Mike was consistently one of the toughest opponents I faced when he was in the DA's Office. He knows criminal law inside and out and he is as competitive as they come. That combination is what people should look for when seeking out a criminal defense attorney and now that he is branching out into other areas of law, I have no doubt that his skills will translate to those arenas as well.

Anyone who hires Mr. Riese knows that they have the best trial attorney in Del Norte County, as well as in the entire North Coast. When I started working for Mr. Riese I thought I was sufficiently trained in the United States Attorney's Office, the Queens County (NY) District Attorney's Office, and in the Los Angeles DA's Office. Little did I know Mr. Riese would show me what it was to be a trial lawyer. He taught me to take the tough cases to trial and to scrupulously respect the rights of the accused among other things. He is a leader. Juries like him very much for a good reason. Judges respect his opinions and tend to agree with his arguments, which is why he has such an astounding record in the courtroom. Mr. Riese made me into the attorney I am today by adhering to the highest standards in the practice of law. Speaking for some of my acquaintances who served in the Del Norte DA's Office, we all owe him that same great debt of gratitude.