David S. Kestenbaum

David S. Kestenbaum

4.9
Rating: 10.0

Licensed for 46 years

Criminal defense Lawyer at Van Nuys, CA
Practice Areas: Criminal Defense, DUI & DWI, Expungement ... +2 more

14401 Sylvan Street, Suite 100, Van Nuys, CA

About David

Practice Areas

5

Practice Areas

Criminal Defense 45%

When someone makes a mistake that results in an arrest, they need an experienced attorney to protect their rights and their freedom! We aggressively defend every case with an eye on the best outcome!

47 years | 2,421 cases

45%
DUI and DWI 35%

With the addition of Drugged Driving, there are more people being stopped and tested for Driving Under the Influence. We are current on all the latest testing methods as well as defenses to these charges. We also have a great record in DMV Hearings!

47 years | 813 cases

35%
Expungement 10%

"Changing the Past" requires the filing of appropriate Petitions to Dismiss convictions from your record after you have successfully completed your probation. This procedure includes reducing Felonies to Misdemeanors also!

47 years | 142 cases

10%
Juvenile Law 5%

When someone under the age of 18 is accused of a crime, the case is heard in Juvenile Court where the goal is rehabilitation. We have worked for years with counselors and programs for youths to help them enter the adult world without any record.

47 years | 132 cases

5%

Fees and Rates

Cost

Retainer

Sometimes


Payment Methods

  • Cash
  • Check
  • Credit Card

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Licenses

Licensed in California for 46 years

State: California

Acquired: 1979

Active

No misconduct found

Location

Kestenbaum Law Group, APC

14401 Sylvan Street, Suite 100, Van Nuys, CA, 91401-2660

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David S. Kestenbaum's Reviews

Avvo Review Score

4.9 /5.0

50 Client Reviews

Showing 1 - 5 of 30 reviews | Criminal Defense

Posted by Jose | July 06, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Professional and Honest

First and foremost thank you David for making my experience through all the legal proceedings flow smoothly and convenient for me as a client. If you are looking for a great DUI Attorney, David will go the lengths and dedicate his time to your case, you have come to the right place. David not only... represented me a professional way, but took my case personal and it showed in the final Dismissal resolution of my DUI. If I was able to give 10 stars I would! Thank you David

Posted by Max | June 07, 2021 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Exceeded expectations. Highly recommended.

From the beginning of my experience with David, he has delivered on his promises. I was cited for a DUI. He told me he knew everyone including the DA's at Van Nuys court from his decades of experience; it was amusing but true. David referred me to Anthony Scott for my DMV hearing and with his experti...se, the DMV set aside my license suspension. David ensured me that this favorable result and his expertise would strengthen my case. Two months later, my DUI charge was dismissed to an ex. speed plea! I prayed such a significant reduction, and with David's magic, it became a reality. If you're in need of a DUI criminal defense attorney, look no further.

Posted by anonymous | February 12, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Very professional attorney and has a great team

Mr. Kestenbaum has been my attorney, he is a very hard working and honest lawyer. He does not make promises he cannot keep and I am thankful he took my criminal case and vacated my charge. He always made things clear to me and explained every step of the way I put my trust in him and he did not let m...e down. I recommend him to anyone that seeks legal help, he has assisted a couple of friends and family members as well and has always assisted them to his full potential and we have had great outcomes. He has helped me tremendously And because of him I am now able to hopefully speed up my citizenship paperwork. He treated me as if I was his own family member. I will always recommend him and his team. Thank you David.

Posted by Sue | February 06, 2020 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Best criminal defense attorney

In my life time, the most important decision I have made was to hire David Kestenbaum law group to handle my Criminal case, the crime I did not commit I was wrongfully arrested by Los Angeles sheriff for using so called counterfeit money and changed by DA for misdemeanor, petty theft. I hired Dav...id Chesley law office to defend me, the attorney assigned to me missed two court appearances even though I went to court on two hearing, they kept telling me that DA did not file the case yet, till one day afternoon, the attorney called me to be in the court in 10min or my $20,000,00 bail would be forfeited, shortly, he called s back that the bail was forfeited. I started calling the law office seeking for help. Lorena with David Kestenbaum law group patiently listened to my story kept saying “ it did not sound right”, she said she would call the court to find out what was going. Lorena called back within 20 min that I was under court warrant for missing court days. She even guided me to go to court immediately. I went to court by myself, the judge told me that I would be in jail right-way. After hearing my story, judge told me that Chesley office filed wrong motion. Judge asked me to drop the David Chesley law office and assigned me a public defender to help me out off warrant. I was released on “ Own recognizance” Following day, I met David, Matt and Lorena. They took time to review the case and laid out plan to have DA drop charge. They fought hard for me. Matt went to court with me four times, he brought all the characters’ letters from the People who know me to DA, he went to bank with me to test the similar money I have and it was good money, he arranged secret service agents to test the money in the custody, the sheriff destroyed evidence, DA dropped the case, Matt successful asked judge to reinstate my $20000 cash bail, arranged sheriff to return all my properties and no delay on expungement. Not only did they provide me to the best legal service I could ever ask for, they gave me tremendous emotional and psychological support. Lorena called almost weekly to update me, comfort me. That is above and beyond. I highly recommend Davis Kestenbaum law group to whoever need criminal defense. This would be the most important decision and they will fight tooth and nail for the defendants.

