Immigration · Criminal Defense · Civil · Trials

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help you.
Hire Julio & Mike.

Do everything right — so when they do you wrong, we're in the right.

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Representing
our communities
México
Puerto Rico
Attorney · Abogado
Se habla español
Practices

We fight. We dig deep.
We don't give up.

From the first knock on the door to the last word of a jury verdict — immigration, criminal, juvenile, and civil. Both languages. Both sides of the courtroom when the law allows it. Every case treated like it's going to trial, because that's how you win the ones that don't.

Two fronts, one fight: Affirmative Relief — building your case for the life you're here to live — and Removal Defense — standing between you and the government when they try to take it away. Immigration law is federal, which means we're available to practice in all 50 states — wherever you are, wherever your case is.

Tap any box — we break it down

All of it. From a first misdemeanor to serious and violent felony trials — and everything the government does before, during, and after. If it happens in a station, a jail, or a courtroom, we're in the room.

Tap any box — we break it down

A kid's case isn't a small case — it's the whole future on the table. We handle Welfare & Institutions Code § 602 proceedings at every level, tried to the bench when that's the fight.

Tap any box — we break it down

When the dispute is money, property, or protection — we litigate it, and we're built to take it to verdict. Civil restraining order hearings handled for both petitioners and respondents.

Tap any box — we break it down

Have a case headed to a jury outside our usual lanes? We'll try it. We're available for all jury trial needs — anywhere a lawyer competent in that field will sit at counsel table and assist with preparation. You bring the subject matter. We bring the trial.

Tap any box — we break it down
"Every case is prepared like it's going to trial.
That's why most of them don't have to."

The consultation is free — for immigration and criminal cases, call or text and we'll talk it through. If we're not the right fit, we'll tell you that too.

The Art of Trial

Trial Samurai

Most lawyers settle. Some litigate. A few live for the moment the jury walks in. Trial is a craft — a discipline you sharpen every day so it's already sharp the day it counts. This is our code.

I

Preparation is the weapon

The trial is won in the weeks before it — in the file boxes, the record, the visits, the interviews. We walk into the courtroom already knowing how it ends.

II

The courtroom is the dojo

Bench or jury, prelim or verdict — reps matter. We try cases constantly, so the room that intimidates everyone else feels like home to us.

III

Cross-examination is swordwork

Clean. Controlled. No wasted motion. A cross isn't an argument — it's a sequence of cuts, each one planned before the witness ever takes the stand.

IV

Calm is the edge

When the prosecution raises its voice, we lower ours. Juries trust the steadiest person in the room. We make sure that's us — and by extension, you.

V

We serve the client, not the ego

Justice and defense are the whole point. Every strategic call runs through one question: what wins for the human being sitting next to us.

"Somewhere between the Dark Knight's patience and John Wick's preparation, there's a trial lawyer. That's the standard we hold ourselves to."

Available for retention on jury trials statewide —
wherever competent counsel in the field
sits at the table and preps with us.
Retain Us for Trial
Our Story

Why We Do This

Firms have "Our Team" pages. We have a story — and it's still being written.

Attorney · Abogado

Julio Cesar Perez

It started with a kid, a "notario," and a promise.

I didn't learn the immigration system in law school. I lived it. I watched my parents — humble, hardworking people — hand their trust to "notarios" who took advantage of them. I was maybe ten years old, and I still remember the feeling in my chest watching somebody prey on my family. I didn't have the words for it yet. I just knew: I have to do something about this.

It took me 34 years to become a citizen of the country I grew up in. I finished college before I ever held a work permit, watching opportunities pass to classmates who never had to think about it. I was doing everything right — more right than most — and still being told to wait. That frustration never made me bitter. It made me an advocate.

Before I ever put "attorney" in front of my name, I was running naturalization workshops at a nonprofit — a hundred people a month, sometimes hundreds in a weekend. By now I've helped thousands of people navigate this system: workers, parents, students, and people who fled the unimaginable to ask this country for refuge. In every one of them I see what I saw at my parents' kitchen table — gratitude, humility, hard work, and respect.

Here's what I know: nobody should have to face this system alone. I know exactly how heavy that door is — because I spent 34 years pushing it open myself.
Now I hold it open.
Trial Counsel · Professor

Michael Vasquez

It started with a professor, a prop, and one question.

I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life until Criminal Law 101. The professor wore three hats — law professor, criminal defense attorney, and somehow the police chief of a small town — and he was pure theater. Every time he spoke, he had the whole room in his hand. He taught with props. Years later, I'd use one in my first jury trial.

