Criminal Defense · San Francisco
Top Criminal Defense Lawyers in San Francisco
Criminal defense lawyers represent people under investigation or charged with offences, from traffic and misdemeanour matters to serious felonies. This list compares 29 criminal defense lawyers practising in San Francisco on verified licences, years in this area, focus and sourced reputation.
- Updated 13 Oct 2026
- Ranking v1.0.0
- How we rank
- lawyers considered
- 29
- 15 verified licences
- 52%
- average years in practice
- 10
The ranking
Score out of 100- 1
- 2
Marcus Abernathy
VerifiedPartner
Hale & Prescott LLP19 yrs in practice3.6(24)Criminal DefenseDivorceFamilySpeaks English, French
- 3
Vivian Abernathy
VerifiedManaging Partner
Brook & Fairfax LLP19 yrs in practice4.0(5)Criminal DefenseFamilySpeaks English, Vietnamese
- 4
Rafael Lowell
VerifiedSenior Associate
Ashby Law Group33 yrs in practice3.3(9)Criminal DefenseBusinessDivorce - 5
- 6
Malik K. Pemberton
VerifiedOf Counsel
Rowe & Redfern LLP9 yrs in practice4.7(25)Criminal DefenseBusinessImmigration+1 more - 7
Lucas A. Abernathy
Out of datePrincipal Lawyer
Holt Law Group18 yrs in practice4.4(22)Criminal DefensePersonal InjurySpeaks English, Urdu, Mandarin
- 8
- 9
Olivia J. Tanaka
VerifiedManaging Partner
Thorne Law Group28 yrs in practice4.7(17)Estate PlanningCriminal DefenseEmploymentSpeaks English, Urdu
- 10
- 11
Hiroshi Ortega
VerifiedPartner
Granger & Redfern LLP21 yrs in practice4.5(3)FamilyCriminal DefenseDivorce+1 moreSpeaks English, Tagalog
- 12
Anika S. Abernathy
VerifiedPartner
Calder & Vance LLP2 yrs in practice3.7(17)Criminal DefenseEmploymentSpeaks English, Mandarin
- 13
Daniel L. Hargrove
VerifiedPrincipal Lawyer
6 yrs in practice4.1(21)ImmigrationCriminal DefenseSpeaks English, Russian
- 14
Hugo Rossi
PendingPrincipal Lawyer
Holt Law Group29 yrs in practice4.7(9)Criminal DefensePersonal InjuryReal EstateSpeaks English, French
- 15
Helena Cardenas
VerifiedAssociate
Calder & Vance LLP6 yrs in practice3.3(7)BusinessCriminal DefenseFamilySpeaks English, Mandarin
- 16
Noah Rahman
VerifiedPartner
Holt Law Group2 yrs in practice3.3(19)ImmigrationCriminal DefenseEstate Planning - 17
- 18
Isaac Delgado
PendingAssociate
Hale & Prescott LLP15 yrs in practice3.4(7)Real EstateCriminal DefenseSpeaks English, Hindi
- 19
- 20
James A. Lowell
PendingManaging Partner
Calder & Vance LLP35 yrs in practice3.8(2)DivorceCriminal DefenseEstate PlanningSpeaks English, Arabic
- 21
Yasmin L. Ramirez
UnverifiedAssociate
Harrow Law Group5 yrs in practice4.3(13)EmploymentCriminal DefenseReal EstateSpeaks English, Vietnamese
- 22
Esther Calloway
UnverifiedManaging Partner
Prescott & Brook LLP10 yrs in practice4.5(10)Estate PlanningCriminal DefenseDivorce+1 more - 23
Patrick Rahman
UnverifiedFounding Attorney
5 yrs in practice3.0(2)Criminal DefenseBusinessDivorce+1 moreSpeaks English, French
- 24
Rafael Ibarra
UnverifiedOf Counsel
Hale & Prescott LLP11 yrs in practice4.0(1)Personal InjuryCriminal Defense - 25
Yasmin S. Byrne
UnverifiedPartner
Thorne Law Group36 yrs in practicePersonal InjuryChild CustodyCriminal Defense+1 moreSpeaks English, Arabic
How we rank
Each lawyer gets nine component scores from 0 to 100. The bar shows how many of the 100 available points each component contributed. Weights are fixed for every lawyer in this list and published in full; payment plays no part.
Expertise50%
- Credentials20%
- Relevant experience15%
- Specialization15%
Standing35%
- Verified reputation15%
- Professional recognition10%
- Relevant track record10%
Service & data15%
- Client experience5%
- Profile & data quality5%
- Data freshness5%
San Francisco legal resources
- State Bar of California
Licence lookup for California attorneys.
- Bar Association of San Francisco
Lawyer referral and information service.
Choosing a criminal defense lawyer
Experience in the specific court and with the specific type of charge matters. Ask whether the lawyer has handled trials, not only plea negotiations, and whether they previously worked as a prosecutor or public defender. Contact a lawyer before speaking to investigators.
Frequently asked questions
Should I talk to the police without a lawyer?
You generally have the right to remain silent and to have a lawyer present. It is usually wise to speak to a criminal defense lawyer before giving any statement.
What if I cannot afford a lawyer?
If you are charged with an offence that can lead to imprisonment, you may be entitled to a public defender or legal aid. Ask the court about eligibility.