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Sergio Humberto Benavides

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Avvo Rating10
  • Hayward, CA
  • Licensed for 15 years
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About Sergio

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.

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Practice areas

Criminal defenseExpungementImmigration
  1. Immigration: 50%

    Family-based immigration. U Visa, Green Cards, Citizenship, Provisional Waiver, DACA renewal, Adjustment of Status

    8 years

  2. Expungement: 25%

    reduction of Felonies to misdemeanors. Dismissal is cases. Vacating convictions for immigration purposes.

    8 years

  3. Criminal defense: 25%

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

    14 years

Languages spoken

Spanish, English, Hindi, Farsi, Korean, Urdu

Photos and videos

335548 1393892185

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Contact

Law Office of Sergio H. Benavides

24301 Southland Drive
Suite 212 B
Hayward, CA, 94545

    Resume

    License
    StateStatusAcquiredUpdated
    CAActive200505/10/2021
    We have not found any instances of professional misconduct for this lawyer.
    Avvo Contributions
    Legal answers407
    Legal guides2
    Awards
    Award nameGrantorDate granted
    Top 100 Criminal Trial LawyersNational Trial Lawyers2015
    Criminal Law SpecialistState Bar of California- Board of Legal Specialization2013
    Work Experience
    TitleCompany nameDuration
    AttorneyLaw Office of Sergio H. Benavides2014 - Present
    Defense AttorneyFresno County Public Defender's Office2007 - 2013
    Associations
    Association namePosition nameDuration
    San Francisco La Raza Lawyers AssociationMember2015 - Present
    National College of DUI DefenseMember2015 - Present
    State Bar of California, Criminal Law SectionMember2015 - Present
    National Trial LawyersTop 100 Criminal Trial Lawyer2015 - Present
    Alameda County Bar Association, Criminal Law SectionExecutive Committee Member2015 - Present
    American Immigration Lawyers AssociationMember2014 - Present
    Californa Public Defenders AssociationMember2007 - Present
    Bay Area Laywers for Individual FreedomMember2003 - Present
    Education
    School nameDegreeGraduated
    University of San Francisco School of LawJD - Juris Doctor2005
    Antioch University- SeattleMA - Masters1997
    San Francisco State UnvBA - Bachelor of Arts1993
    Speaking Engagements
    Conference nameTitleDate
    20 Years Federal Prison for Erasing a Hard Drive? YesFederal Prosecutions Under Sarbanes-Oxley2015
    Sunday FriendsDriving and the Law2014
    Injured Workers National Network MCLE SeminarEliminating Bias and Substance Abuse in the Legal Profession and a Focus on Developing the Best Medical Evidence for Workers' Compensation Purposes2014
    Sunday Friends Educational ProgrammingWhat You Can Do to Help Friends and Familiy Facing Criminal Charges2014
    Law Office of Sergio H. BenavidesUnderstanding the Criminal Justice System2014
    Legal cases
    Case nameOutcome
    People v. T.M.plea bargain to Wet Reckless
    People v. S.K.case dismissed
    People v. K.W.case dismissed

    Reviews

    (6)
    5 Star
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    4 Star
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    Review Sergio Benavides

    Exceeded Expectations

    Posted by

    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.
    This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
    Hired attorney

    Great Attorney

    Posted by

    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.
    This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
    Consulted attorney

    The best lawyer !

    Posted by

    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 .
    This review is from a person who hired this attorney.
    Hired attorney

    Great Attorney

    Posted by

    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
    This review is from a potential client who consulted with this attorney.
    Consulted attorney

    Sergio Benavides

    Posted by

    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.

    Sergio Benavides teaches and advises very low-income families

    Posted by

    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.

    Attorney endorsements

    (27)
    Are you an attorney? Endorse this lawyer

    Eric Boeing, Criminal defense Attorney on Jan 29, 2018
    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.

    Sana Abbasi, Immigration Attorney on Oct 21, 2016
    Relationship: Worked together on matter

    I endorse this lawyer.

    David Beyersdorf, Criminal defense Attorney on Nov 10, 2015
    Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

    I endorse this lawyer.

    Jennifer Zide, Criminal defense Attorney on Mar 17, 2015
    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.

    David Dastrup, Criminal defense Attorney on Mar 9, 2015
    Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

    I endorse this lawyer.

    Adam Rodriguez, Criminal defense Attorney on Feb 5, 2015
    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.

    Sean Cleary, Criminal defense Attorney on Dec 20, 2014
    Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

    I wholeheartedly endorse this lawyer. A brilliant, trustworthy and highly respected attorney in the legal community.

    Sam Israels, Criminal defense Attorney on Nov 7, 2014
    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.

    Philip Israels, Criminal defense Attorney on Nov 7, 2014
    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.

    Michael LeMond, Criminal defense Attorney on Oct 26, 2014
    Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

    I endorse this lawyer!!!!

    Matthew Nezhad, Criminal defense Attorney on Sep 23, 2014
    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.

    Peter Marek, Criminal defense Attorney on Jul 20, 2014
    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.

    Michael Waddington, Criminal defense Attorney on Jun 6, 2014
    Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

    I endorse Sergio. He is a highly skilled attorney that is well respected in the legal community.

    Arezou Bakhtjou, Criminal defense Attorney on May 20, 2014
    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.

    Christian Lassen

    Top-notch lawyer. Highly respected in the legal community.

    Jonathan Rooker, Criminal defense Attorney on Mar 14, 2014
    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!

    Vijay Dinakar

    I endorse this lawyer.

    Scott Levy, Criminal defense Attorney on Jan 18, 2014
    Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

    I endorse this lawyer....an absolute legal scholar!

    Brian Andritch, Criminal defense Attorney on Jan 17, 2014
    Relationship: Fellow lawyer in community

    I endorse this lawyer.

    Michael McKneely, Criminal defense Attorney on Jan 16, 2014
    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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