – Jefferson Scholar, Thomas Jefferson School of Law