One day he brought in a real firearm from the evidence room — chief of police, remember. He called me to the front of the class, put it to my head, pulled the trigger, and asked: "What crime did I just commit?" I got it right — "Murder. If the gun was loaded." The whole class laughed. I was hooked for life.

Ten years later, I'm standing where he stood — professor, trial lawyer, consultant, minus the police chief — teaching the next generation of litigators while I keep learning myself.

My gift is speaking for those who can't speak for themselves. My gift is being a voice for the voiceless. My gift is yelling what you want to say but don't know how to. I do that better than anyone, and that's why the easiest decision you can ever make in your life is hiring me to handle your case.

Here's what I know: if you're facing life in prison, you need more than a lawyer who works hard. You need somebody who truly believes you're innocent — and can carry that belief into the souls of twelve jurors.
I'm the guy you want to hire.
Credentials

How We Do This

The story is why. This is the receipts — bar cards, courtrooms, verdicts, and the work behind them.

Credentials

Julio Cesar Perez

Julio came to the bar the long way — years in the immigration trenches before the license. He graduated from California State University, Fullerton in 2013 and spent the decade that followed helping thousands of people naturalize and navigate the immigration system. By the time he was admitted to the California State Bar in November 2023, the work was already second nature.

Today his practice runs the full length of that system: affirmative relief for families building a life here, removal defense for people the government is trying to send away, and bond proceedings for those detained by ICE — fighting to bring them home while their case is heard. He has tried many cases along the way, winning bench trial after bench trial in immigration court.

He serves on the board of directors of the Orange County Hispanic Bar Association and is active in several bar and community organizations across Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

Credentials

Michael Vasquez

Mike was built in the courtroom before he ever had a bar card. A top trial competitor in upstate New York, he was selected for an exclusive Stanford Law School program as one of twelve student teachers running an intensive trial program — students had ten days to prepare a criminal case, then tried it to verdict at the federal courthouse in San Francisco. His students voted him the program's best teacher, and many of them are now lawyers and law students at top schools across the country. He competed nationally himself, earning top-advocate honors many times — and he still teaches the craft today, at Western State College of Law, the oldest law school in Orange County.

His career began at the public defender's office, shadowing now-Judicial Officer Justin Glenn-Leistikow on a first-degree murder trial — the defense beat the murder charge, and Mike helped draft the theme of the closing argument. Closings became his specialty. Years at the Orange County Public Defender's Office followed: thousands of criminal cases, from minor misdemeanors to serious and violent felonies — life cases, Three Strikes, gang allegations, attempted murder.

Then he went where the system is hardest to watch: juvenile court, defending kids under Welfare & Institutions Code § 602 and fighting for their freedom and reunification with their families. And then he crossed the aisle entirely — civil litigation, suing the people who wronged his clients and winning hundreds of thousands of dollars in verdicts.

Criminal, juvenile, civil — he has tried cases in all three. Saved lives, reunited families, recovered what people were owed. Now he brings every side of the law to the same table. You have a lawyer who understands the law from each side — and he will fight for you.

The Reels

Law, In 60 Seconds

Know your rights before you need them. New reels drop on Instagram — the latest ones will live right here.

EP · 01

The Dig

Watch on Instagram →
EP · 02

The Crash-Out

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EP · 03

The Toss

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EP · 04

The Interrogation

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EP · 05

The Robbery

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EP · 06

Presumption of Innocence

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EP · 07

The Decision

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EP · 08

The Commercial

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The Podcast

The Hung Jury Pod

Two trial lawyers. A hung jury is a win for the defense — and we’re the defense. Same energy as the reels, longer conversations. New episodes weekly.
EP · 01

“The Victory Lap.”

YouTube Spotify
Coming Soon…
EP · 02
New episodes weekly — follow @thehungjurypod for the drop.
Social

Follow The Fight

Testimonials

Our Clients Say It Best

Coming Soon…

The first chapter of this firm is being written in courtrooms right now. When our clients tell their stories, this is where they’ll live — in their own words.

Start your story — the consultation is free
FAQ

Know Before You Need To

The questions everyone asks — answered straight. Click any of them. And if your question isn't here, the consultation is free.

Stay calm and exercise your right to remain silent. Ask to speak with a defense attorney immediately, and don't discuss the details of your case with law enforcement until you have representation — anything you say can be used against you in court. Your attorney will guide you through the process and protect your rights from the first minute.

More than stand next to you in court. We investigate the case ourselves instead of taking the police report at face value, challenge illegal stops and searches through motions, negotiate with prosecutors from a position of strength, sit in on any police interviews, visit you or your loved one in custody, and — when it's the right move — take the case to trial. The earlier a lawyer gets involved, the more of those doors are still open.

