International lawyers within 40 miles of Irvine California

Merritt McKeon is considered to be one of California’s preeminent experts in complex international and interstate family law litigation, mediation, and appeals, and has received numerous awards over 25 years of experience as an expert in international Hague Treaty petitions, child abduction, domestic violence, and both domestic and civil business mediation. Ms. McKeon has appeared on numerous television broadcasts such as Burden of Proof, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, The 700 Club, C-NBC, and various international media outlets in both Australia and Italy. In 1999, Ms. McKeon participated on a legal team with attorney Gloria Allred which resulted in the successful release of an American-born child whose mother had been murdered in Italy. Ms. McKeon appeared in the book Fight Back And Win: My Thirty-Year Fight Against Injustice and How You Can Win Your Own Battles by Gloria Allred, which highlights Ms. McKeon’s participation in the successful appeal written in Italy for the Italian Court. Ms. McKeon is co-author of Stop Domestic Violence: An Action Planning Guide to Saving Lives and appeared with the father of Nicole Brown Simpson on Larry King Live shortly after the O.J. Simpson murder trial. Merritt is considered a preeminent attorney in her subject areas and a ‘lawyer’s -lawyer’ who enjoys participating as both case consultant and co-counsel, focusing on tactical solutions to complex legal issues which often result in successful mediation through alternative dispute resolution (ADR). In 2014 Merritt attended the renowned Pepperdine, Strauss Mediation program and maintains an active practice assisting both clients and attorneys.

Frances-Marie Prizzia dedicates her law practice to upholding the constitutional rights of her clients and zealously defending them. Her passion has always been in criminal defense and public service, as evidenced by her prior work and volunteer history. For the past 15 years, Frances has dedicated herself to the practice of law. Years before opening this firm, Frances worked as an Orange County Public Defender as well as in the Los Angeles County Alternate Defender's Office. While working for Orange County as a trial attorney, she obtained many dismissals, in addition to taking more cases to jury trial and winning more than any other attorney within her unit during that time. Frances is also fluent in speaking Tagalog. Prior to becoming an attorney and while in law school, Frances worked at the Public Defender's office in Santa Cruz. As a law student, she successfully argued and won a motion to suppress evidence due to the unlawful violations of the Fourth Amendment by the investigating police officers. She also researched and wrote motions asking the court to order the disclosure of information regarding confidential informants and confidential police personnel files ("Pitchess motions.") Her compassion and commitment to making a difference and defending those who needed help is what convinced her to apply for law school. She was accepted into, and chose to enroll in, Santa Clara University School of Law, where she had also received her undergraduate degree several years earlier. But some of the reasons Frances chose to return to Santa Clara University was because of its emphasis on criminal defense and public service. In addition to extensive trial advocacy training, the school is also home to the Death Penalty College, Northern California Innocence Project, and Center for Social Justice and Public Service. While in law school, she worked at the Katharine and George Alexander Community Law Center, where she wrote two successful political asylum briefs and won a U-visa (victim of violence) application for her client, which allowed the client to obtain her permanent residency ("green card") and a work permit in the United States. Lawyer.com Member Questionnaire Please describe a case(s) in the last year or two where you made a big difference. I had a case where Filipino nurses were charged by the Attorney General’s office for criminally negligent death of a patient in a nursing home. These poor nurses did nothing but their best to take care of the patient. The doctors ruled the patient’s death as an accident and inevitable due to a heart attack since the patient was in very poor health, had recently endured surgery that he was not fully cleared for but needed to do to save his life, had a prior heart condition, and expired naturally. The AG simply was on a witch hunt because the patient’s family had a civil case and a lot of pull in this matter. The court, during the preliminary hearing, agreed with me, and refused to have these nurses held to answer. The nurses were discharged, and the court also granted a factual innocence motion I brought up in court. How did you build a successful practice? I built this practice on hard work, dedication, compassion towards my client and a lot of hustle. What should clients look for in a lawyer? Passion and heart as well as competency. Client’s should decide on a lawyer based on who they feel most comfortable with and at sync with. They should choose who they feel actually cares and will fight for their case as well as the attorney’s credentials. How important is local knowledge to the success of your cases? It is very important because different counties have different ways of running their cases and different policies that could mean a dismissal for your client or a guilty plea. What information can you provide in a free phone consultation? I provide as much information as the client would like. I do not try to make guesses. I attempt to gather as much information as I can from the client, then look the cases up in the system and attempt to give the best options I can provided with the information I have been given. What information do you need in a free phone consultation? I would need the charges that the clients are looking at, past record history, the facts of the case, what county or court the case is currently in as well as the status of the case. I also ask for what the client wants as the outcome. What differentiates you from other lawyers in your community? I have a lot of heart and compassion. I truly put myself in my client’s shoes to understand their fears and concerns so that I can obtain the best results for them. What are your other interests in addition to law? I like going to musical theatre, dancing, singing, hiking, and yoga. Are you involved in your community? Yes very much so. I am involved in my church as a Catechist for Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church. I am part of FLOC which is Filipino Lawyers of Orange County. And I have been a room mom for my children’s school for years.

