Arthur John Lacilento

I had done a lot of research before hiring Art. I knew I needed not just any lawyer but a Super Lawyer to represent me in my case. I had never been in a position like I found myself in late September 2020. I had also never required legal assistance before this nightmare event in my life that I also ...never imagined I would ever be in. Prior to hiring Art, I was originally given a court appointed lawyer. For those of you that are unfamiliar, as I was not, my personal advice is to get rid of them as fast as possible. I never once felt that mine was there to represent me nor cared about the truth and/or the outcome of my case. I have also heard this after the fact from many others that had ever encountered requiring one. This was shocking to say the least but also a wakeup call that I needed to find my own representation and quickly. My only regret was not dropping my court appointed lawyer sooner. I was in such a daze and had a lot of confusion of what was taking place, I had naively assumed that since I was innocent the truth would set me free. Boy, I could not have been more wrong. It was only 3.5 months before I concluded that the truth was not going to set me free and began my search for my own legal representation. Unfortunately, those 3.5 months that I had already lost had been crucial, I didn’t understand the legal process and my court appointed lawyer was not forth coming or fighting for me that entire time while supposedly representing me. By the time I retained Art, I had already lost some valuable time in my case and didn't even realize it. If you are reading this and are in the beginning stages of a JV case or later stages for that matter, please do yourself a favor and don’t make the same mistakes I did. Drop your court appointed lawyer and retain real legal assistance. I wish I had been given this advice sooner. I was extremely thankful when Art & Sue came to the rescue in my case. As I have read in other posts, Art can be gruff and very direct when speaking with you. But to be honest, I didn’t care because what mattered most was how he performed in the court room and at my trials. All I can say to this, Art was phenomenal in the areas that I hired him for. I did not hire him to be my best friend, I hired him to be my best lawyer and that’s exactly what he did and was. I was impressed with Art's understanding of all the facts and details of my case. There was a lot going on and a lot to have to know prior to our trial. Art took the time to research and not just take my word or not take my word but to see for himself what the true facts were of my complicated case. I knew it was important to always be honest with your lawyer, how can they represent you and do a good job if you are not truthful with them? I am sure there are many out there that are not upfront but that does not help you or them, it only hinders you and makes their job that much more difficult and near impossible to help you overcome the case against you. I did not take it personal when Art wasn’t quick to believe or not believe what I told him as I understood it was not personal to me but more of what again makes him a great lawyer. He needed to review and research the facts for himself to know what he believed to be the truth. This is important because if he hadn’t done his own investigation of my case and I was lying, then it would have come out in trial. Because of what I personally do for a living, I understood this on a different level and understood the true value in this. I also cannot say enough great things about Sue. Sue is Art's right-hand woman, and she is amazing at what she does. You can see both Sue & Art's true dedication and concern for your case throughout the entire process. I can’t say there was ever a time that I could not reach them or that they did not return my call or text within a reasonable amount of time. When you are in a desperate situation, as I felt I was in, there is a lot of value in this alone.. My case i

I used him for 5 long months. At the initial consult, he spent time talking to me so that I would pay him retainer fee. After this; however, I sent numerous emails/calls requesting much needed paperwork/investigation to be done. They did not respond or he would talk on the phone for 1 minute before c...utting me off, handing the questions over to less qualified paralegal wife or the secretary. They usually responded frantically at the last minute before due dates for certain forms. These forms were poorly written by the paralegal and I doubt that he even proofread them. I sent many useful documents to support my case, all in vain because they never read them nor organize these in any meaningful way. After 5 agonizing months of struggling to get them to work on my case, I finally switched to another real attorney. He was astonished by the mess of a case I was in. The paperwork was not organized at all and forms filed were useless or even wrong. He said he had never seen such a chaos from any attorney. Many things needed to be corrected, rewritten and resubmitted, costing me more money. I hired him because of good reviews, which I cannot comprehend. In summary, he likes to go to court because he can charge more. He does NOT spend time going over the case carefully nor gives you an overall strategy, but instead shoves your case aside. He does NOT prepare your legal paperwork nor proofread as if he is too important for these vital tasks. The attorney who took over my case fortunately corrected his mess and got me on the right track. I am so glad I switched. If you want a conscientious, professional attorney, choose someone else. Just because an attorney is aggressive does not make one a good representative. The court/judge looks at the facts and documents. If they cannot produce well-written documents because they don't have time nor interest to formulate your battle plan, how can they properly represent you? This was a good learning experience to know that attorneys vary widely in quality and professionalism.

It is my immense pleasure to recommend Mr. Lacilento as an attorney. Myself, as a trial attorney for over 15 years in Southern California, I have learned what it takes to be a successful individual. I have come to know Mr. Lacilento while working with him in a professional capacity. I have first ha...nd knowledge of watching him prepare and argue difficult motions and trials. He has demonstrated a professional demeanor in dealing with the Court, attorney's, office staff and clients. He is a hard working, knowledgeable , passionate and dedicated to his legal career. His positive attitude and outgoing personality compliment natural leadership qualities which assist him in exceling in his position as a trial attorney. He has always been knowledgeable about his cases and has diligently worked with other attorneys with the utmost professionalism. He is such an extremely bright and intelligent attorney with an extremely strong work ethic. I would find him highly qualified and would recommend his services to any client. He is an attorney that fights passionately for each and every client.