Best Lawyers Near You in Sherman Oaks, California
With nearly 200,000 licensed attorneys across a state known for its massive industries, progressive laws and regional differences, finding the right legal help in California can feel overwhelming. Whether you’re facing a business dispute in Silicon Valley or a custody battle in San Diego, it’s critical to find a lawyer in California who not only understands the law but understands how it works where you live.
That’s where Best Lawyers comes in. Our platform is more than just a directory. Every lawyer listed has been thoroughly vetted through a rigorous peer-review process, so you can search with confidence no matter what practice area you need.
Using the Best Lawyers Directory in California
The Best Lawyers directory makes it easy to find top-rated legal talent across California’s many regions and industries. You can search by:
- Practice area (e.g., environmental law, immigration, tech and IP, family law)
- Location (city or county)
- Lawyer name (if you’re researching someone specifically)
Each listed attorney has been recognized in the most recent edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, a distinction earned through extensive peer feedback and professional evaluation. That means every name you see has already earned the respect of their colleagues—and likely their adversaries, too.
If you need to find a lawyer in California without wasting time on unverified referrals or endless Google results, start here. Our listings provide clear, up-to-date profiles that help you narrow down your options quickly.
California-Specific Legal Needs and Practice Areas
California law can be tricky. You need someone who knows the ropes. The state is a national leader in tech innovation, environmental regulation and entertainment law—and its legal landscape reflects that. Attorneys here must stay up to date not only with federal law but with fast-evolving state statutes, administrative rulings and court precedents.
Some of the most common practice areas where Californians seek legal help include:
- Real estate law, especially in high-cost markets like Los Angeles, San Francisco and Orange County
- Family law, including divorce, child custody and support disputes, all governed by California’s unique family code
- Tech and IP law, a major concern for startups and established firms alike in the Bay Area and beyond
- Entertainment and media law, vital for clients in Los Angeles and surrounding creative hubs
- Environmental and land use law, which is especially important in light of California’s extensive regulations on development, conservation and climate compliance
California also has strict state bar licensing rules, making it essential to choose an attorney who is not just experienced in the area of law you need, but also well-versed in local procedures and precedent. That’s why using a trusted directory like Best Lawyers—where every listing has local context and professional vetting—can make the difference.
How to Find a Good Lawyer in California
Finding a good lawyer in California feels daunting. With so many billboards and online ads, don’t feel bad if you don’t know where to turn. The best results come from approaching your search with intention. Here are key things to consider:
- Know your legal issue. Attorneys often specialize. Make sure you’re looking within the right practice area.
- Check credentials. Always confirm that a lawyer is licensed and in good standing with the State Bar of California.
- Evaluate experience. Ask about similar cases the attorney has handled, especially in your city or county.
- Ask the right questions. When interviewing lawyers, consider asking:
- What is your experience with this specific type of case?
- How do you communicate with clients during the process?
- What outcomes have you achieved in similar matters?
- Read peer and client feedback. While reviews can be helpful, peer recognition carries additional weight. Lawyers know the strengths—and weaknesses—of their colleagues better than anyone else.
Choosing the right legal partner isn’t just about skill. It’s about trust, communication and shared expectations. That’s why using a curated directory that highlights attorneys recommended by their peers can help you filter out guesswork.
Why Peer Recognition Matters in Your Search
The Best Lawyers selection process is rooted in peer recognition—a factor that sets us apart from other platforms. Here’s how it works:
- Nominations come from fellow lawyers, clients and others familiar with a nominee’s work.
- Peer review follows, in which top attorneys confidentially assess the legal skill and professionalism of their peers.
- Analysis and vetting ensure lawyers meet strict ethical and professional standards before being listed.
This isn’t pay-to-play. Lawyers cannot buy their way into the directory and inclusion is never guaranteed. That’s why so many legal professionals and clients trust Best Lawyers as a reliable source of information.
