Paul Caputo, ’88

Personal Injury Attorney

Paul Caputo ’88 has a dream. He’s proud of his work as a trial lawyer, and he hopes that, someday, trial lawyers everywhere will be recognized for what they do. "It was my opinion, and still is, that law is the foundation of everything we do here in America," he says. "Trial lawyers get a lot of bad ink, but we’re promoters of justice and watchdogs for consumers."

Caputo, born and raised in San Jose, grew up in a lawyer’s world. Caputo’s father, Richard, was an attorney, and although Caputo says he was never pushed toward law, his father did have an influence on him. "I have a great admiration for my father," he says. "He was my mentor, my boss and is my best friend."

Caputo shared a practice with his father for nine years. In 1992, they split off from Caputo, Liccardo, Rossi, Sturges & McNeil, where they had worked together for three years, and started their own firm.

"It was an immensely positive experience to work with my dad," he says. "I had thought about working with him before choosing to go to law school, but once I was there I knew for sure. I started to understand his work and his fine reputation."

Paul was the managing partner of Caputo & Caputo, and is now the sole shareholder of the company. His focus is personal injury, including car accidents, catastrophic injury, products liability, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy, and dog bites.

"I enjoy helping people and giving back to the community," he says. "A vital part of my work is to help families get their lives back together after a catastrophic injury." One of the fundamental reasons Caputo says he chose a personal injury concentration is the Jesuit philosophy of upholding justice—something he also found at SCU School of Law. "The Jesuit influence was very important to me," he says. "And the school has great ties to the community and a good reputation."

Caputo says that the people around him at SCU made his experience there a fulfilling one. "The faculty members were all very caring and sociable. I think those qualities rubbed off on me," he says. "Also, the people I met as fellow students have been invaluable in my life and career, as colleagues and friends."

One of those fellow students, Lisa Intrieri ’92, is now his wife. Together, they have two children, Joseph, 3, and Nicole, 18 months.

They enjoy hiking and being outdoors, but "the kids are my main hobby now," he says, laughing. Aside from spending time with his family, Caputo loves to be involved in his community. He is on the Santa Clara University Board of Fellows, and has also served on the Board of Trustees and the Board of Directors of the Barristers Division of the Santa Clara County Bar Association. Until recently, he taught at Lincoln University School of Law.

Caputo hopes that his community involvement, along with his practice, will help him achieve his dream of appreciation for trial lawyers. The Santa Clara County Trial Lawyers Association recently recognized his efforts and named him the 2004 Trial Lawyer of the Year for his work on behalf of a woman who was awarded $2.1 million in a lawsuit against the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority after being permanently disabled.

"I know my colleagues are good-hearted, hard-working men and women," he said. "Just like them, I’m trying to be a man for others."