Leonard Manalo

Leonard Manalo

5.0
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 13 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Pasadena, CA
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Juvenile ... +3 more

680 East Colorado Boulevard Ste. 180, Pasadena, CA

About Leonard

Biography

Practice Areas

Fees and Rates

We have not found any cost information for this lawyer


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Licenses

Licensed in California for 13 years

State: California

Acquired: 2013

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Law Offices of Leonard Manalo

680 East Colorado Boulevard Ste. 180, Pasadena, CA, 91101

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Leonard Manalo's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

5.0 /5.0

123 Client Reviews

Showing 111 - 115 of 123 reviews

Posted by johnny | December 27, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Best Attorney

my name is johnny. Leo you are the BBEESSTT. when you first saw me you told me WE GOT THIS. and to be honest we did. we got the deal i never could of thought of. The day I was looking for a attorney I was really stressing out. I did research day by day but nothing caught my attention. until I found L...eo I read his reviews and that caught my eyes. instead of doing time in jail I got the biggest deal I ever thought of. I honestly didn't think I could of gotten this deal but thank god I found leo and people from shouse law group. my bail amound was 500,000 instead of paying that I payed nothing. if you leo are reading this I want to say is thank you for the help I really appreciated thank you. I will recommend you to my friends. Thank you for answering my calls and always keeping me positive I really appreciated it.

Posted by anonymous | November 24, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Misdemeanor matter with Glendale Superior Court

Leonard Manalo was very helpful to my case.. He did a lot of follow ups with me in making sure he got all the information he needed to get the best defense on my case. Because of him and Mr. Karthik Krisnan working on my case, they got my case dismissed.

Posted by Jose | October 28, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Amazing Attorney!

When I went looking for an attorney, I had to do some deep research. In my early twenties (now 30), I had some issues with the law, so I needed someone that could help me with this. I was facing Assault with a deadly weapon against my brother. Everything that my brother had told the police was a comp...lete lie. However, having a criminal past, I didn't want to risk anything. I came across SHOUSE LAW GROUP on google and called them and explained what I was looking for and why. They quickly invited me over to their office in Los Angeles where I met with Ninaz Safari. After telling her the truth of what actually happened, she indicated to me that we had a great case. I opt'd in for Leonard Manalo who I was told was great. Leo was great great! From start to finish! Long story short, through his experience and efforts, I was acquitted of all charges. Leo and SHOUSE LAW GROUP were able to work with me in making payments to make their services affordable. I would definitely recommend Leo Manalo and SHOUSE LAW GROUP. They are worth every penny spent. I honestly don't think I'd be writing this review right now if it wasn't for them. Give them a shot, I know you WON'T regret it.

Posted by Rudy | August 26, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Shouse Law Group

Shouse law group is the best criminal defense group I've had. They are good hard working lawyers that will fight for you until the end. Leonard Manelo was on top of everything and he knows exactly what to do. I can't thank him enough for fighting and pushing for my great results. I'd recommend them t...o anyone.

Posted by Cara | August 26, 2015 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Surprised me with BETTER deal than I agreed to

I have never had a great experience with a lawyer before. In fact quite the opposite. I researched and found Mark Russ who is Leo's colleague at The Shouse Law Firm. He is who I started out with. I've never been in trouble before and I was terrified when I found out I had a bench warrant out for my... arrest due to a problem I didn't know I had from 6 years ago. Nobody including the lawyers could believe how harsh the DA was being. Wanting me to serve 4 months in jail I had crazy charges I wasn't guilty of ( 4 including hit and run DUI etc) Mark handed my case over to Leo as he thought he was better equipped to help me. He had a good working relationship with the judge and DA ( who is hard as nails) I'm getting ready to go to the UK and needed this sorted before I could move on. My court day came I had already agreed with a deal I was content with. When I met Leo at court he completely floored me. Unbeknownst to me, he kept working on my case after I agreed to terms. What he had waiting for me was so BRILLIANT! He arraigned things I didn't even know were possible. He got all but one count dropped and also talked the DA & Judge into agreeing that it was acceptable for me to do my community service at ANY reputable not for profit organization in ENGLAND. I'm also able to take my course online from anywhere in the world. I can't believe he went so far above and beyond the best I could hope for. Leonard Manalo is a Top Notch negotiator and all around amazing lawyer. I don't think anyone has ever exceeded my expectations as much - it's hard enough to find people that are barely competent. I can only express my thanks and gratitude again. I'm also Im also Impressed that Mark didn't let his ego stand in the way of doing what's best for me ( his client )

See All Client Reviews

Leonard Manalo's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse Leonard
Neeraj Dayal Singh headshot
Neeraj Singh

Criminal defense lawyer | Oct 01

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I highly endorse Leo for criminal matters out of San Diego County."

Michael Anthony Scafiddi headshot
Michael Scafiddi

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 20

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Leo is a hard charging attorney who has great skills and a passion to defend his clients."

John Murray headshot
John Murray

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 17

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer. Leo is an incredibly smart lawyer whose work ethic makes all the difference for his clients."

Arash V Sadat headshot
Arash Sadat

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 23

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Leo is passionate, intelligent, and has extensive knowledge of nearly every aspect of criminal law and procedure. He is truly an exceptional attorney."

Michael Vicente Castillo headshot
Michael Castillo

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 01

Relationship: Co-worker

"I endorse this lawyer."

