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Sergio Humberto Benavides

Immigration Attorney at Hayward, CA

5.0   7 reviews

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About Sergio

Learn Sergio’s areas of practice.

3
Practice areas
  1. Immigration
    50%
    Family-based immigration. U Visa, Green Cards, Citizenship, Provisional Waiver, DACA renewal, Adjustment of Status

    10 years

  2. Criminal defense
    25%
    Misdemeanor & Felony cases. Expert in: DUI, Domestic Violence, Drug Sales, Weapons Possessions, Fraud, Expungements & Record Clearance.No traffic/speeding tickets.

    16 years

  3. Expungement
    25%
    reduction of Felonies to misdemeanors. Dismissal is cases. Vacating convictions for immigration purposes.

    10 years

Sergio H. Benavides, a native of the East Bay Area, and Costa-Rican American, I am fully fluent in Spanish.  I am a former Spanish bilinual elementary school teacher, and I strongly believe my teaching experiences have led to my many Not Guilty and Hung Jury verdicts. It's where I learned to tell a story, organized data, and speak to people in an interesting and entertaining way.  You won't be falling asleep if you sit on my jury!

 

I spent over six years in Fresno as a Public Defender attorney, handling extremel heavy caseloads, helping thousands of poor clients.  My experience includes assisting teens in the Juvenile Courts, with crimes as small as Petty Theft, to as serious as Assault With a Deadly Weapon, with Great Bodily Injury enhancements.  I've done 11 Juvenile Trials, and love working with teens.  Although many had had rough childhoods, and poor educations, I liked to think that these young people were moldable, and could always straighten out their lives and become productive citizens.

 

My vast Criminal Law experience includes a stint in the Misdemeanor courts, where I helped hundreds of clients cut deals with the most common charges, such as Driving Under the Influence, Domestic Violence, and Petty Theft.  Afterward, I handled a very heavy Felony court department, doing both calendar assignments, and motions/trials.  It was extremely valuable experience. My proudest victory was beating an Armed Robbery with a Gun charge.  The client's family sent me a bouquet of roses!  

I loved helping people from all walks of life:  Mexican farmworkers, African Americans, Asian immigrants, and the urban poor.  Everyone had a story tell, and many had the courage to fight for their rights and dignity at trial. 

In my office, we now have had years of experience helping people obtain green cards, citizenship, applying for U visa, Feidy Deportation in Immigration court, and more.

I enjoy world travel, having visited Costa Rica, Mexico, Canada, England, Ireland, France, and Morocco.  I love sampling other people's foods, cultures, languages, and ways of life.  Diversity is beautiful, and it is the best that the San Francisco Bay Area has to offer. 

Our attorneys speak Spanish, English, Urdu/Hindi, and Farsi. Our office assistant speaks fluent Korean.

Photos and videos

Sergio H. Benavides, a Criminal Defense Attorney and Criminal Law Specialist, introduces his law firm, based in Hayward, California, and serving people's needs in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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Licensed for 17 years
State CA
Status Active
Acquired 2005
Updated 12/01/2022

We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.

Contact Sergio

Similar lawyers nearby

Law Office of Sergio H. Benavides
24301 Southland Drive
Suite 212 B
Hayward, CA, 94545

