Alta Sierra Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

Criminal Defense Lawyer and Civil Litigator for over 40 years in Santa Barbara, California; Certified Criminal Law Specialist (The State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization); Past President of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ).

Mr. Sanger has handled numerous high profile cases, death penalty and other homicide cases as well as complex criminal white collar and civil litigation in state and federal courts.

Mr. Sanger is also a Professor of Law and Forensic Science at the Santa Barbara College of Law and consults on forensic issues on a selected basis. He is an opponent of the death penalty...

For nearly 25 years, Sa'id Vakili has represented businesses and individuals in litigation matters involving complex business and contract disputes, business torts, direct and derivative shareholder disputes, intellectual property disputes, and all forms of employment claims. He has also handled a variety of serious injury tort claims including those arising under maritime and aviation law. Mr. Vakili is admitted in California, New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C. and has handled cases in various other jurisdictions such as Florida, Nevada, Ohio, South Dakota, and Virginia through associations with local law firms in those locations. Mr. Vakili has also served...

A tough, fearless and savvy federal criminal defense attorney since 1970. Forged in the trenches of the largest U.S. District Court in the U.S. – Los Angeles, California. Hardened by the toughest federal judges, Nixon appointees. Unrivaled credentials. 44 years of daily fighting against U.S. Attorneys. Recognized legal scholar with federal trial and appellate expertise. Proven by experience to be “par excellence” by judges, prosecutors and attorneys through Martindale-Hubbell's ratings and 35 published opinions in successful appeals. Joseph Shemaria graduated from U.C.L.A. Law School in 1969 with the most prestigious academic honors. He was a Senior Editor of the...

Michael Hassen's litigation practice spans over 30 years and emphasizes general business and commercial litigation, including class action defense and matters involving intellectual property and unfair competition.

Paul Neuharth has been practicing criminal and administrative law exclusively for 25 years. Considered a top State, Federal Criminal defense and DUI attorney in San Diego, Mr. Neuharth has worked his way through College and Law School as a California State Law Enforcement Officer for almost 7 years. As an award winning trial attorney, he zealously fights for the best possible outcome for every client – regardless of the criminal charges. He has been recognized as a leading DUI and criminal defense lawyer in greater San Diego, by the legal community.

Bryan Schwartz is an Oakland, California-based attorney dedicated to helping employees protect their rights in the workplace. He has fought prohibited discrimination, retaliation, and harassment, obtained reasonable accommodations for disabled employees, vindicated whistleblowers' rights, and ensured that corporations pay workers all wages they are owed. He has successfully litigated individual and class action complaints nationwide, helping to recover millions of dollars for thousands of employees, forcing corporations and Government agencies to change their practices and punish wrongdoers. Bryan Schwartz is also one of the few Bay Area-based attorneys with extensive experience representing Federal employees in their unique Merit Systems...

Attorney Richard M. Oberto is committed to providing clients the best legal representation in cases where people have the most at stake.

Mr. Hermansen focuses his law practice on state and federal criminal trials, appeals, and habeas corpus. He's been a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization since 2009, and he's been recognized as a Super Lawyer in criminal law in San Diego every year from 2008 to the present. In addition to representing criminal defendants at state and federal felony jury trials, he frequently argues before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Court of Appeal. He's also argued before the United States Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, and en...

Serving Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, San Fernando Valley, Santa Ana, Santa Barbara and Riverside. I am a Certified Specialist in Bankruptcy Law. I am an "AV"* rated attorney with 40 years of experience in solving bankruptcy problems. I am a Mensa certified genius with a strong ability to analyze and solve problems. If you are being hounded by creditors, I can legally erase your debts and get you a fresh start. If your business needs reorganization, I can give you protection from your creditors while you reorganize. If you have a claim against an individual or company that has filed...

Court Admissions:

United States District Court, Central District of California, May 30, 2007
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, October 26, 2009
United States District Court, Southern District of California, November 16, 2009
United States Tax Court, November 19, 2009
United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, January 10, 2010
United States District Court, Eastern District of California, June 3, 2010
United States Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims, July 13, 2010
United States Court of International Trade, January 2, 2014
United States Court of Appeals For The Federal Circuit, June 30, 2015
United States Navy-Marine Corps Court of Criminal Appeals, May 3, 2017
United States...

