Santa Barbara County Appeals & Appellate Lawyers

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...

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...

Gloria Martinez-Senftner heads up the Martinez Law Group, a bilingual Professional Law Corporation. with main offices at 1600 Sacramento Inn Way, Suite 116, Sacramento, CA 95815. The law firm engages in general practice, including trial and appellate work in State and Federal courts with a concentration in the areas of Immigration, Criminal Law, Personal Injury, Corporate, and Commercial Law.

Law School: University of Chicago Law School, JD
College: University of Texas-El Paso, BA.

Professional Memberships: State Bars of California, New York, Texas, Massachusetts, Iowa, and South Dakota; Member American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA) and the Immigrant Legal Research...

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...

Konstantine "Kosta" Demiris is a partner at the law firm of Demiris & Moore, located in the heart of downtown Walnut Creek, in the center of Contra Costa County. His practice focuses on litigation involving elder abuse (financial and physical), will and trust litigation, conservatorships, guardianships, HOA's, and appeals. Kosta is actively involved in the Contra Costa County legal community. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Contra Costa County Bar Association's Elder Law Section. He serves as court-appointed counsel in Conservatorship cases in Contra Costa County. Kosta is dedicated to helping...

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...

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 am an Appellate Law Specialist certified by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and I spearhead my firm’s Appeals and Writs group. I have handled appeals and writs in anti-SLAPP, civil-rights, commercial-litigation, employment, ERISA, family-law, personal-injury, probate, real estate and trust cases. I have briefed and orally argued writs and appeals before all manner of appellate courts, from the California Court of Appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. I have also successfully settled multiple cases in appellate mediation. As judicial clerk for both state and federal appellate courts, I have reviewed and analyzed literally hundreds of...

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.

David M. Boertje, Esq., has dedicated his professional life to defending those accused of crimes and has personally handled hundreds of criminal cases. Mr. Boertje is experienced in handling all misdemeanor and felony cases including DUI defense, domestic violence, theft crimes, white collar crimes, drug crimes, probation violations, violent crimes, strike cases, and murder. Mr. Boertje has obtained successful results for many of his clients including case dismissals, not guilty verdicts, reduced charges, and favorable plea bargains. Mr. Boertje has received some very impressive results for his clients.

Mr. Boertje received his Juris Doctor degree at the University of San...

Personal injury lawyer with strong focus on car accidents, truck accidents, and a variety of motor vehicle collisions. Have settled dozens of cases and helped clients recover over $20,000,000 in personal injury settlements.

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,...

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...

Ron Funk, a seasoned attorney of over 25 years, graduated from Brigham Young University’s J. Reuben Clark Law School in 1996. His legal journey began with an undergraduate degree in English and a minor in family science, initially unaware of the profound impact this education would have on his trajectory in law. The dividends of his English degree manifested swiftly, winning him the Best Brief award in the first-year moot court competition. This success continued throughout law school, culminating in the prestigious Jack Welch award in his third year. Commencing as a law clerk, Ron drafted appellate briefs for a plaintiff’s personal...

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...

I have been licensed to practice law in the State of California since 1999. I am the managing shareholder of Century City Law Group, a Professional Corporation (Century City Law Group, APC). I studied accounting at the University of Southern California, and obtained my law degree from Loyola Law School. While attending Loyola Law School, I became a Production Editor of the Loyola Entertainment Law Review, and was also placed on the Dean's Honor List. I have received Martindale-Hubbel's distinguished "AV Preeminent" peer-review rating. I was named to Super Lawyer Magazine's Southern California Rising Stars...

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...

Attorney Michael McKneely with Michael McKneely, Criminal Defense Lawyer is a compassionate and dedicated litigator who provides criminal defense for good people in central California and in federal courts across the country. He puts his extensive experience to work in difficult cases involving cutting edge technology and the most complex legal issues at the forefront of criminal law.

Scott Tillett co-founded Pine Tillett Pine LLP in 2016 where he handles civil appeals, specializing in plaintiff-side appeals with an emphasis on employment matters. Mr. Tillett is recognized as a Certified Appellate Law Specialist by the State Bar of California and he has been named to the Super Lawyers Southern California Rising Stars list consecutively since 2016. He was selected as one of five finalists for the Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles's (CAALA) Appellate Attorney of the Year Award in 2019. Along with his partner, Norman Pine, Mr. Tillett was a recipient of the Daily Journal's 2020 California Lawyer...

California Civil Appeals, State & Federal

Myron Moskovitz served as law clerk to Justice Raymond E. Peters of the California Supreme Court. He is the author of Winning An Appeal (Carolina Academic Press, 4th ed.) and Moskovitz On Appeal (LexisNexis, 2015). He has handled and consulted on many appeals, both in state and federal courts. Although appellate courts reverse in civil cases only about 20% of the time, he has won reversals in more than 70% of his civil cases in which he represented appellants.

