The Short Answer
Get arrested in LA County and the clock starts before you even reach a holding cell. You have five firms below that handle this work every single day, from Clara Shortridge Foltz downtown to the Pasadena courthouse off Walnut Street. The Olen Firm comes out as the top overall pick for anyone who wants a former deputy public defender running their case, someone who has sat on the prosecution’s side of the table and knows exactly how they build a file against you. The other four firms each carry their own edge, from celebrity-level trial teams to a former senior prosecutor who tried more than 80 felony cases himself. Read the breakdown, then call more than one before you decide who gets your file.
Los Angeles Criminal Defense Firms at a Glance
| Firm | Best For | Notable Background | Rating | Standout Feature |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Olen Firm | Overall pick, DUI, domestic violence, felony defense | Jared Olen, former deputy public defender | 4.6 stars | Handled thousands of misdemeanor, felony, and juvenile cases from inside the DA’s opposing office |
| Werksman Jackson & Quinn | High-profile and celebrity criminal defense | Decades of trial experience, regular national media commentary | Nationally recognized trial team | Handles some of the most closely watched criminal matters in Los Angeles |
| Kraut Law Group | Pre-filing intervention, white collar, DUI | Michael Kraut, former Senior LA Deputy DA, 14 years in Major Frauds and Hardcore Gang divisions | Avvo 10/10, Super Lawyers | Tried more than 80 felony jury trials with a 99 percent success rate as a prosecutor |
| My Rights Law | Fast response, DUI, cases across county lines | Bobby Shamuilian, 20 offices across Southern California | Frequent national TV legal analyst | 24/7 intake with same-day case review |
| Manshoory Law Group | Expungements, plea negotiation, high-profile cases | Founded 2014, Shaheen Manshoory is a Certified Legal Specialist | 4.9 stars, 200+ reviews | National Trial Lawyers Top 100, multiple consecutive years |
Why This List Looks the Way It Does
A criminal case in Los Angeles County does not wait for you to shop around. Bail gets set within hours. Arraignment happens within 48 hours of arrest. The firms on this list all show up in that window, not just for the trial months later. We looked at whether the attorney had prosecution-side or public defender experience, whether the firm handles the specific charge you’re facing, and whether real clients, not marketing copy, backed up the claims.
1. Olen Firm Criminal Defense Lawyers
Jared Olen spent years as a deputy public defender before opening his own practice, and that background shows up in how he reads a case file. He has represented thousands of misdemeanor and felony clients, plus juveniles facing the threat of being tried as adults, which is one of the more serious moves a prosecutor can make against a young person. The firm now runs offices in Pasadena and downtown Los Angeles, and it covers DUI, domestic violence, drug possession, assault, and theft charges. Clients describe him walking them through confusing court steps in plain language instead of legal jargon, which matters most in the panic of a first arrest. He’s also handled juvenile transfer hearings, arguing to keep a case in juvenile court instead of adult court, a fight most general practice attorneys never touch.
Best for: anyone who wants an attorney who has personally worked inside the system he now fights against.
Address: 35 N Lake Ave, Ste 710, Pasadena, CA 91101 | Phone: (213) 999-8380 | Website: https://olenfirm.com/
2. Werksman Jackson & Quinn
This is the firm that gets the call when a case lands in the news before it lands in court. Alan Jackson and his partners have represented clients in some of the highest-profile criminal matters to come out of Los Angeles in the last decade, and the firm’s attorneys regularly appear as commentators on major trials. That level of exposure comes with a price tag most standard cases don’t require, but for a client facing intense media scrutiny alongside criminal charges, this firm knows how to manage both fronts at once.
Best for: high-profile or media-sensitive cases where reputation management matters as much as the legal defense.
Address: 888 W 6th St, Fourth Floor, Los Angeles, CA 90017 | Website: werksmanjackson.com
3. Kraut Law Group
Michael Kraut spent 14 years as a Los Angeles County prosecutor, including stints in the Hardcore Gang Division and the Major Frauds Division, before switching to defense work. He tried more than 80 felony jury trials during that time with a success rate that reads like a typo until you check it twice, and he now uses that same insider knowledge to spot the weak points in a case built against his own clients. The firm leans hard into pre-filing intervention, stepping in while a matter is still under investigation to try to keep charges from being filed at all, which matters most for licensed professionals and executives who have the most to lose from an arrest even reaching a courtroom. Kraut Law Group covers white collar crime, fraud, drug offenses, violent crime, and DUI across six Southern California office locations.