Daria A. Panoff headshot
Daria Panoff

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 13

Relationship: Co-worker

"I'm proud Leonard works in the California branch of our law firm. In a few short years Leonard has established himself as a force of nature in the criminal defense community. His competence is matched only by his compassion."

Michael Becker headshot
Michael Becker

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 13

Relationship: Co-worker

"Leo works in the California office of our law firm. I hear nothing but great things, and we gladly refer our clients with California cases to Leo and his fellow Shouse Law Group attorneys."

Daniel R. Page headshot
Daniel Page

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 13

Relationship: Co-worker

"Leo's the real deal. Defending clients is his calling. I wish everyone facing criminal charges could have someone like Leo representing them."

Adam Solinger headshot
Adam Solinger

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 13

Relationship: Co-worker

"Leonard Manalo is a credit to the legal community. He does everything possible in pursuit of excellent resolutions for his clients."

Amber R. Fuhriman headshot
Amber Fuhriman

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 13

Relationship: Co-worker

"Leo is an unstoppable workhorse of an attorney. He rises to every occasion and exceeds all expectations. Shouse Law Group is so lucky to have him."

Andrey I. Plaksin headshot
Andrey Plaksin

Criminal defense lawyer | Aug 25

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I endorse this lawyer. Leo is a top notch criminal defense lawyer. He successfully convinced a tough judge to recall a felony warrant, reduced a cocaine possession case from a felony to a misdemeanor and placed the case on track for dismissal. Very happy with his work and will gladly refer more clients to him."

Karthik Krishnan headshot
Karthik Krishnan

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 24

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"Mr. Manalo is an exceedingly professional and tireless advocate for clients. I have had the pleasure of working with him on a number of matters and each time I am impressed with the diligence and dedication he gives to his clients' cases. If you are looking for a fighter with compassion, you'd be hard pressed to find someone better. I strongly endorse him."

Neil Shouse headshot
Neil Shouse

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 11

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"A very effective advocate for his clients."

Ninaz Saffari headshot
Ninaz Saffari

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 11

Relationship: Worked together on matter

"I've worked closely with Leo on a number of cases. He's an outstanding lawyer: always prepared, versed on the law, and relentless in his advocacy. He's a great attorney to have on your side."

David Francis Poblete headshot
David Poblete

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 08

Relationship: Opposing Counsel on matter

"Leo is an excellent lawyer who works hard, cares deeply about his cases and his clients, knows the system, and consistently comes away with great results."

View All Endorsements
Neeraj Dayal Singh headshot
Neeraj Singh

Criminal defense lawyer

Michael Anthony Scafiddi headshot
Michael Scafiddi

Criminal defense lawyer

Mark Thomas Russ headshot
Mark Russ

Criminal defense lawyer

Elisa Marie-Ann Guadan headshot
Elisa Guadan

Criminal defense lawyer

Adam Solinger headshot
Adam Solinger

Criminal defense lawyer

Karthik Krishnan headshot
Karthik Krishnan

Criminal defense lawyer

John Murray headshot
John Murray

Criminal defense lawyer

Neil Shouse headshot
Neil Shouse

Criminal defense lawyer

David Francis Poblete headshot
David Poblete

Criminal defense lawyer

Ninaz Saffari headshot
Ninaz Saffari

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2023

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

2023

Top 40 under 40, National Trial Lawyers

2022

Rising Star, Super Lawyers

2021

Rising Star, SuperLawyers

2020

Rising Star, SuperLawyers

2018

Top 10 Criminal Defense Attorneys Under 40 In California, National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys

2017

10 Best for Client Satisfaction, American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys

2011

James Irvine Swinden Scholar, Loyola Law School

Work Experience

2020 - Present

Principal Attorney, Law Offices of Leonard Manalo

2014 - 2022

Criminal Defense Attorney, Shouse Law Group

2011 - 2013

Criminal Defense Attorney, Margolin & Lawrence

2011 - 2011

Legal Assistant, Disability Rights Legal Center

2007 - 2008

Investigative Intern, San Diego Public Defender's Office

Associations

2013 - Present

United States District Court for the Central District of California

2013 - Present

United States Court of Appeals For the Ninth Circuit

2011 - Present

State Bar of California

Sample of Legal Cases

Illegal Search Leads to Exclusion of 7 grams of cocaine and 1 pound of mushrooms

Case Dismissed

Petty theft charges to be reduced after community service

Case Dismissed

Rape Allegations Not Filed

Case Note Rejected

See More Legal Cases

Education

2011

Loyola Law School

JD - Juris Doctor

2006

San Francisco State Unv

BA - Bachelor of Arts

Speaking Engagements

2013

AB Samahan High School Conference

Asian American Engagement in Legal Profession

Publications

2023

Manalolaw.net DUI Primer

Languages

English

Tagalog

Avvo Rating

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  • Experience & background Years licensed, work experience, education
  • Legal community recognition Peer endorsements, associations, awards
  • Legal thought leadership Publications, speaking engagements
  • Discipline Disciplinary information may not be comprehensive, or updated. We recommend that you always check a lawyer's disciplinary status with their respective state bar association before hiring them.
Avvo Rating Levels
10.0 - 9.0 Superb8.9 - 8.0 Excellent7.9 - 7.0 Very Good6.9 - 6.0 Good5.9 - 5.0 Average4.9 - 4.0 Concern3.9 - 3.0 Caution2.9 - 2.0 Strong Caution1.9 - 1.0 Extreme Caution