Following 10 years as a senior prosecutor with the Orange County District Attorney's Office, where he supervised the Homicide Panel, Paul Meyer founded his own firm in 1981. His practice includes both state and federal criminal defense, involving such matters as the successful defense of Merrill Lynch during the Orange County bankruptcy in 1996, the defense of members of the Orange County Board of Supervisors and judges of both the Los Angeles and Orange County Superior Courts. His practice includes a wide variety of vehicular crimes, from manslaughter to D.U.I. along with defense of fraud, child pornography and regulatory matters involving the District Attorney and federal agencies. Mr. Meyer takes a "hands on" approach to practice. Mr. Meyer is currently designated as one of five lawyers in Southern California for legal representation of judges and justices before the Commission on Judicial Performance. He has successfully tried dozens of major felony cases before juries in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties; comprising, in all, over 200 jury trials. For nearly 40 years Mr. Meyer has been the lead lawyer in representation of the most serious criminal cases charged in Southern California. He was selected as the Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year by the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association, and recently as Trial Lawyer of the Year for Orange County by the Best Lawyers in America. He has consistently been named to the Top 100 and Top 50 lawyers in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Mr. Meyer has been cited by the Los Angeles Times and New York Times for his work in many cases including the successful federal and state representation of Superior Court Judge Ronald Kline, County Supervisor Don Roth and other elected officials. His successful criminal defense of Princess Alayban of the Royal Family of Saudi Arabia received world-wide media coverage, as did his earlier successful defense of Merrill Lynch. He led the criminal defense of the regional branch of the Republican Party. He is the legal representative of the Orange County Deputy Sheriff's Association, and the designated representative in matters involving use of deadly force by the Orange County Probation Department. A guest speaker of the Department of Justice, National Medical Examiners Association, Fidler Institute in Los Angeles, California Public Defenders and District Attorneys Associations, an Association of Business Trial Lawyers, he has also taught consistently throughout his career. Mr. Meyer has lectured internationally on subjects of ethics and professionalism for the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. Mr. Meyer served as Adjunct Professor of Law for Western State University College of Law and for the Police Officers Standards and Training (P.O.S.T.). His teaching includes C.E.B. programs for the State Bar, and the College of Trial Advocacy for Orange County. His work on The Uses of Experts in Criminal Trials has been published in the ABA Litigation Manual. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Mr. Meyer served as Regent for Southern California, Arizona and Hawaii from 2008 to 2012. Mr. Meyer is also a Fellow of the International Society of Barristers and also a Fellow of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He has been recognized for his leadership roles in many other organizations including service as a Director at Large for the Orange County Bar Association, Director of the Community Services Program, and on the Board of the Center for Lawyers and Trial Advocacy of Chapman University School of Law. He graduated from the U.C.L.A. School of Law where he served as Chief Articles Editor of the U.C.L.A. Law Review. He received the Order of the Coif. Mr. Meyer's work has been cited hundreds of times by the New York Times, USA Today, Los Angeles Times, Orange County Register, and many national magazines. He has appeared as a guest commentator for CNN and was selected by CNN to provide exclusive commentary of the opening statements in the O.J. Simpson murder trial.

Founding Partner Christopher Guldjian is an aggressive advocate and trial attorney for those who have been injured due to the negligence and intentional acts of other individuals and companies. Mr. Guldjian was trained by clerking for the Los Angeles Superior Court in Long Beach and the Huntington Beach City Attorney’s office. His trial experience grew while working for major private firms and renowned plaintiff trial attorneys. He relishes the fact that justice can be served for his clients in a courtroom with impartial jurors having the final word. Mr. Guldjian has successfully brought several cases to verdict and has aggressively advocated major plaintiff settlements emulating in the millions of dollars. Recently, Chris was featured on the front page of the Orange County Register after suing a mental health facility related to his client being raped by another patient. Mr. Guldjian received his B.A. in Political Science and International Relations at California State University, Long Beach. He earned his J.D. from Whittier Law School. While in law school, he received an award in pretrial litigation and graduated top of his class. During the course of his career, Mr. Guldjian has achieved top ratings by Super Lawyer, Nolo, Best Lawyers, and Avvo. He has numerous articles published and presented topics throughout the nation. Mr. Guldjian is a member of the Orange County Trial Lawyers Association (OCTLA), Consumer Attorneys of California (CAOC), and Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles (CAALA). Chris remains active in community-based organizations through his Church and is married with three beautiful children.