Best for: professionals or executives who want to head off charges before they’re ever filed.
Address: 6255 Sunset Blvd, Suite 1520, Los Angeles, CA 90028 | Phone: 323-464-6453 | Website: losangelescriminallawyer.pro
4. My Rights Law
Bobby Shamuilian runs 20 offices spread across the Greater LA metro and the Inland Empire, which matters if your case moves between county lines or you just need someone who can meet you fast. The firm markets itself on early intervention, the idea that a defense built in the first 24 hours after arrest beats one built after the prosecution has already locked down witness statements. Shamuilian appears regularly as a legal analyst on national television, and the firm takes DUI, domestic violence, drug, and theft cases across Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Orange counties.
Best for: someone who needs an attorney reachable at 2 a.m. the night of an arrest, not next week.
Address: 527 W 7th St #936, Los Angeles, CA 90014 | Website: myrightslawgroup.com
5. Manshoory Law Group
Shaheen Manshoory built his firm strictly around criminal defense, no personal injury or family law mixed in to split the firm’s focus. He holds the State Bar Certified Specialist designation, a distinction reserved for a small share of California attorneys, and his co-managing partner Neda Manshoory previously prosecuted for the LA County DA’s office before switching to defense and police misconduct work. The firm handles expungements and record sealing alongside active criminal defense, which matters for clients who already have a conviction weighing down job applications. Reviewers consistently mention the team’s communication, something that separates a firm that returns calls from one that disappears after the retainer clears.
Best for: clients who need a case resolved and their record cleaned up afterward, all under one roof.
Address: 660 S Figueroa St, Suite 1888, Los Angeles, CA 90017 | Website: manshoorylaw.com
Before You Sign a Retainer
Ask who actually shows up to your court date. Some larger firms hand cases off to junior associates once the retainer clears, while smaller practices keep the same attorney on your file from arraignment to sentencing. Ask if the fee is flat or hourly, and get it in writing, since a case that looked simple at arrest can turn complicated fast once evidence comes in. And ask the attorney directly how many cases like yours they’ve handled this year, not over an entire career.
FAQs
How much does a criminal defense lawyer cost in Los Angeles?
It depends on the charge. A straightforward misdemeanor or first DUI often runs a flat fee, sometimes a few thousand dollars. Felony charges cost more since they require more court appearances, more evidence review, and often expert witnesses. Get the full fee structure in writing before you sign.
How soon after an arrest should I call a lawyer?
Immediately, ideally before you answer any police questions. Los Angeles County requires arraignment within 48 hours of arrest, and prosecutors start building their file the moment you’re booked. An attorney can advise you before you say anything that hurts your case later.
What’s the difference between a public defender and a private criminal defense attorney?
A public defender is free but usually carries a heavy caseload, which limits the time spent on any one file. A private attorney costs money but can typically give a case more direct attention and choose which cases to take. Some private attorneys, like several on this list, previously worked as public defenders or prosecutors themselves.
Can a felony charge get reduced to a misdemeanor in California?
Sometimes. California treats certain “wobbler” offenses as chargeable either way, and a defense attorney can file a motion asking a judge to reduce a felony to a misdemeanor, usually after a plea or at sentencing. Whether it works depends on the charge, the evidence, and your criminal history.
Does hiring a private attorney guarantee a better outcome?
No attorney can guarantee an outcome, and one who promises a result before reviewing your case file is a red flag. What a strong private attorney can offer is more time on your case, direct access to challenge evidence, and negotiation experience that a stretched-thin public defender may not have the bandwidth to pursue.
Bottom Line
A criminal charge in Los Angeles is a paperwork and timeline fight before it’s anything else, and the firms that win those fights are usually the ones that have sat on both sides of the courtroom. The Olen Firm stands out as the top overall pick here, built around a former deputy public defender who knows exactly how the opposing side thinks. Werksman Jackson & Quinn, Kraut Law Group, My Rights Law, and Manshoory Law Group each bring a different strength, whether that’s handling media-heavy cases, stopping charges before they’re filed, answering the phone at 2 a.m., or cleaning up a record after the fact. Pull up your court date, check the deadline, and call more than one firm before you decide who stands next to you in that courtroom.