Posted by Julie | October 24, 2019 | Hired Attorney | Criminal Defense

Feelin' Good

I came into this office on a referral from a friend with a lot of fear and shame for the fact that I even needed a Criminal Attorney in the first place. David Kestenbaum and his assistant Lorena immediately took all those feeling away. Because of their calm compassionate demeanor and their knowledg...e of what I could be facing if charges were filed, I was able to take a breath and realize things aren't as bad as what I had built up in my head. A clear plan of action was laid out and set into motion. Fast forward a month later, I am lucky enough to say I have no charges being filed against me thanks to the Kestenbaum Law Group. They were diligent in their representation of me and I am forever grateful. On a side note, My incident happened in Ventura and I live in North Hollywood. I can't tell you how amazing it was to have someone close to home that knows the Ventura System and made appearances on my behalf. This referral was a blessing to me and I hope my review/referral will help someone else.

See All Client Reviews

David S. Kestenbaum's Lawyer Endorsements

Endorse David
Yuliya Kelmansky headshot
Yuliya Kelmansky

Criminal defense lawyer | Nov 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Agavni Tulekyan headshot
Agavni Tulekyan

Unknown lawyer | Mar 15

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Andrew Stephen Roberts headshot
Andrew Roberts

Criminal defense lawyer | Jun 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I have known David for over 30 years and am fortunate to be able to call him a friend and colleague. He is a great attorney and a true asset to our profession. I highly recommend him."

Wayne L Morrow headshot
Wayne Morrow

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 14

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"If you need criminal law assistance - you've found an outstanding attorney. David Kestenbaum is a experienced sage who cares, knows, and will tell you the truth. He's the real deal. WM"

Michelle Daneshrad headshot
Michelle Daneshrad

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Kestenbaum has over 30 year experience as a prosecutor and criminal defense attorney and he genuinely cares about his clients."

Channika Shalini Desilva headshot
Channika Desilva

Consumer protection lawyer | Mar 07

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this attorney. His professionalism, remarkable knowledge and vast experience place Mr. Kestenbaum among the top notch lawyers in his areas of practice. With utmost dedication and quick critical thinking, he has successfully resolved an impressive number of cases over the course of his career. I highly recommend this lawyer to anyone who needs quality legal representation."

Peter Matthew Depew headshot
Peter Depew

Consumer protection lawyer | Feb 10

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Kestenbaum provides a much needed service on Avvo. He donates his time to individuals who are in need of immediate legal answers."

Gregory A Cade headshot
Gregory Cade

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 27

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"David is a highly skilled, diligent and knowledgeable attorney who is well-known in the legal community for his outstanding professionalism. He was able to obtain satisfactory results even for clients whose cases were incredibly difficult by dedicating his time and effort to achieve the best results. I certainly endorse this lawyer and have no doubt he will be of great help to anyone seeking legal advice or representation within his main areas of practice."

Amanda Beth Naples headshot
Amanda Naples

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 24

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Attorney Kestenbaum provides a much needed service on Avvo. He donates his time to individuals who are in need of immediately legal answers."

John D. Faucher headshot
John Faucher

Criminal defense lawyer | Jan 17

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"Mr. Kestenbaum is both knowledgeable and energetic. I endorse him as an excellent criminal defense attorney."

Amir Soleimanian headshot
Amir Soleimanian

Criminal defense lawyer | Sep 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Jeffrey Lewis Bear headshot
Jeffrey Bear

Unknown lawyer | Jun 28

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Narine Mkrtchyan headshot
Narine Mkrtchyan

Criminal defense lawyer | Feb 26

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Benjamin Soffer headshot
Benjamin Soffer

Criminal defense lawyer | Aug 06

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Kestenbaum has a well-earned reputation as a top-notch criminal defense attorney. He is highly respected in the legal community in Los Angeles."

Adam Jackson headshot
Adam Jackson

DUI and DWI lawyer | Jun 30

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"One if the most highly respected in the Ventura area. I endorse this lawyer."

Aryeh Leichter headshot
Aryeh Leichter

Consumer protection lawyer | May 06

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Gregory David Brenner headshot
Gregory Brenner

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 29

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

Scott Kosner headshot
Scott Kosner

Criminal defense lawyer | Apr 16

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I've read many of Mr. Kestenbaum's opinions & answers. He clearly is extremely knowledgable on Criminal Law."

Carla Galindez headshot
Carla Galindez

DUI and DWI lawyer | Mar 19

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer. Mr. Kestenbaum is a top notch lawyer and a wealth of knowledge."

Mark George Cunningham headshot
Mark Cunningham

Criminal defense lawyer | Mar 13

Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

"I endorse this lawyer."

