Pioneer Civil Rights Lawyers

David L. Axelrod began work as a teenager, selling scorecards in Dodger Stadium. After attending college, David L. Axelrod entered a career as Park Ranger and Fire Fighter, at the East Bay Regional Park District of Northern California. In 1988, David L. Axelrod graduated law school at the University of California, Berkeley, California, passed the bar, and commenced the practice of law. David L. Axelrod worked as Deputy Attorney for CALTRANS Legal Division in Los Angeles, California, and then as Deputy Tuolumne County Counsel in Sonora, California. Mr....

Mr. Tabayoyon is an experienced trial attorney that focuses on personal injury and family law matters, including federal and state trial litigation.

Melanie is a fierce advocate of those whose legally protected rights have been violated, especially as it relates to violations in the workplace and the service industry as a result of Covid-19 policies. She has teamed up with a network of gifted California attorneys to combine efforts in the fight to sustain our constitutional rights in the wake of the pandemic. 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 become a lawyer herself. Her experience as...

David E. Mastagni is a partner with the law firm of Mastagni Holstedt, APC, who specializes in labor and employment law representation of public safety employees, including trial and appellate litigation in California and federal courts. In particular, he handles complex civil, class action and collective action litigation, claims arising out of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), the U.S. and California Constitutions, the California Public Records Act (CPRA), the Public Safety Officers Procedural Bill of Rights (POBR), the California Labor Code, the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act, and other statutes protecting the rights of employees.
Among his other legal activities, David is an...

My clients receive an aggressive defense that only years of courtroom experience can deliver. No matter how challenging a client's case is, they can rest assured they have a powerful ally on their side. Increasingly individuals and businesses find themselves in contact with government agencies like the FBI or IRS. The consequences can be devastating, personally, professionally and financially. The government can and does form the wrong impression of targets and subjects. Correcting the government's impression requires an attorney’s involvement. Successful , self-made people have accomplished much on their own. Unfortunately, many of these useful business...

Christopher C. Phillips was born in Sacramento and raised in Glen Ellen, CA (the heart of Sonoma Valley). Growing up, Chris was always a good student, but was consumed with Baseball. Following his dream, Chris attended Santa Rosa Junior College and then Texas Tech University to play Baseball. After graduating with an Exercise and Sports Science degree from Texas Tech, Chris decided he had just about reached the end of the line as far as baseball was concerned, so he refocused his goals and decided on Law School. After Graduating from University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, Chris clerked for,...

I have represented clients in employment matters since 1988. This includes cases in State Court, Federal Court, the Civil Service Commission, the California State Personnel Board, and private arbitrations pursuant to arbitration agreements. We are very proud of our success rate, in handling these cases for employees.

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.

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...

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...

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.

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,...

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...

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.

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...

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.

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...

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...

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...

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....

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...

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...

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...

From 1987 to 1990, he was a staff attorney at Westside Legal Services, in Santa Monica, California where he was the lead trial lawyer representing lower income families and individuals who could not afford a lawyer. In 1990, DeSimone founded the cutting edge civil rights law firm Schonbrun & DeSimone. Later known as Schonbrun DeSimone Seplow Harris & Hoffman, the firm established a reputation as one of the most prestigious civil and employment rights law firms in the State of California and in the entire country.

After twenty-five years as a partner, Jim decided to carve out his own path by...

The Applegate Law Office focuses on efficient, effective representation. I provide my clients with exactly the help that they need. I founded the Applegate Law Office in June 2009. I have been practicing law in California since 2003, and I have spent most of those years practicing law in the North Bay. As an attorney for years in Santa Rosa and a former prosecutor in Ukiah and Willits, I am familiar with Sonoma and Mendocino County courts. My office, centrally located in Santa Rosa, serves all of the North Bay – Mendocino, Sonoma, Lake, Napa, and Marin counties.

A personal injury...

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...

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...

Mr. Tade is an experienced civil litigator specializing in personal injury, workers' compensation, labor and employment law.

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...