Reviews

5.0 / 5.0
  7 customer reviews
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Posted by Zoya | June 14, 2022
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
My son's case was moved to Diversion Program
I hired Sergio for my son felony case and it was a huge difference from Public Defender Attorney. Now, my son is free from felony charges, moreover, he overgrew his immaturity and I do not need to worry anymore about his life. Sergio was efficient and pleasant to deal with; he was always on time for court appearances. He evidently is caring more about his client's well being than about making money. Not a frequent thing to meet!!
Read less
Posted by Jermar | April 16, 2021
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
Exceeded Expectations
Trying to get a felony expunction in California (2 different counties and cases) while living in a different state, during a pandemic, was overwhelming. But Sergio made the process very clear and concise. I always knew what needed to happen next, what we were waiting on, and how I could reach him. He was very responsive through email, text, and phone calls. The price was very reasonable for the work he did, he was very clear about the likelihood of success and the probable timeline. Thankfully, the timeline ended up being much quicker than anticipated, which was an extra bonus. Throughout the entire process, I had complete confidence that Sergio knew what he was doing and was handling the case appropriately. I wouldn't hesitate to hire him again or to refer anyone to him.
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Posted by Juan | November 4, 2020
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Great Attorney
Sergio stands out for the level of expertise on the fields he specializes and this comes as perhaps as one of his greatest assets when dealing with complex cases, as it was my case. Effectiveness and assertiveness included in the package. There might be cases that are more straight forward than others, and these can be handled with more ease and then there are cases that require a Subject Matter Expert across other disciplines, Sergio and his team provide a high quality service on both fronts. I definitely recommend Sergio if you are looking for a straight forward scenario, an honest diagnosis and to see the projected results.
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Posted by Geronimo | August 16, 2019
This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
| Hired Attorney
The best lawyer !
4 years ago I went into Sergio’s office looking for help , crying about facing a removal process through inmigration he took the time and the labor to work on my case and always made me feel safe and assured me that he’ll do everything possible to get to cancel the process of removal today 4 years later I cry again from the excitement from the judge granted the cancelation of removal . Sergio went above and beyond to win my case .
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Posted by Benjamin | December 20, 2016
This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
| Consulted Attorney
Great Attorney
I recommand Sergio H.Benavides because he showed himself very flexible and helpful for my DUI. His knowledge about the law issues and trick were priceless. Moreover, he answered very quickly to my request. Thanks a lot
Posted by anonymous | November 10, 2014
Sergio Benavides
Sergio is great, any questions or concerns we have he address them fairly quickly and with a lot of detail. He is an excellent legal adviser.
Posted by Janis | November 3, 2014
Sergio Benavides teaches and advises very low-income families
Sergio Benavides has helped and uplifted hundreds of very low-income members of our community by teaching classes and providing advisory services through Sunday Friends, a nonprofit that runs programs on Sundays in San Jose. Sergio has taught standing-room only crowds about navigating the criminal justice system and understanding immigration issues, including driving and the law. Sergio dynamically brings each class alive, prompting lots of questions. Following each class, audience members stand in line waiting to speak with him privately. His combination of knowledge, experience, caring, cultural awareness and integrity bring much needed support and guidance to the participants of Sunday Friends.
Read less
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Cost

Rates
  • Retainer Always
Payment methods
Cash, Check, Credit Card

Resume

AVVO RATING 10.0 (Superb)

Work Experience

  • Attorney
  • Law Office of Sergio H. Benavides
  • 2014 - Present
  • Defense Attorney
  • Fresno County Public Defender's Office
  • 2007 - 2013

Education

  • University of San Francisco School of Law
  • JD - Juris Doctor
  • 2005
  • Antioch University- Seattle
  • MA - Masters
  • 1997
  • San Francisco State Unv
  • BA - Bachelor of Arts
  • 1993

Legal Cases

  • People v. T.M.
  • plea bargain to Wet Reckless
  • People v. S.K.
  • case dismissed
  • People v. K.W.
  • case dismissed

Associations

  • San Francisco La Raza Lawyers Association
  • Member
  • 2015 - Present
  • National College of DUI Defense
  • Member
  • 2015 - Present
  • State Bar of California, Criminal Law Section
  • Member
  • 2015 - Present
  • National Trial Lawyers
  • Top 100 Criminal Trial Lawyer
  • 2015 - Present
  • Alameda County Bar Association, Criminal Law Section
  • Executive Committee Member
  • 2015 - Present
  • American Immigration Lawyers Association
  • Member
  • 2014 - Present
  • Californa Public Defenders Association
  • Member
  • 2007 - Present
  • Bay Area Laywers for Individual Freedom
  • Member
  • 2003 - Present
View all associations

Languages Spoken

  • Spanish
  • English
  • Hindi
  • Farsi
  • Korean
  • Urdu
View all languages

Honors and Awards

  • Top 100 Criminal Trial Lawyers
  • National Trial Lawyers
  • 2015
  • Criminal Law Specialist
  • State Bar of California- Board of Legal Specialization
  • 2013

