Midpines Civil Rights Lawyers

The first 15 years of my legal career were spent as an investigator for the in-house law firm of a major nationwide non-profit organization. I managed up to 20 other investigators on complex, often high-profile, civil, criminal and tax litigation. In the 1980's I attended law school and settled in Visalia California, were I was a partner in a law firm focusing was on criminal and civil litigation in state and federal courts. I successfully obtained a LIFE verdict in a double homicide death penalty case. I handled many appeals for criminal defendants on an appointed independent basis for the...

Melanie is a distinguished advocate for those who have been wronged or exploited, earning the moniker "the people's attorney." Her unwavering dedication to justice fuels her tireless representation of individuals from all walks of life—consumers, employees, business owners, private members, and homeowners. If you have suffered harm due to the dishonest or unlawful actions of others, Melanie stands ready to champion your cause to restore what you've lost. While on a different life and career path, fate stepped in and the legal profession found Melanie. After overcoming her own legal challenges, largely due to an attorney's advocacy, she felt called to...

Rachelle T. Golden, is admitted to practice in California and in Washington D.C. She is currently admitted to practice in all California State and Federal District courts within the State of California. Ms. Golden regularly consults with private and public entities in proactive ADA compliance, which includes creating policies and procedures that comply with Federal and State laws. She is a defense litigator who represents both public and private entities in ADA defense and employment defense. Ms. Golden is a consultant and educator for various political organizations throughout California. She collaborates with and assists elected officials and lobbyist groups in drafting...

Jeffrey W. Peterson was born and attended high school in Fresno, CA. He graduated from Mercer University’s Walter F. George School of Law-located in Macon, Georgia-in 2014. His undergraduate work was completed at Reed College in Portland, OR where he majored in Comparative Religion. In 2008, he earned a Master’s degree in Eastern Classical Literature from St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM. These early educational achievements provided Mr. Peterson with a deep understanding of the Liberal Arts and cultivated his appreciation for virtue.

In the summer of 2013, Mr. Peterson traveled to Shanghai, China with Santa Clara University School of...

Robert M. Dowd was born and raised in Hanford, California. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from San Francisco State University. He was an honor graduate of the U.S. Marine Corps The Basic School. He graduated magna cum laude from California Western School of Law. He is a Retired Colonel in the United States Marine Corps. He is married with two children and three grandchildren. Mr. Dowd is Board Certified in Civil Trial Law, has been awarded the highest personal rating of AV by Martindale-Hubbell, and has been selected by the San Francisco Magazine as a Super Lawyer in...

Glenn Katon is an experienced litigator who has handled numerous trials and appeals. His practice has focused on plaintiffs’ civil rights for the last ten years, preceded by over ten years of commercial litigation. He has litigated racial profiling, immigrants’ rights, police misconduct free speech, and religious freedom cases, and been quoted on civil rights law in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, and Newsweek.

Peter Depew is a veteran of the United States Army, a graduate of Pepperdine University School of Law, and a former clerk to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Rwanda. He enjoys all things involving the Pacific Ocean.

Because divorce is a problem to be solved, not a battle to be won, I focus on alternatives to the court system, through Collaborative Law and Mediation. I believe that most families and children are best served by being supported to work together in resolving their family matters. The fundamental goal in both Collaborative Divorce and Mediation is client empowerment.

With either mediation or the Collaborative process you will have control of the decisions that are made and will be firmly supported, legally and emotionally, in achieving a successful dissolution of your relationship. This not only allows but also encourages you...

Randall H. Scarlett is a seasoned San Francisco personal injury lawyer and managing partner at Scarlett Law Group. With significant experience handling serious injury cases, Mr. Scarlett focuses his practice on TBI (Traumatic Brain Injuries) and catastrophic accident cases. After decades of experience in the legal field, Mr. Scarlett uses proven strategies to help his clients pursue maximum compensation for their damages. In addition to his experience, he has earned an AV Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell® and been recognized by Best Lawyers in America®. Mr. Scarlett earned his B.A. from the San Francisco State University and his Juris Doctor from...