I help clients by protecting the positive results they achieve in court or – when a trial has gone against the client – vindicating the client’s rights and getting them a second chance. High stakes litigation is like chess played in three dimensions. While the trial team works to win the case at trial, I focus on what will happen afterwards. Beginning even before the jury is chosen, I work to ensure that the clients’ themes and points are presented in the best way to persuade an appellate court, and that the client’s objections to any adverse decisions have...

William Markham received his law degree from Harvard Law School in 1987 and has practiced law in California for the past thirty-one years. He is an accomplished, successful trial attorney who has tried dozens of matters, including several significant matters. He has obtained jury verdicts and bench verdicts in difficult trials of highly contentious matters. He has also handled several appeals that arose from his trial work, obtaining a reversal of a dismissal and various affirmances of his pre-trial and trial work.

Mr. Markham devotes most of his practice to litigation, particularly the litigation of claims for antitrust offenses, false...

If you are trying to obtain disability benefits because you are unable to do your job as a result of an illness or injury, my law firm can assist you. We can also help with any type of insurance claim that has been wrongfully denied whether it be medical insurance, homeowner’s claims, property damage or personal injury claims. Mr. Kalkin has practiced in the areas of Long Term Disability, ERISA Litigation, Personal Injury, Civil Appeals and Insurance Bad Faith for over thirty-five years. In 1989 he was elected to the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Trial Lawyers Association and...

Sacramento attorney Timothy Kassouni founded Kassouni Law on the belief that property rights and personal freedom are intertwined. He passionately considers it his duty and mission to rigorously defend property rights against government and private abuse. Mr. Kassouni has many years of experience litigating against private and public entities at all levels of court, including the United States Supreme Court, the California Supreme Court, the California Court of Appeal, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to name a few. His litigation expertise in land use, appeals, business, and property rights law has led to legal victories and the setting...

Ilona Antonyan is a Founding Partner of Antonyan Miranda, a litigation trial attorney, and a Certified Family Law Specialist. Ms. Antonyan became the youngest person in California to become a Certified Family Law Specialist, after achieving the rigorous requirements in only five years of practice.

Having immigrated to the United States in 1992 as an Armenian refugee, Ms. Antonyan is fluent in English, Russian, and Spanish, and is collaterally licensed as a real estate broker, and also obtained Series 7 and 66 securities licenses. Ms. Antonyan focuses her practice exclusively on family law matters, specializing in high-net worth cases and those...

Chapman Law Group, A.P.C. handles personal injury law, real estate and business counseling, and general litigation and appeals in state and federal courts. Attorney David Chapman is a Certified Mediator. The firm serves clients throughout Marin County, the greater San Francisco Bay Area, and Northern California. Mr. Chapman represents seriously injured victims in cases involving auto accidents, wrongful death, catastrophic injury – including brain and spine injuries - dog bites, slip & fall, medical malpractice, and elder abuse. Mr. Chapman’s real estate practice handles cases involving nondisclosure, fraud, easement and boundary issues, HOA & landlord /...

For more than twenty five years I have represented investors and consumers in class-action litigation, focusing primarily on federal civil appeals. I have briefed and argued appeals before all but two of the thirteen federal circuits, and was intimately involved in briefing the merits in three cases before the United States Supreme Court. My pro bono work has included writing and filing amicus curiae briefs on behalf of religious organizations and faith leaders opposing discrimination and supporting religious liberty and equal rights for all.

I started at the Public Defenders office in Sacramento in 2001. I worked there for 5 years. After leaving the Public Defenders office, I became the Senior Trial Attorney for United Defense Group. I have tried every type of criminal case, from misdemeanors to homicides. I started the Law Firm Wippert & Bramson. Wippert & Bramson are expert trial attorneys who have handled numerous high profile media cases.

John Runfola is a highly experienced and effective criminal defense attorney. His cases have at times drawn international attention, and he has succeeded in winning favorable results for clients both at trial and through skillful pre-trial work. He is listed in Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers and has earned the highest rating from the national lawyer registry Martindale Hubbell. Prior to starting his own practice, Mr. Runfola served as a Public Defender in San Francisco, where he gained invaluable courtroom experience. He is a seasoned trial lawyer, yet is equally adept at the behind-the-scenes work that often proves critical to a...