He is Professor of Law Emeritus...

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...

Top 40 Under 40, Rising Star in California, Best Criminal Trial Attorney! Aggressive, young, and hungry. Sally does not shy from a fight, she comes prepared with a history of success, honors and awards recognizing her ability to win for her clients. Not one unhappy client- check the reviews. Sally is driven for success, in creating her own law firm to helping each and every one of her clients, she shows the same unyielding commitment.

The courtroom is more than arguing, there are numerous motions that are filed. You want an attorney with skills in research and writing so that...

Attorney Mugridge is a State Bar Certified Criminal Law Specialist. He is personally fluent in Spanish. He has been listed as a California SuperLawyer in Criminal Law since 2009. Mr. Mugridge was selected to the "Top 100 Criminal Lawyers" in America by the National Criminal Lawyers Association for 2014. Formerly a research attorney for Presiding Justice George Brown (dec.) of the 5th Dist Court of Appeals, Homicide (including Death Penalty defense) is his primary focus.

Ms. Benedict is an appellate attorney in California and in federal courts. Ms. Benedict additionally provides legal writing services for fellow attorneys.

Ms. Benedict's litigation background included both defense and plaintiff representation. As a defense attorney, Ms. Benedict had a good working relationship with several insurance carriers advocating for their insureds in automobile liability, premise liability, and business liability matters. As a plaintiff's attorney, she was passionate about fighting for the rights of cyclists and motorists who sustained injuries in accidents. Working on both the plaintiff's side and the defense side provided Ms. Benedict with a unique objective view of...

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...

Floyd J Fernandez is founder and managing attorney of Pacifica Legal Services. His breadth of experience in this field has included individual visa applications, family-based and employer-based, non-immigrant work, travel, and study visas (both domestic adjustment of status and consular applications), deportation defense and appellate work (before BIA, AAO, U.S. 9th & 7th Circuits, and U.S. Supreme Court). My clientele has included individuals both from within all of Southern California, several other U.S. states, and several additional nations.

He has strong writing and research skills from his work in appellate law along with a rich cultural experience...

Practice Areas: Estates & Trusts, Trust and Estate Litigation, Elder Abuse, Conservatorships, Real Property, Business Litigation, Family, Divorce, Custody, Support Ms. Wickers handles clients legal needs including representing clients in trial, and appeals. In 2020, Christina Wickers obtained a Top Attorney Avvo Rating of 10/10 and was selected by Super Lawyers, Rising Stars List, for Southern California, in both 2020 and 2022 – a top rated Trusts and Estates Attorney in Southern California. No more than 2.5% of attorneys in the State of California are named to the Super Lawyers, Rising Star List. Similarly, she has...

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.

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...

Admitted to the California Bar in 2001, I aggressively advocate for clients with Civil Rights, Employment, Constitutional, Personal Injury and General Civil law needs. I represent individuals, business and government entities in the State of California, the 9th Circuit, U.S. Supreme Court, as well as U.S. District Courts throughout California.

I am an accomplished attorney with proven results including settlement, trial and appellate cases. With innovative and effective litigation strategies, I aggressively pursue justice for my clients. I am dedicated to outstanding service and representation focused on the best possible outcomes.

Visit my website for more information and to see recent cases....

I am proud to be one of a handful of attorneys in the state of California to have been awarded an award for 40 consecutive years as a “Certified Specialist by the State Bar of California” in criminal law. From citizens to Hollywood celebrities, my ability to successfully represent a wide range of clients has contributed to my achieving an “AV” rating* endorsed by my peers and judges in the legal profession.

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...

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.

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.

I am a trusted and well respected immigration attorney, dedicated to helping those immigrating to the United States. I have experience in assisting clients with immigration visas, deportation defense, immigration appeals, bond hearings, asylum and USCIS applications.

I am a proud member of the American Immigration Lawyers Association. Let me fight for your rights! Call today!

Jarod Bona's practice is focused on antitrust, business litigation, appellate, real estate, and challenges to government conduct. He practiced at DLA Piper and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher for a dozen years before starting his own firm. He also clerked for Judge James B. Loken of the Federal Court of Appeals for the Eight Circuit. Mr. Bona won a bench trial, as first chair, for a client involving fraud claims and up to US$2.5 million at stake. In 2012, Mr. Bona played a major role in achieving summary judgment and a Federal Trade Commission dismissal with no action for his...

Samuel R. Walker is a trusted attorney with a great reputation in and around Los Angeles County and Orange County. He handles Family Law, Estate Planning, Civil Litigation and Appellate matters. Walker Law Corporation will handle your legal matter with individualized attention and if a contested trial is necessary vigorously represent your legal interests. At Walker Law Corporation, we are committed to obtaining the best possible resolution for every client. We will ensure that you legal interests are represented in a compassionate, efficient and effective manner. We will deliver positive results. We have many satisfied clients and can provide references upon...

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