Speaking Engagements

  • 20 Years Federal Prison for Erasing a Hard Drive? Yes
  • Federal Prosecutions Under Sarbanes-Oxley
  • 2015
  • Injured Workers National Network MCLE Seminar
  • Eliminating Bias and Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession and a Focus on Developing the Best Medical Evidence for Workers' Compensation Purposes
  • 2014
  • Sunday Friends Educational Programming
  • What You Can Do to Help Friends and Familiy Facing Criminal Charges
  • 2014
View all speaking engagements

Attorney endorsements

Received (27)
Given (23)
Endorse Sergio
Criminal defense Attorney | Jan 29
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Sergio is a great lawyer. I know him to be incredibly smart, sharp-witted, and committed to fighting for his clients aggressively. He is a good, generous, & humane person too, and anyone who does a consultation with him will like him immediately."
Immigration Attorney | Oct 21
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I endorse this lawyer."
Criminal defense Attorney | Nov 10
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Criminal defense Attorney | Mar 17
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I strongly endorse Mr. Benavides for criminal defense and immigration law. He is a highly-rated criminal law specialist with extensive experience and superb skills in his fields. You can count on him to fight for you and stand by you, no matter what. He is a person of integrity, who believes in the ideals of both criminal defense and immigration law, and who has dedicated himself to lifting up and defending the individual, and to creating opportunity. Mr. Benavides has devoted hundreds of volunteer hours to giving back to the community, to helping those in need, and to inspiring our youth. I am a fellow criminal defense attorney, Mr. Benavides is my "go to" referral for a criminal defense or immigration attorney for my friends and clients seeking the best possible representation in the Bay area."
Criminal defense Attorney | Mar 09
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Criminal defense Attorney | Feb 05
Relationship: Co-worker
"I endorse this lawyer. I had the pleasure of working with Mr. Benavides at the beginning of my career and quickly realized that Mr. Benavides is an intelligent and compassionate attorney."
Criminal defense Attorney | Dec 20
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I wholeheartedly endorse this lawyer. A brilliant, trustworthy and highly respected attorney in the legal community."
Criminal defense Attorney | Nov 07
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse attorney Sergio Benavides. Demonstrates the highest levels of professionalism, zealousness and knowledge which he utilizes to obtain outstanding results for his clients."
Criminal defense Attorney | Nov 07
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse attorney Sergio Benavides. Demonstrates an impressive knowledge of the law based on his accurate legal answers on Avvo. He is an asset to the legal field and respected by colleagues."
Criminal defense Attorney | Oct 26
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer!!!!"
Criminal defense Attorney | Sep 23
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse attorney Sergio Humberto Benavides. Dedicated to his clients with a track record of success. Has earned respect from his clients and peers."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jul 20
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse Sergio. As a former public defender he has handled thousands of criminal matters. Experience matters. If you are anywhere near Hayward you want a consultation with him in english or spanish."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jun 06
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse Sergio. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community."
Criminal defense Attorney | May 20
Relationship: Co-worker
"I highly endorse and recommend this lawyer. I have witnessed Sergio fight for his clients and have seen him win case after case for his clients. He is a zealous advocate and I was honored to be his co-worker at the public defender's office."
Unknown Attorney | Mar 27
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Top-notch lawyer. Highly respected in the legal community."
Criminal defense Attorney | Mar 14
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer. I interned under, and latter worked with Sergio at the Fresno County public defenders office. Sergio has earned his reputation as a hard working, fight to death criminal defense attorney who works hard for his clients, and gets results!"
Unknown Attorney | Feb 02
Relationship: Worked together on matter
"I endorse this lawyer."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jan 18
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer....an absolute legal scholar!"
Criminal defense Attorney | Jan 17
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"I endorse this lawyer."
Criminal defense Attorney | Jan 16
Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community
"Mr. Benavides is an excellent attorney. He fights for his clients and stands firm in the face of overreaching prosecutors and judges. I endorse him without reservation."
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