Brian Neal Gurwitz

If you are facing criminal charges in state or federal court, the outcome of your case may depend on the expertise of the attorney you hire. 

Brian Gurwitz’s experience and success is rivaled by few other criminal defense lawyers in California. 

A former Senior Deputy District Attorney in Orange County, Mr. Gurwitz played a key role in some of the most contentious, high-profile cases during the 13 years he served in that office. He tried dozens of cases and served as a supervisor in the office’s largest felony trial unit.

In addition to trial work, he gained a reputation as an exceptional appellate lawyer who was repeatedly called upon when the stakes were highest. He argued four cases before the California Supreme Court (prevailing in each) and dozens more in the Court of Appeal, including seven that resulted in published decisions. 

Of all his accomplishments in the Orange County DA’s office, Mr. Gurwitz takes particular pride in his work investigating and prosecuting corruption at the highest levels of law enforcement, and obtaining the release of inmates after investigating their cases and determining they were wrongly convicted. These experiences helped shape his belief that government power is easily abused, and that a strong criminal defense is a critical check against that misuse. 

Mr. Gurwitz entered private practice in 2007. What can be a hard transition for some proved seamless for him, as he brought the same relentless work ethic and standard for excellence that has marked his entire career. He has tried and won many serious cases before juries, and he has negotiated outstanding resolutions in countless more. Some of these were high-profile cases that resulted in significant media attention, but out of respect for his clients’ privacy and dignity, Mr. Gurwitz does not list those cases on his website. 

Mr. Gurwitz is one of a small fraction (less than 1 percent) of criminal law lawyers in the state (both prosecutors and defense attorneys) to be recognized as a Certified Criminal Law Specialist by the California State Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization. He has trained hundreds of lawyers statewide, testified before both houses of our Legislature on criminal justice legislation, and served as a consultant to the California Law Revision Commission. 

Mr. Gurwitz was recently honored by his peers when they elected him as a member of the Board of Governors of the California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, the state’s largest and most prestigious organization of criminal defense lawyers.

Mr. Gurwitz has earned the highest scores from his peers in surveys conducted by a variety of lawyer-rating organizations, including Martindale-Hubbell (“AV-Preeminent” rating for the highest level of professional excellence and integrity), Avvo (a perfect score of 10), and Super Lawyers. But he is most proud of the dozens of outstanding reviews he has received from his clients at the conclusion of their cases.