Mike Darlington - Uniquely Qualified To Protect Your Interests

I have litigated and negotiated thousands of divorces. For 15 years I was called upon as a judge pro tem (temporary judge) in the family law courts of San Bernardino County. For over 10 years I held the contract to advocate for minor children in custody cases in the Rancho Cucamonga courts. These experiences give me a unique perspective, enabling me to more fully understand the legal issues at play and how the judge will view your case.

I am familiar with every stage of the legal process, from filing the initial paperwork...

Mr. Kleven is a member of the State Bar of California, and also a member of the U.S. District Court, Southern District of California. Prior to opening his own practice in 2013, Mr. Kleven was an associate attorney at Baughman & Associates. Mr. Kleven's practice focuses on criminal defense and immigration law. Mr. Kleven earned his law degree from California Western School of Law in San Diego. He also earned a bachelor’s degree in international politics from Brigham Young University.

Dennis Temko provides exceptional representation in appellate matters in California State Courts in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and elsewhere. His appellate practice is focused on family law matters including custody, property division, child and spousal support, stock options, high income earners, Ostler Smith (bonus support orders), domestic violence restraining orders, and imputation, among other issues. Most of his practice has been devoted to family law appeals and writs since his 2013 admission to the California State Bar. Super Lawyers Magazine recognized Mr. Temko as a rising star in 2017, and again in 2018.

Mr. Temko has...

For over 30 years, Mark Anchor Albert has consistently achieved outstanding results for his clients in complex business litigation and trials. He has been instrumental in obtaining hundreds of millions of dollars in recoveries for his clients from corporations and their insurance carriers in difficult cases involving complicated liability, damages, and related insurance coverage issues. He also has successfully defended companies and individuals facing hundreds of millions, even billions of dollars in potential liability, often succeeding in having difficult cases dismissed by motion before trial, or otherwise obtaining deeply discounted settlements on favorable terms.

Mr. Albert provides sophisticated legal services for...

Attorney, private practice. I handle civil litigation and also advise and counsel primarily in the areas below. Litigation * I represent clients (both defendants and corporate plaintiffs) in antitrust litigation. On the defense side, I have represented clients in private suits, class action litigation, class action opt-out litigation, and government actions. * I routinely work on claims involving pricing, price fixing, below-cost pricing, information exchanges, monopolization, attempted monopolization, and unfair competition. * I often work on cases at the intersection of antitrust and competition law and intellectual property (“IP”) law -- particularly on cases involving patents. * I have worked on the responses to numerous...

Michael Semanchik is the Managing Attorney at Semanchik Law Group. He comes to the team with nearly a decade of experience working for the California Innocence Project (CIP). Michael began as a student at CIP while in law school and found himself as a staff attorney several years later. In 2013, California Lawyer Magazine named him Attorney of the Year for his work on the Brian Banks case. Several months after receiving the award, he embarked on a 712 mile walk to deliver clemency petitions to Governor Brown for 12 innocent clients.

In the fall of 2013,...

Fay Arfa has been awarded certifications in Criminal Law, Stat and Appellate Law by the State Bar of CA Board of Legal Specialization Certified Specialist. The National Board of Trial Advocacy (American Bar Association Accredited Organization) has certified her as a Criminal Trial Advocate,
Attorney Arfa handles all criminal cases and appeals including murders, sex crimes, trials, appeals and post-conviction matters. Because of her work on behalf of those accused of sex crimes, she has been awarded an attorney membership in the National Child Abuse Defense & Resource Center (NCADRC).
Please call her for a free telephone...

Boris has devoted himself to a career in criminal defense and fighting for the rights of the accused—a passion that grew from his experience being erroneously arrested at age thirteen due to a misidentification. This experience left him intimately aware of the kind of anxiety and fear a criminal accusation causes in one's life. Bringing this memory to the courtroom and negotiating table alike, Boris quickly gained a reputation as a fearless and zealous advocate for his clients who fights with integrity and compassion every step of the way.