Everything from misdemeanors to serious and violent felonies — DUIs, theft, domestic violence, drug and weapons charges, assault, robbery, and homicide — plus juvenile § 602 cases and probation violations. At this practice we also handle the immigration side, which matters more than most people realize: a criminal conviction can carry immigration consequences, and defending both together is exactly what we do.

Ask one question above all: does this lawyer actually try cases? Prosecutors know which defense attorneys always plead their clients out and which ones will pick a jury — and they make offers accordingly. Beyond that, you want someone who explains things in plain language, answers the phone, and treats your case like it's the only one they have. Then trust your gut in the consultation. Ours is free, so it costs nothing to find out.

Public defenders are real lawyers, and many are excellent — but they're assigned to you, and they often carry enormous caseloads that limit how much time any one client can get. With private counsel, you choose your lawyer, you get direct access to them, and your case gets the hours it deserves — the investigation, the motions, the jail visits, the prep. You only get one shot at defending a case. You get to decide who takes it.

Yes. We believe a strong defense shouldn't depend on having the whole fee in hand on day one. Call us, tell us your situation, and we'll work out an arrangement at the consultation — which, as always, is free.

The first appearance is called an arraignment. You're formally told the charges, a plea is entered (almost always not guilty at this stage), the judge addresses bail or release, and future dates are set. It's usually short — but it sets the tone for everything after. In many misdemeanor cases your attorney can appear for you so you don't miss work. Show up early, dress clean, and let your lawyer do the talking.

It happens more often than people think: you show up and the prosecutor hasn't filed yet. That does not mean the case is over — the DA can still file later, within the statute of limitations. It's actually a critical window: the right lawyer can sometimes reach the filing prosecutor before charges are ever filed and change what gets filed — or whether anything gets filed at all. Don't celebrate. Call a lawyer and have them monitor it.

Not without a lawyer — and that's true even if you did nothing wrong. Innocent people talk themselves into charges every day, because an interview is not a conversation; it's evidence collection. Be polite, give your identifying information, and say the magic words: "I want a lawyer." Then call us. If a statement ever does make sense, we'll sit in the room with you when you give it — that's a service we provide.

Never. Even if you have nothing to hide, you do not have to consent to a warrantless search — and sometimes officers may harass you because they think you fit a profile. Here's what you can say: "I will not consent to any searches, but I will cooperate with any other steps of your investigation as necessary, although I will not be making any statements other than statements regarding my name, license, registration, and insurance. I respect you as an officer, but I'm enforcing my rights. Please respect them."

In a felony case, it's the first real test of the evidence: a hearing where the prosecution must show a judge there's probable cause to make you stand trial. It's not a trial — but it's our first chance to cross-examine the officers under oath, lock in their testimony, expose the weak points, and sometimes get counts reduced or thrown out entirely. We treat every prelim like it matters, because it does.

Move fast — the first days matter most. Find out where they're being held (ICE's online detainee locator works with their name or A-number), and tell them this before anything else: don't sign anything — not a stipulated removal, not a “voluntary departure” — until a lawyer has read it. Many people in detention are eligible for a bond hearing to fight their case from home instead of from a cell. We handle bond proceedings and removal defense every week. Call us the same day — the sooner we're in, the more options they have.

A Notice to Appear (NTA) is the government's charging document — it means removal proceedings have started against you. It is serious, but it is not a deportation order: it's the beginning of a court case, and cases can be fought and won. Two rules. First, never miss a hearing — missing one can get you ordered removed in your absence. Second, bring the NTA to an attorney immediately, because defenses like asylum, cancellation of removal, and adjustment of status all have deadlines that start running early. The consultation is free — bring the paper, we'll tell you where you stand.

Contact a lawyer as soon as possible — in California you generally have only 30 days from being served to file a response, so time is of the essence. Ignore it and the plaintiff can take a default judgment against you: they win without you ever telling your side. Don't call the person suing you, and don't try to explain yourself to their lawyer — bring the papers to us, note how and when you received them, and we'll map out the response before the clock runs out.

These answers are general information about how the process usually works — they're not legal advice about your specific case, and reading them doesn't create an attorney–client relationship. Your case is its own case. Call or text (562) 707-9258 and let's talk about it — free, in English o en español.

Contact

The consultation
is free.

If you — or someone you know — is facing an immigration or criminal case, don't wait for it to get worse. Call or text. Tell us what happened. We'll tell you where you stand, in English o en español.

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