Trusted and Aggressive Work Comp and Injury Attorneys! We used to represent the big companies, and now represent the injured all over California. Our top rated trial attorneys have the best technology, the best staff, and the best outcomes to fight for your benefits! Direct communication with your attorney through our firm App. Our firm focuses on customer service and communication. Don't fall for a big firm where you are handed off to a assistant, get a real attorney with real experience.

Michael Molfetta is a renowned litigation attorney who has been practicing for almost 30 years. He has been lead counsel in more than 300 jury trials. He has represented individuals and multinational corporations in both State and Federal Court. Mr. Molfetta also has extensive experience representing clients involved in complex criminal cases and “high profile” clients. Attorney Molfetta has represented numerous client’s, both individuals and corporations, who have been charged with crimes. Loan Fraud, SEC Violations, allegations involving the sale of securities without a license, Investor Fraud, to name a few areas. As a criminal defense attorney he has handled over 100 “special circumstances” homicide cases where the “death penalty” was potentially being sought by the prosecution. He has appeared as a legal expert and also as a legal correspondent on every major network and was a regular on ABC’s World News Tonight, and ABC News Magazines. He was a legal analyst during the prosecution of Kobe Bryant, Michael Jackson, and Scott Peterson. He has also appeared on Larry King Live, Nancy Grace, Dateline, 20/20, and Geraldo Rivera to name a few. He has co-written several television scripts as well and was at one time represented by William Morris Endeavor Agency. Michael Molfetta is a member of the California Bar and received his Juris Doctorate from Southwestern Law School in 1990. Mr. Molfetta received his B.A. from Occidental College in 1986. Mr. Molfetta played professional football in Europe prior to a 15 year career playing international rugby.

Harry counsels predominately high net-worth families and closely-held businesses in a broad range of matters, including areas of taxation (state, national and international), formation, real estate, trust and estates, and business succession planning. Harry advises clients on structuring transactions in a tax-efficient manner. Harry has an acute understanding of the real estate and agricultural sector and helps clients meet their business objectives. Harry regularly advises corporations, partnerships, and individuals on a broad range of domestic offshore and cross-border transactions often focusing on complex and innovative structures to transfer wealth and business holdings. Harry’s experience includes acquisitions, dispositions (including like-kind exchanges), sophisticated financing, easements, and other asset management matters that add post-tax value to the respective client. Harry also helps individuals and families with sophisticated wealth planning and wealth preservation and multi-generational planning which minimizes income, estate, gift and generation-skipping transfer taxes. Understanding the desire to preserve wealth and closely held business enterprises, Harry ensures a client’s legacy is persevered while navigating potentially sensitive family dynamics. As part of legacy planning, Harry regularly counsels his clients in respect to charitable giving and has been involved with establishing private foundations, charitable lead and remainder trusts, and other not-for-profit entities. Harry remains active within the community. While not practicing law, Harry enjoys running basketball and hockey.

Southern California Lawyers Group, PC serves the needs of individuals and entities of all types and sizes, in both the private and the public sector. The exceptional depth of our resources enable Southern California Lawyers Group, PC to manage virtually every type of legal issue. Over the years, Southern California Lawyers Group, PC clients have come to view our attorneys as trusted counselors. This has resulted in a reputable law practice in general areas such as litigation, civil rights, class actions, divorce, bankruptcy, False Claims Act, and employment law. In addition, Southern California Lawyers Group strongly believes it is part of the firm’s calling to serve its client and the community. As a result, we have become a key strategist in helping stimulate business in the metropolitan Southern California area. Southern California Lawyers Group’s principal goals are to provide the highest quality legal services available anywhere; to be an instrumental part of each client’s success; and to recruit, retain and advance the brightest legal talent. Our Firm seeks long-term, partnering relationships with clients, to the end of providing the best total solution to the client’s legal needs. Southern California Lawyers Group stresses, and clients rightfully expect, good results. To that end, our Firm employs innovative, pragmatic strategies and hard work to ensure that our clients’ legal needs are met. We recognize that our success depends on close coordination with our clients, therefore, our lawyers work collaboratively to set objectives, develop budgets and conduct periodic review sessions to measure our progress against those objectives.

Attorney Alexis Galindo graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor’s Degree in real estate and finance in 1982. In 1985 he graduated from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. Mr. Galindo also attended Oxford University, Queens College, Oxford, England on a fellowship for International Business Transactions. Mr. Galindo has been a California Real Estate Broker for over 25 years. Mr. Galindo, has been a member of the California State Bar since 1988 and is admitted to practice before the California Supreme court, California Courts, United States District Courts, and U.S. Appeals Court, U.S. Court of Claims. Mr. Galindo is married with three children. When Mr. Galindo is not working he is swimming, scuba diving, boxing, and running.