After practicing law for over 27 years, and serving as a partner in several of the premier employee defense law firms in Southern California for the last twenty years, with the help of God, Michael Schwartz felt it was now time to go out on his own. Having litigated nearly two hundred jury trials to verdict and dozens of arbitration hearings, Michael offers a unique mix of an unparalleled track record, experience, and personalized, compassionate representation.
Michael Schwartz is a highly-regarded and experienced trial attorney who began his career as a Deputy Public Defender in Ventura and Riverside Counties where he litigated more than one-hundred fifty jury trials to verdict. For the past twenty years he has focused on representing peace officers in some of the toughest and most noteworthy criminal cases venued in Southern California.
Described by the California Daily Journal as, ‘an extraordinary talent,’ and, ‘world class lawyer,’ and by former Assistant Riverside Public Defender Jorge Alvarado as, ‘one of the best trial lawyers I’ve ever seen,’ Michael’s recent trial victories include the full acquittal of Los Angeles Sheriff Deputy Luke Liu for manslaughter, the first law enforcement officer charged with an on- duty shooting in Los Angeles county in twenty years;” the full acquittal of Pomona Corporal Chad Jensen in Federal Court for excessive force and obstruction of justice; Huntington Park Police Officer Marissa Larios for three counts of child abuse and excessive force; Indio police officer Charles Holloway for Felony Excessive Force; Corporal Jay Cicinelli in the nationally publicized Kelly Thomas Murder trial, the successful defense of San Bernardino Sheriff’s Deputy Ivory Webb in the nationally publicized video-taped on-duty shooting; San Bernardino Deputy Richard Heverly, charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon, criminal threats and excessive force, CHP officer Chris Lang charged with excessive force during an arrest.
Michael has written articles on litigation, cases, and evidence for several publications including The California Daily Journal, The PORAC News and American Police Beat.
Michael is also an Of Counsel for the law firm of Rains Lucia Stern St. Phalle & Silver.
From 2016-2019 Michael was selected for inclusion in the Southern California Super Lawyers list by Thomson Reuters as one of the top 5% of attorneys in his field.”