In a field where reputation is everything, recognition from fellow attorneys carries exceptional value. It tells you a lawyer is respected not just by clients, but by those who face them in court or collaborate with them on deals.
Start Your Search with Confidence
Whether you’re seeking representation for a business dispute, criminal matter, estate plan or high-asset divorce, California’s legal market offers no shortage of options. But knowing how to find a lawyer in California—one who brings both credibility and local expertise—is the key to moving forward with clarity.
At Best Lawyers, we make it easier to connect with attorneys who have already earned the respect of their peers. You can explore by practice area, browse by city or search for a specific lawyer using our intuitive filters. No matter where you are in the Golden State, trusted legal help is just a click away.
Find a lawyer in California today and move forward with confidence—backed by a directory built on excellence and trust.
Select a practice area from the list below to find the best legal talent for your needs.
Practice Areas
Greg Akselrud is a founder and Partner of the firm and a member of the firm’s executive committee. He Chairs the firm’s Internet, Digital Media and Entertainment Practice group. Greg advises clients across a wide range of industries, including companies in the entertainment, digital media, Internet, technology, software, mobile, venture capital and consumer electronics industries. Greg Akselrud has been an Adjunct Professor of Law at Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, teaching Busine...
Scott Alderton is a Founding Partner of the Firm, Managing Partner, and a member of the Firm’s executive committee. Scott is also Co-Chair of the Firm’s Venture Capital and Emerging Growth practice group. Scott Alderton advises clients across a number of industries, including software, technology, digital media, interactive entertainment and video games, cyber security and life sciences. Scott’s practice focuses on advising early-stage to middle-market technology and emergin...
Mark is a Partner at the firm, and he is Chair of the Consumer Products practice group. Mark specializes in representing consumer product companies in corporate, commercial, intellectual property, finance, transactional, merger and acquisition, insolvency, e-commerce, and sourcing matters. For over 30 years, Mark has been steeped in the apparel and textile space, building relationships with the leading players, and leveraging his experience to guide apparel, textile, and other consumer produc...
Kevin D. DeBré is the Chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property & Technology Transactions Practice group. Entrepreneurs and innovators rely on Kevin for guidance when using intellectual property to build their businesses. Kevin has been a “tech lawyer” since the mid-90’s when he was an attorney for a top Silicon Valley law firm and handled technology deals for “startups” such as Cisco systems, Broadcom and Geocities. Today, Kevin DeBré rep...
John McIlvery is a founder and Partner of the firm. John is the chair of the firm’s Public Securities Practice group . John’s practice is focused on corporate securities, mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financing, and general corporate and business matters. John McIlvery has represented clients in a wide variety of industries and businesses, including Internet and e-commerce, apparel, medical device, semiconductor, biotech, entertainment, technology and manufacturing. He...
Norman Pine, a Certified Appellate Law Specialist (State Bar, CBLS), has been singled out by CAALA (2003: “Appellate Lawyer of the Year"), CELA (Joe Posner Award), and the Daily Journal (“Top Employment Lawyers in California” 2009, 2011–2018, inclusive). For the past ten years he has been one of only a handful of appellate lawyers to make the “Top 100" Southern California Super Lawyers list (2009–2019, inclusive), and he has consistently been listed in Sout...
Michael Shaff joined the firm in 2011 as Of Counsel. He is the Chair of the Tax Practice group. Michael specializes in all aspects of federal income taxation. Mr. Shaff has served as a trial attorney with the Office of the Chief Counsel of the Internal Revenue Service for three years. Mr. Shaff is certified by the Board of Legal Specialization of the State Bar of California as a specialist in tax law. Mr. Shaff is a past Chair of the Tax Section of the Orange County Bar Association. He is co-...
Michael A. Sherman is a Partner and Chair of the Firm's Business Litigation Practice. Michael brings decades of experience in successfully handling disputes and litigation in an extraordinarily diverse array of industries and businesses. His peers in the legal community describe Michael as the consummate trial lawyer, and he approaches every trial as an opportunity to tell his client’s story, in order to win. In an era of “specialization” in the legal profession, Michael has...
