Lawyers of DistinctionRecognizing Excellence In The Practice of Law

Home / Browse by state / California / San Diego

San Diego, CA Lawyers

38 distinguished attorneys in San Diego, California, each reviewed by the Lawyers of Distinction Selection Committee.

Practice areas in San Diego

San Diego attorney directory

Brad Nakase

Personal Injury Law

2221 Camino del Rio S, San Diego, CA 92116, USA

Since 2005, Brad Nakase has protected the interest of the community and his clients. Brad Nakase has received AVVO's 2019 Client Choice Award. Additionally, AVVO and Justia has given Brad Nakase the highest rating. How do I know if I have a car accident case? After a car accident, many people wonder if their personal injury case has some substance. As a matter of fact, such doubts can only be cleared if the accident scenario is properly assessed and understood. Nonetheless, the key indicator that your personal injury accident can become a legal case is NEGLIGENCE. If you have been involved in an accident caused by a negligent driver, you should file a claim against them. And it’ll be nice to hire a personal injury lawyer to be your advocate.

read more
Brian Gonzalez

Personal Injury Law

2445 Fifth Ave, San Diego, CA 92101, USA

For over 30 YEARS, attorney Brian C. Gonzalez has represented clients in numerous areas of civil litigation. His law firm focuses primarily on representation for individual and family plaintiffs in practice areas of motor vehicle accidents, catastrophic injuries, sports injuries resulting in traumatic brain injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death, trip and fall accidents, and dog bite incidents. He also acts as regional counsel for a large national corporation that operates high-end continuing care residential communities.

read more
Brian Robbins

Securities Law

5060 Shoreham Place, 300, San Diego, CA 92122

Brian J. Robbins is a co-founder and the managing partner of Robbins LLP. He has committed his entire career to representing shareholders, employees, consumers, and small businesses in complex litigation. Mr. Robbins has prosecuted hundreds of cases across the country, often in leadership roles, and has achieved sizable monetary recoveries and corporate governance improvements on behalf of his clients. For his leadership and achievements, he has been recognized as a Super Lawyer every year since 2007 – many years ranking among the Top 50 Attorney in San Diego – and a Best Lawyer in America for Securities Litigation. Mr. Robbins’ achievements are proof positive that shareholder derivative actions are an important tool for keeping corporate management and fraud in check. His dedication to shareholder rights has helped propel Robbins LLP into a nationally recognized leader in shareholder rights litigation. As lead or co-lead counsel, Mr. Robbins has negotiated sweeping corporate governance reforms and numerous multimillion dollar settlements – including one of the largest securities fraud class action recoveries in San Diego’s history. Mr. Robbins received his Master of Laws in Securities and Financial Regulation from Georgetown University Law Center and his Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt Law School, where he served as research assistant to Professor Donald C. Langevoort, former Special Counsel for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in the Office of the General Counsel, and Professor Larry D. Soderquist, one of the most respected professors in the field of corporate and securities law. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in just two and one-half years from the University of California, Berkeley.

read more
Charles Whitman

Labor Law

101 West Broadway, Suite 1500, San Diego, CA 92101

Charles Whitman is a Shareholder in Buchalter’s San Diego office. He is a member of the Litigation, Labor & Employment, and White Collar & Investigations practice groups. Mr. Whitman focuses his practice on representing employers and business in workplace law matters, business disputes, and government investigations. Mr. Whitman represents employers in all aspects of state and federal employment litigation, including wage and hour class and representative actions, Private Attorneys General Act (“PAGA”) litigation, single plaintiff wage and hour disputes, as well as federal and state discrimination, hostile work environment, bullying, sexual harassment wrongful termination, and retaliation cases. Mr. Whitman also advises employers on protecting proprietary trade secrets, drafting comprehensive employee handbooks, personnel policies, navigating the complicated array of state and federal leave laws, and employment-related agreements to ensure compliance with California and federal law. Additionally, he conducts workplace investigations and management training on a wide array of employment law matters. Further, Mr. Whitman defends companies facing government enforcement actions, administrative inquiries from state and federal agencies, and white-collar criminal proceedings. He also has previous experience litigating securities fraud class actions and other complex business litigation. Prior to joining Buchalter, Mr. Whitman worked for a national employment law firm and was a highly decorated judge advocate in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 2018, Mr. Whitman was awarded The Commandant’s Award for Excellence in Legal Assistance, as the top legal assistance attorney in the U.S. Marine Corps. He was appointed as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Arizona and the Southern District of California, during which time he assisted federal law enforcement agencies during investigations, prosecuted cases occurring on Marine Corps property, prosecuted border crime cases, and tried cases in federal district court. As a trial defense counsel in the U.S. Marine Corps, Mr. Whitman, represented numerous Marines at courts-martial and administrative discharge trials. Between his time as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney and defense counsel, Mr. Whitman tried dozens administrative, bench, and jury trials to verdict—the vast majority of which he was the lead trial defense counsel. Most of Mr. Whitman’s cases involved serious felony level offenses. Mr. Whitman received the Navy Commendation Medal while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps. In 2023, Mr. Whitman was recognized as a “Rising Star” in San Diego by Super Lawyers Magazine.

read more
Christopher Sunnen

Christopher Sunnen

Featured Lawyer

Family and Divorce Law

2121 Fifth Avenue, Suite 205, San Diego, CA 92101

Over the last fifteen years, Mr. Sunnen has worked to protect his client's rights both in and out of the courtroom and provides solutions to many challenging cases at a high level of professionalism. He specializes in both Family Law/Divorce and Bankruptcy Law. Mr. Sunnen is a member of the California State Bar and has been in private practice for over fifteen years, focusing on litigation in family court, federal court, tax court, bankruptcy court, and before various administrative agencies. Prior to his time in private practice, Mr. Sunnen was a clerk for Federal Magistrate David Noce in the Eighth Circuit. Mr. Sunnen graduated from law school at Washington University in St. Louis, where he was awarded "Best Brief" in Moot Court and was a three-year member of the Dean's List, recognizing academic excellence. Prior to his career as an attorney, Mr. Sunnen attended Washington University in St. Louis, where he graduated with a double major in Political Science and History and wrote an honors thesis. As a former Park Ranger, Mr. Sunnen has been, and is active in both the private and public sectors of the outdoor industry and has worked with many Fortune 500 companies to promote sustainable public lands appreciation, education and protection. Mr. Sunnen is also the former head of a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that he founded and operated for a three-year period; and currently serves on the board of directors of another 501(c)(3) organization.

read more

Choosing a lawyer in San Diego

Every Lawyers of Distinction member in San Diego is licensed to practice law and has passed a review of achievements, peer recognition and ethics. Pick the practice area that fits your legal issue, compare profiles and reviews, then contact an attorney directly from their profile.

All California lawyers