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California Attorneys

April 3, 2024

California boasts a diverse and dynamic legal landscape, with attorneys spanning a wide range of specialties and backgrounds. Whether you're navigating a business dispute, or seeking legal advice on real estate matters, finding the right attorney can make all the difference.

California is home to a vast array of attorneys practicing in various areas of law. From bustling urban centers like Silicon Valley or Los Angeles to smaller communities throughout the state, California attorneys cater to a diverse clientele. The California State Bar regulates the legal profession in the state, ensuring that attorneys meet rigorous standards of education, ethics, and professionalism.

Choosing the Best California Lawyer

Selecting the best California attorney for your needs can be a daunting task, but with careful consideration, you can find the perfect match for your legal needs. Here are some key factors to keep in mind: 

  1. Expertise: Look for the best California lawyers who specialize in the area of law relevant to your case. Whether it's hospitality law, criminal defense, or corporate law, choosing an attorney with expertise in your specific legal issue can greatly enhance your chances of success. Use the California State Bar’s website to ensure attorneys are licensed to practice law in California.

  2. Experience: Consider the attorney's track record and experience handling cases similar to yours. The best California lawyers for you will have a proven record of success and years of experience in the field and therefore likely to provide effective representation.

  3. Reputation: Research the California attorney's reputation within the legal community and among past clients. Online reviews from sites like Justia and FindLaw, referrals from friends or colleagues, and ratings from legal organizations can offer valuable insights into an attorney's professionalism and effectiveness.

  4. Communication: Effective communication is essential in any attorney-client relationship. Choose an attorney who listens attentively to your concerns, communicates clearly and regularly, and keeps you informed every step of the way.

  5. Compatibility: Lastly, trust your instincts and choose a California attorney with whom you feel comfortable and confident. A good attorney-client relationship is built on trust, mutual respect, and open communication.


Types of California Law Firms

California law firms vary in size, structure, and focus, catering to a diverse range of clients and legal needs. Here are some common types of law firms found in California:

  • Solo Practitioners: Solo practitioners are attorneys who operate independently, handling cases on their own or with the assistance of support staff. Solo practitioners offer personalized attention, flexibility, and often more affordable rates compared to larger firms.

  • Boutique Firms: Boutique law firms specialize in a specific area of law, such as intellectual property, immigration, or entertainment law. These firms often provide highly specialized expertise and personalized attention to clients with niche legal needs.

  • Mid-Size Firms: Mid-size law firms typically have a broader practice area focus and a moderate number of attorneys. They offer a balance between the resources and expertise of large firms and the personalized service of smaller boutique firms.

  • Large Firms: Large law firms, also known as "BigLaw" firms, boast extensive resources, diverse practice areas, and large teams of attorneys. These firms often handle complex corporate transactions, high-stakes litigation, and regulatory matters for multinational corporations and high-net-worth individuals.

Berliner Cohen California Attorneys

At Berliner Cohen, our attorneys are dedicated to providing knowledgeable and innovative legal solutions tailored to meet your business needs. As a full-service business law firm, we pride ourselves on exceeding expectations for our clients. When facing complex legal matters, it's crucial to choose a California attorney with a proven history of success and excellence.

Our team of California lawyers specializes in various areas, including:

  • Business and Real Estate Litigation: Our experienced business litigation attorneys are adept at resolving commercial conflicts, including contract disputes, intellectual property clashes, and shareholder disagreements. We navigate intricate business dynamics to ensure equitable solutions that protect our clients' interests, whether through negotiation, litigation in State and Federal Courts, administrative agencies, or arbitration.

  • Corporate Law: Serving as external legal advisors, our corporate department offers comprehensive counsel to companies across diverse industries. Collaborating seamlessly with our tax, real estate, litigation, and estate planning teams, we address multifaceted legal challenges, ensuring holistic support for our clients' business needs.

  • Estate Planning: Our estate planning department leverages our legal team's extensive knowledge to administer and effectuate estate plans, including probate and trust administration. We also provide representation in trust and estate litigation, offering comprehensive support to navigate legal disputes in this domain.

  • Hospitality Law: With expertise in hospitality litigation, our attorneys provide counsel on a range of issues unique to the hospitality industry. Drawing from various legal disciplines, including corporate, tax, employment and labor, real estate, land use, environmental, and white-collar criminal defense, we offer tailored advice to hospitality businesses.

  • Labor and Employment Law: Our employment lawyers specialize in offering advisory services, trial representation, and acting as an extended in-house legal team for California employers. From policy review to handling diverse cases such as discrimination, wrongful termination, and wage and hour claims, our team ensures seamless compliance and effective resolution of employment disputes.

  • Land Use and Municipal Law: Our attorneys navigate the complex legal landscape governing urban development and local governance in Northern California. Advising on zoning regulations, permits, and environmental compliance, we facilitate responsible land utilization while collaborating with local governments on policy formulation.

  • Mediation and Arbitration: In cases requiring alternative dispute resolution, our skilled mediators act as neutral facilitators to settle disputes outside of the courtroom. With substantial litigation backgrounds, our mediators navigate negotiations and discussions to achieve efficient resolutions.

  • Real Estate: Our real estate division is one of the largest transactional real estate groups in Northern California, serving a diverse clientele including major developers, technology firms, multinational corporations, housing entities, lenders, investors, and nonprofits.

  • Tax Law: Our Tax practice provides counsel on complex federal, state, local, and international taxing regimes, assisting individuals, businesses, and tax-exempt entities in asset protection and tax minimization strategies.


Recent Law Articles and Legal Insights

Our best California lawyer articles are on topics from PAGA to corporate law to estate planning to land use matters. Recent articles include:

Legal Resources for Businesses

Below is a list of online resources that may be helpful. This does not constitute legal advice and businesses should contact a California attorney for specific needs.

About Berliner Cohen

Berliner Cohen is considered one of the best-in-class California law firms. With offices in San Jose, Modesto, and Merced, our more than 70 California-based attorneys are actively involved with local and state bar associations. This includes Santa Clara County Bar Association, Silicon Valley Bar Association, California Lawyers Association, and more.

You can view Berliner Cohen’s LinkedIn profile, Bloomberg profile, and our other profiles on Trust Analytica, US News Best Law Firms, and BCG Attorney Search.

Serving the Northern California Communities

The California lawyers at Berliner Cohen, LLP are dedicated to their clients and committed to the communities in which we live and work. For over 50 years, philanthropy has been one of our core values. We provide financial support through significant gifts to a range of community agencies and non-profit organizations.

Our attorneys draw from their involvement in local organizations to assist these community agencies in matters they need guidance with. Our commitment is to enhance these organizations, promote their sustainability, and augment the services they provide to clients and donors.

Berliner Cohen Awards and Accolades

Berliner Cohen and our California attorneys are honored to be the recipient of numerous awards over the years. We appear annually in the best California attorneys’ and the best California law firms directories. Recent honors include:

Contact Us and Get Started Today

To connect with a California attorney about your business’s legal needs, please call our offices: San Jose at 408.286.5800, Modesto at 209.576.0111, or Merced at 209.385.0700.

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