Smart & Aggressive Criminal Defense. Experienced in representing individuals accused of crimes...

Jerod Gunsberg is the founder and lead attorney of the Law Offices of Jerod Gunsberg. He is a seasoned criminal law defense attorney, representing clients in all California state and federal criminal matters. He focuses his practice on many different types of criminal cases, including misdemeanors, violent offenses, complex narcotics, white collar crime, medical marijuana defense, sex crimes, elder abuse, computer crime and juvenile criminal issues. Mr. Gunsberg spent the early part of his career in the entertainment industry and even owning his own independent record label for a time. When he decided to follow his life long dream...

I am one of only a handful of local attorneys who have been actively trying cases before juries in this state for over 30 years now. I am a former Imperial County Deputy District Attorney IV (2002-2009), the last three years of which I served as the Director of the Special Prosecutions Unit (Narcotics). I am proud to be a Life Member of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (C.A.C.J.), and I am also a Private Defense Counsel Member of the California Public Defenders Association (C.P.D.A.). Most importantly, I would be privileged to represent YOU--and other accused persons--against...

I'm 100% defense oriented since my first internship in law school in 1999. I've always helped clients charged with crimes and protected the innocent and wrongfully accused. I've never been a cop or a prosecutor; I've never arrested people or argued to send people to prison. I've always fought for the underdog against the massive weight of the state. Now I am directing my talents and energy to assist clients charged with DUIs and related offenses who want to fight their charge and avoid the DUI conviction nightmare.

Paul W. Thorndal is a partner at Wald & Thorndal. He specializes in divorces of all kinds with an emphasis on gay divorce. Mr. Thorndal is a Certified Family Law Specialist (The State Bar of California Legal Specialization). Wald & Thorndal's practice areas include: Divorce, Dissolution & Contested Parentage Actions for all families; Custody Disputes; Mediation; Marvin Actions. Legal services provided at both the TRIAL and APPELLATE level. Assisted Reproduction; Adoptions of All Kinds; Family Contracts; Parenting Law including Surrogacy; Donor Contracts for Egg and/or Sperm Donations; Pre-Nupital Agreements; Co-Parenting Agreements; Domestic Partnership Agreements; Name Changes.

Van Dyke & Associates, APLC is a boutique probate litigation law firm providing sophisticated legal services to clients nationwide facing complex trust, estate and related tax matters in State or Federal Courts in the Southern California area. The firm is based in San Diego, CA and appears regularly in courts throughout California.

I have helped thousands at my free immigration clinics at dozens of churches and high schools. I have partnered with many non-profit organizations to help people for free, and I provide many services without a fee. Ask your friends or family about me - chances are I already helped them. There is no one in the Northern California Central Valley that has the training or experience in immigration that I do.

Attorney Caitlin Dukes is a former prosecutor who handles criminal appeals, writs, and other post-conviction relief for the criminal appeals firm Spolin & Dukes P.C. She has a wide array of experience in state and federal courts. Besides having served as a Deputy District Attorney, her background includes work for multiple judges and government entities (including Federal District Court Judge James Knoll Gardner and the United States Department of Homeland Security) as well as private sector experience defending clients wrongfully accused of crimes. Ms. Dukes’s primary goal on any given case is to identify the strongest arguments, clearly and succinctly present...

Melissa Fox, Founder and Senior Attorney of The Melissa Fox Law Firm, is an experienced civil litigator who has practiced law in Orange County for 20 years. A graduate of Brandeis University and Tulane University School of Law, Melissa is a member of the Bars of the State of California and the United States Tax Court. She also holds a California Real Estate Broker License. Equally adept at transactional advice, negotiation, litigation, and the enforcement of judgments, Melissa has earned a reputation as a leader in the legal profession.

Melissa is also a dedicated community leader. Melissa currently serves on the...

I zealously counsel clients with an array of Financial, Business and Commercial Law matters. Licensed in California since 1976, I am an experienced mediator and also a veteran trial attorney.

My expertise lies in helping companies solve problems and seize opportunities. I am dedicated to aggressive advocacy focused on my clients' specific goals and objectives.

Visit my website for more information and representative cases. Contact me to see how I can assist you in resolving difficulties and creating opportunities.