My firm, Vanaman German LLP, focuses exclusively on special education, disability discrimination, and cases involving the injury or abuse of students with disabilities. We specialize in special education litigation from IEP representation through due process hearings and into federal court. Our areas of expertise include: Special Education We offer the full range of special education representation, from IEP advocacy to due process to federal court litigation. Our attorneys combine their deep knowledge of the substance and procedure of special education law with an understanding of education, assessment, and how school district's function, to ensure that our clients are provided...

Andrew Cherkasky Andrew Cherkasky is a former federal prosecutor best known for his work as an elite complex litigation attorney with a tremendous range of professional experience. He has become a premier national civil rights attorney through his wide range of legal experience, spanning from complex criminal litigation, to commercial and corporate transactions, to advising Generals in combat, to leading multi-million-dollar federal lawsuits. Andrew is a regular contributor on Fox News, CNN, and other national networks and has also been recognized for his expertise by a wide range of national news outlets, to include: The New York Times, The Washington...

Haeggquist & Eck partner and trial attorney Amber Eck is a tenacious advocate for employees, consumers and shareholders, and has been for the past 26 years. Amber has taken cases to trial in both state and federal court as lead trial attorney, and has recovered millions of dollars for her clients in settlements, including multiple six- and seven-figure settlements. Amber doesn’t shy away from high-profile defendants — a fact well-illustrated by her role as co-lead counsel in the well-publicized class action against President Donald Trump and Trump University, which settled for $25 million. For her work in the case,...

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...

Jonathon Kaplan is one of the state’s top trial lawyers, having tried dozens of significant cases involving civil rights, employment claims, wage and overtime matters, discrimination, harassment, hostile work environment, FEHA, Equal Pay Act, personal injury, product liability, consumer claims, fraud claims and business disputes. He has obtained an overwhelming number of highly successful verdicts for his clients. Jon has served as appellate counsel on many cases, resulting in published California opinions and establishing law in his areas of practice. Based on his winning track record, opposing lawyers know Jon and his law firm, Kaplan Weiss LLP, are ready, willing...

Yitz Weiss is an Employment Law attorney with over a decade of experience in litigating a variety of employment law cases, including unpaid wage and overtime claims, discrimination, harassment, FEHA, Unequal Pay Act, wrongful termination, and sexual assault cases. Yitz counsels clients on pre-litigation employment disputes and represents them from the inception of a lawsuit all the way through trial and even on appeal. Yitz routinely serves as counsel in mediations, binding arbitrations and in major trials. Upon graduating with a Bachelors degree in Economics from Yeshiva University and obtaining a Degree of Rabbinic Ordination, Yitz Weiss then entered Southwestern University...

Spolin Law P.C.’s founder, Aaron Spolin, is a former prosecutor and award-winning criminal appeals attorney. He has achieved successful outcomes on hundreds of criminal cases, including numerous dismissals of major felony cases; non-criminal resolutions to complex fraud and insurance fraud defense cases; successful appellate outcomes from various appellate courts; and multiple not-guilty jury verdicts at trial. Innocent Spolin Law clients wrongfully accused of murder and other serious crimes are now free because of his work. Aaron is the recipient of various awards for his advocacy, including the American College of Trial Lawyer’s Medal for Excellence in Oral Advocacy as well as...

Dan Robinson Law provides Fortune 500 - level legal services to small businesses and those with disabilities.

After serving as a clerk for the current Chief Judge of the Central District of California, Dan spent twelve years practicing commercial litigation at large international law firms in San Francisco and a commercial litigation boutique firm in Los Angeles. He represented companies including some of the world’s largest corporations in Federal Court in jurisdictions around the United States, as well as in international arbitrations and the Federal Trade Commission. He litigated cases for Samsung, Microsoft, Huawei, Ariba, MySpace, and others, arguing in courts...