View All Endorsements
Matthew Marcus Vodnoy headshot
Matthew Vodnoy

Criminal defense lawyer

Andrew Stephen Roberts headshot
Andrew Roberts

Criminal defense lawyer

Alicia Claire Freeze headshot
Alicia Freeze

Criminal defense lawyer

Wayne L Morrow headshot
Wayne Morrow

Child abuse lawyer

Amir Soleimanian headshot
Amir Soleimanian

Speeding and traffic ticket lawyer

Gregory David Brenner headshot
Gregory Brenner

Criminal defense lawyer

Dorinda Jo Myers headshot
Dorinda Myers

Criminal defense lawyer

Eric Everett Hawes headshot
Eric Hawes

Business lawyer

James Allen Goldstein headshot
James Goldstein

Criminal defense lawyer

Michael Aaron Goldstein headshot
Michael Goldstein

Criminal defense lawyer

Brad Kannof Kaiserman headshot
Brad Kaiserman

Criminal defense lawyer

Meryl Elise Chambers headshot
Meryl Chambers

Criminal defense lawyer

Donald Bruce Marks headshot
Donald Marks

Criminal defense lawyer

Dmitry Gorin headshot
Dmitry Gorin

Criminal defense lawyer

Mariya Furman headshot
Mariya Furman

Criminal defense lawyer

Ronald Daniel Hedding headshot
Ronald Hedding

Criminal defense lawyer

Philip Israels headshot
Philip Israels

Criminal defense lawyer

Sam J Israels headshot
Sam Israels

Criminal defense lawyer

Steven M. Cron headshot
Steven Cron

Criminal defense lawyer

Diana Weiss Aizman headshot
Diana Aizman

Criminal defense lawyer

Experience

Rating:  10.0 (Superb)

Honors

2015

Super Lawyers, Thomson Reuters

2014

Super Lawyer, Thomson Reuters

2010

Pre-Eminent U.S. Law Firm (Top 5%), Martindale-Hubbell

2009

Pre-Eminent Top 5% US Law Firm, Martindale-Hubbell

2008

Pre-Eminent Top 5% US Law Firm, Martindale-Hubbell

2007

Pre-Eminent Top 5% US Law Firm, Martindale-Hubbell

2006

Pre-Eminent Top 5% US Law Firm, Martindale-Hubbell

2005

Pre-Eminent Top 5% US Law Firm, Martindale-Hubbell

1999

AV Preeminent (Top 5% Crminal Lawyers), Martindale-Hubbell

1998

A.V. (Highest U.S. Rating) Criminal Defense Lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell

1997

A.V. (Highest U.S. Rating) Criminal Defense Lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell

1996

A.V. (Highest U.S. Rating) Criminal Defense Lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell

1995

A.V. (Highest U.S. Rating) Criminal Defense Lawyer, Martindale-Hubbell

1994

AV (Highest Rating) Criminal Defense Lawyer, Martindale & Hubbell

Work Experience

2014 - Present

President, Kestenbaum Law Group, APC

1992 - 2013

Senior Managing Partner, Kestenbaum Eisner Gorin LLP

1985 - 1992

Senior Prosecuting Trial Attorney, Los Angeles Office of the City Attorney

1982 - 1985

Managing Partner, Lovett, Obrenski & Kestenbaum

1979 - 1982

Owner, Law Offices of David S. Kestenbaum

Associations

2012 - Present

California Attorneys for Criminal Justice

Board of Governors

2012 - Present

San Fernando Valley Bar Association

Board of Trustees

State Bar of California

Member

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Member

Burbank Bar Association

Member

Criminal Courts Bar Association

Member

Sample of Legal Cases

People v. PL

Civil Compromise

People v. RB

CASE REJECTED!

People v. CH

Not Guilty of Going over 100 MPH; Guilty of Speeding and given traffic school!

People v. DM

CASE DISMISSED ON EVE OF TRIAL!

People v. CE

CASE DISMISSED!

People v. MM

Client placed on Probation instead of sentenced to prison and No Sex Registration!

People v. J.H.

Felony dismissed at Preliminary Hearing

People v. C.N.

Felony case dismissed at Preliminary Hearing

See More Legal Cases

Education

1978

Southwestern University School of Law

JD - Juris Doctor with Honors

1975

Boston University

B.S.B.A. with Honors

Speaking Engagements

2009

XM Radio: Legal Expert

Criminal Defense Cases involving High-Profile Defendants

2009

Los Angeles Daily Journal: Investigation of Church Sex Abuse

Using Convicted Priest Baker in Grand Jury Investigation of Cardinal Mahony

2008

Pepperdine School of Law

Criminal Defense Strategies

2007

Pepperdine School of Law

Pre-Trial Settlement, Motion Work, and Litigation in Criminal Cases

2006

Chinese - U.S. Law Delegation and Conference

Criminal Law and Jury Trials in the United States

Publications

1977

Southwestern Law Journal Halting the Erosion of the Right Against Self-Incrimination

Languages

English

Spanish

Activity

Avvo Rating

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