Photo of Paloma Acosta

Paloma Acosta

Paloma represents manufacturers and other private companies in product and personal injury claims, including cases involving high exposure and catastrophic injuries. The more complex the case, the better: she’s passionate about working with highly technical matters with a team of expert witnesses. While Paloma supports clients nationwide, she most often handles California-based matters for national and international companies, including overseeing all California products cases for a global leader in infection prevention solutions and services.

In addition, Paloma has ample experience in employment law, including wage and hour class actions, PAGA representative actions, and wrongful termination matters. While much of her current practice is toxic tort-focused, she continues to handle the sort of employment matters that she first cut her teeth on as a new attorney. Paloma frequently represents clients in wage and hour class action suits.

Paloma preps every case as though it will be tried to verdict. Her goal is for clients to never feel forced to accept a less-than-ideal settlement, and she builds solid defenses that mean clients never need to fear trial. Paloma works on massive, multi-year cases, always with a focus on how each decision and piece of evidence will influence an eventual trial strategy.

As a young attorney, Paloma knew she had a gift for managing conflict and personalities and collaborating toward solutions. It made litigation a natural fit, and she began her legal career litigating for plaintiffs for five years—an experience that continues to shape her practice. Paloma understands how plaintiffs’ counsel thinks and operates, as well as the concerns that drive their decisions, and she builds her own strategies with this in mind.

In 2024, Paloma joined Husch Blackwell to help build the firm’s San Diego team. After a decade of litigation in the state, she’s deeply familiar with the judges and local rules, making her a true asset in California courts. Known for building close, long-term relationships with clients, Paloma prioritizes open communication so that clients are fully informed and intrinsically involved in strategic development.

Relevant History

On December 29, 2023, the California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board instituted an emergency regulation to address occupational exposure to respirable crystalline silica. This regulation addressed additional safety requirements for businesses involved in cutting engineered stone, improved monitoring for workplace sites, and increasing the ability for workers to report non-compliant employers. These emergency regulations became permanent in February 2025.

California Proposition 65, officially known as the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986, has long been a significant regulatory framework for businesses operating within the state. Over the summer, the California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) proposed amendments to its safe harbor warning requirements for consumer products which have sparked considerable discussion among business owners and industry stakeholders.