William D. Ausman, Esquire Attorney at Law 8320 Morro Road Atascadero, CA 93422 Phone: 805-466-4800 Fax: 805-466-4802 Avvo LinkedIn William D. Ausman, Attorney and Counselor at Law is a lawyer based in San Luis Obispo County, California and founded 805 Law Group. He is an experienced family, civil and criminal defense attorney who has an excellent legal team that has obtained outstanding results for his clients. Mr. Ausman is a seasoned family law attorney who has successfully represented client in over 3000 cases. Mr. Ausman has extensive experience in handling high...

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...

Alreen Haeggquist is on a mission to stand up with individuals to enrich their lives and inspire change by dismantling fear and shame and empowering those who have faced discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment, and sexual assault to stand up and demand accountability. Today, the overwhelming majority of Alreen’s clients are women who have suffered egregious wrongs at the hands of their employers. No defendant is too large or powerful for her to tackle: she has recently represented plaintiffs in employment claims against such major corporations as Trader Joe’s, Sharp Healthcare, Wyndham, Kaiser Permanente, and the Grand Del Mar. ...

Dwight Ritter is a trial attorney at Ritter & Associates in San Diego, California. He holds degrees from Indiana University Law School and the London School of Economics. He is also licensed in California, Arizona, Indiana, and the Island of Guam, as an expert on maritime law. Having built his reputation on personal attention to detail, Dwight strives to create a personal relationship with his clients. With a specialization in personal injury, Dwight is prepared to handle cases that involve wrongful death, sexual harassment, auto accidents, and civil rights claims. In addition, he has earned the title of Master Trial...

Jason K. Smith is one of the founding shareholders of MK Smith, APC. He has been admitted to practice in state and federal courts of both California and Utah. Mr. Smith focuses his practice in civil litigation and has successfully represented clients in matters involving business litigation, construction litigation, patent litigation, contract disputes, employment issues, false advertising, unfair business practices, personal injury, medical malpractice, family law, education law, and special education law.

Mr. Smith obtained his Bachelors degree in Political Science from the University of Utah, graduating Cum Laude in 2008. In 2011, he received his Juris Doctorate degree from the...

Houman Fakhimi, the founding partner of the Criminal Defense Team, has amassed deep expertise in the area of criminal defense law thanks to years of experience. He oversees all litigation carried out by the firm, and he has demonstrated mastery in a variety of relevant legal domains. He's an alumnus of the University of California, Irvine and Whittier Law School. In addition to being an active member of the State Bar of Californias Criminal Section, Mr. Fakhimi also boasts accreditations from he Association of Federal Defense Attorneys, the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, and the California Public Defenders Association.

Alana Yakovlev is a stellar trial lawyer with a heavy emphasis on criminal defense and civil rights. Rated one of the top trial attorneys in the country, Ms. Yakovlev's advocacy leads to immediate and effective results for her clients.

Mr. Mitchell is dedicated to defense by training and experience, familiar with the demands of protecting the interests of the criminally accused. He worked for 7 years as a Public Defender and handled thousands of cases before going into private practice. He has experience in representing individuals in cases involving Homicide, Domestic Violence, DUI, Drug Sales and Possession, Weapons, Elder Abuse, Assault and Battery, Burglary, Robbery, Evading, Gang, White Collar Crimes, Conspiracy and Probation Violations.

He also pursues Civil Right Violations, police misconduct cases, ensuring his clients are afforded their rights or compensation for the deprivation of the same.

If you've been...

Afshin Mozaffari is the founder and principal of Mozaffari Law. Mr. Mozaffari's practice focuses on employee rights litigation, including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, disability accommodation, and wrongful termination. Prior to the founding of Mozaffari Law, Mr. Mozaffari represented numerous corporations, schools, and non-profits in employment law, business litigation, and class action cases. He recently left the defense side to follow his long-held passion for representing the rights of employees and other individuals. Mr. Mozaffari graduated Magna Cum Laude from Whittier Law School, where he served as Articles Editor on Whittier Law Review. During law school, he worked as a Judicial Extern to the...