Michael litigates intellectual property and general civil matters, including complex business and contractual disputes, and proves outside counsel for clients across a wide range of industries, including entertainment, apparel and consumer goods. Michael prefers to resolve matters early, amicably and cost-effectively, but when necessary, he provides aggressive advocacy. Michael has extensive experience prosecuting and defending against copyright, trademark, right of publicity, breach of contr...
Jared Brenner is a Senior Counsel of the Firm. Jared advises technology companies and their investors at all stages of growth, on matters including venture capital financings, complex licensing transactions, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance, employee compensation, and securities law compliance. He has routinely served as outside general counsel for startups in a variety of industries, including media, education, life sciences, and finance. He also regularly represents entertainm...
Neil Elan is Senior Counsel in the Firm's Business Litigation Practice group. Neil Elan's civil litigation practice focuses on all areas of business and commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on business dissolution, buy-sell agreements, prosecution and defense of breach of contract and promissory note actions, business torts, unfair business practices, fraud, and Anti-SLAPP. In his civil litigation practice, Neil represents real estate developers, limited liability companies, clos...
Cathleen Green is senior counsel in the Firm's corporate and entertainment group. She focuses her practice on providing strategic counseling to various entertainment-based clients, including A+ level talent, production companies, and digital media companies in a broad array of corporate and entertainment transactions, with an emphasis in joint venture, finance, mergers and acquisitions, licensing, and endorsement/sponsorship transactions. Cathleen also has experience in general corporate matt...
Durdana Karim is an Associate of the firm. Durdana’s practice focuses on corporate transactions, including mergers and acquisitions, private placement deals, corporate securities, venture capital and private equity financing, commercial agreements, and other general corporate and business matters. Prior to joining the firm, Durdana worked at a boutique transactional law firm, where she advised private companies and startups in technology, entertainment and media, real estate, healthcare...
Celina Kirchner is Senior Counsel in the Firm's Business Litigation Practice group. Celina’s civil litigation practice focuses on all areas of business and commercial litigation, with a particular emphasis on digital media, technology, internet, privacy, emerging companies, insurance, breach of contract, fraud, and complex business disputes. In her practice, Celina works closely with business professionals of all levels in order to develop practical strategies for resolving their disput...
Simon Leefatt is a Senior Counsel at the Firm. Simon’s practice is focused on corporate transactions, including mergers, stock and asset acquisitions (buy-side and sell-side), equity and debt fundraising, joint ventures, commercial lending, intellectual property, technology transactions and venture capital investments. In addition to counseling his clients on a wide range of transaction types, Simon acts as external general counsel to emerging companies, providing guidance to C-suite ex...
Blaine O’Malley is an Associate of the Firm. Her practice focuses on all stages of business litigation. Prior to joining the firm, Blaine was a certified law clerk at the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office in both the Central Trials and Victim Impact divisions, where she successfully represented the people of California in preliminary hearings and pre-trial motions. During her time at the District Attorney’s Office, Blaine O'Malley actively volunteered with Projec...
Jose A. Ortiz is an Associate of the Firm. Jose’s practice focuses on Venture & Emerging Growth and Mergers & Acquisitions. Jose regularly provides general corporate counsel for emerging growth companies and investors and advises on mergers and acquisitions, venture capital financings, corporate and securities laws, corporate and LLC formations, and general corporate governance matters. Prior to joining the Firm, Jose worked at a boutique law firm in Los Angeles, where he advise...
Taylor Osher is an Associate at the Firm. Taylor’s practice focuses on matters relating to intellectual property and privacy. Prior to joining the firm, Taylor worked as both a contacts and compliance analyst and a law clerk. In these roles, Taylor drafted legal documents, assisted in contract revisions and negotiations, completed legal research for privacy, trademark, contract, and tort law, and performed trademark registration. Taylor earned her B.A. from the University of Southern Ca...
