Patrick T. Santos, 1982 – 2023

Patrick T. Santos, a civil and criminal lawyer in Los Angeles remembered for his "raw talent," died Feb. 28. He was 40.

His wife and frequent co-counsel, Niki Ghazian, said he fought a 10-month battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

"There was no fight or injustice that he was afraid of," Ghazian said. "He helped so many people, even those who couldn't afford to pay him. He was generous and believed in access to justice for everybody."

Ronald N. Richards of Law Offices of Ronald Richards & Associates APC in Beverly Hills hired Santos after he graduated from law school.

"He had a raw talent as a lawyer," Richards said. "He really understood a broad spectrum of the law, understanding many complicated subjects and nuances."

"Ironically, I met Patrick because I sued his brother," Richards recalled. "Then I settled the lawsuit with his brother and hired Patrick. We became friends and always kept in touch even when he decided to leave and start his own firm. We did a few cases together over those years and always maintained a great relationship."

Born on July 15, 1982 in Long Island, New York, Santos spent nearly 14 years practicing complex civil litigation, appellate law and criminal defense in California. He often represented indigent clients pro bono and has two published California Supreme Court opinions.

"He was pretty close to fearless and I liked that about him," Timothy K. Hobbs II of Hobbs Law Group said. "A lot of what he did legally, he got good results because he didn't know he was supposed to be scared of it. He just went in there guns blazing,"

Hobbs and Santos were roommates at the University of La Verne College of Law. Santos graduated in 2009 and went to work for Richards. A year later, he opened his own firm. Ghazian also met Santos in law school.

"He was my partner on a lot of my most important cases," Ghazian said. "When I didn't know what to do, he was the person who helped me. Where I fell short, he excelled. Where he fell short, which wasn't in a lot of areas, I excelled. As attorneys we fit together like puzzle pieces."

"When he got sick, he continued working from home," Ghazian continued. "Once he lost his ability to type, he started using dictation because he didn't want to let his clients down in the middle of their cases. He did everything he could to help people before he died."

In addition to his wife, Niki Ghazian, Santos is survived by his son, James, brothers Chris and Al, and sisters Kelly and Nancilee. A funeral service is scheduled for March 17 at 11:30 a.m. at Christ the King Roman Catholic Church in Los Angeles.