John Jahrmarkt, Esq. is the owner and managing partner of Jahrmarkt & Associates. John has more than 20 years of experience handling all kinds personal injury claims - from complicated catastrophic injuries to garden variety "soft tissue" pain. John knows how the insurance industry works and the steps their adjusters can take to protect their profits. All of our accident and injury claims are managed by John, experienced in fighting back against any low-ball insurance offers. We have recovered a number of multi-million dollar rewards for our clients, and we have established a reputation for excellence and professionalism...

DISMISSALS. ACQUITTALS. CHARGE REDUCTIONS. MILLIONS RECOVERED. Named a Top California Criminal Defense and Civil Rights Attorney, Mr. Sterling is an accomplished trial lawyer with an extensive track record of winning in both federal and state court. In addition to defending his clients in criminal court, Mr. Sterling has also recovered millions of dollars for his clients who have been victimized and unlawfully targeted by law enforcement.

The Law Offices of Justin E. Sterling is a top-rated law firm committed to the exclusive practice of criminal trial defense and civil rights litigation. The firm brings high-end and aggressive representation to...

Since 1997, Mr. Young has represented plaintiffs involved in serious personal injury cases. Mr. Young has a strong background in litigation and appeals. In 2005, Mr. Young successfully argued a significant premises liability case on behalf of a seriously injured plaintiff before the California Supreme Court, Delgado v. Trax Bar & Grill (2005) 36 Cal.4th 224, which established that California merchants have a special relationship-based duty of care to protect their customers from the wrongful acts of other customers. Mr. Young also won an appeal in another premises liability case, Mata v. Mata (2003) 105 Cal.App.4th 1121, which involved...

I am an accomplished litigation and trial lawyer. My practice includes Civil Rights, Police Misconduct, Legal Malpractice, and Insurance Litigation. I practice throughout California, in all state and federal courts. With over three decades of experience, I provide knowledgeable and skilled representation. I zealously advocate, determined to achieve the best possible outcomes for my clients' legal situations. Recognized by peers for exceptional ethics and representation, I hold an AV Preeminent Rating, and have been honored as a Super Lawyer for the past three years.

Human / Civil Rights Attorney working with clients in the public and private spheres for over 25 years in over 75 countries. Significant experience serving non-profits in the public health and international development spheres assisting refugees, asylum seekers, and those suffering from various forms of trauma. Particular focus on LGBTQ and non-binary clients with legal / personal concerns related to gender expression and its effects and helping spearhead international initiatives addressing the same.

Current Director of the Gamelan Council - Asia-Pacific Public Health, Microfinance, and Development Center. Previous experience includes working as a primary care clinician / rural health officer for...

Kenneth Chike Odiwe is a skilled attorney with extensive experience in Civil Rights and Personal Injury litigation. He primarily focuses on representing clients in Civil Rights cases. Some of the areas of expertise he covers include: Police Misconduct: Mr. Odiwe is well-versed in handling cases related to police brutality, excessive force, officer-involved shootings, and custodial deaths. He also specializes in cases involving restraint asphyxia, positional asphyxia, excessive tasing, baton strikes, beanbag shotgun use, and 40mm rubber rounds. Medical Care: Chike Odiwe has a deep understanding of cases that involve inadequate or denied medical care, as well as interference with familial relationships. He...

Philip Shakhnis is a forceful, meticulous and compassionate attorney with over 20 years of experience representing tenants. Philip has represented hundreds of tenants forced to live in slum conditions. Philip has also helped tenants poisoned by carbon monoxide leaks, exposed to mold and whose children have been lead poisoned. Philip is at the forefront of representing tenants wrongfully evicted from properties protected by local rent control laws. Philip focuses his law practice on representing tenants because he strongly believes that every family and every person deserves the right to a safe, decent and healthy home. As part of his experience...