About
About Us
The Los Angeles Defense Attorney Law Firm is a full-service boutique criminal defense practice focusing exclusively on defending both adults and juveniles against felony and misdemeanor charges.
The Los Angeles Defense Attorney Law Firm
Ninaz Saffari is a highly skilled and experienced criminal defense trial attorney dedicated to smart, aggressive, and strategic client advocacy. She always pushes her cases to trial unless there is an opportunity for an early highly-favorable resolution for her clients. This is a lesson she learned when she first began working as a Deputy Public Defender at the Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office, where she won dozens of jury and court (judge-only) trials.
Prosecutors who chose to face Ms. Saffari at trial always find her to be extremely well-prepared with a sharp memory and killer instinct that enables her to cross-examine prosecution witnesses, particularly police officers and detectives, to devastating effect. Prosecutors rarely choose to face her more than once at trial.
NINAZ SAFFARI’S PERSONAL MISSION STATEMENT
Practicing criminal defense law has proven to be the most rewarding experience in my life, and I could never imagine doing anything else. I can’t think of a better way for me to help people than doing what I’ve been doing for the last fifteen years. One of the driving factors in my career has been the fact that I always see the good in people. I always believe that my clients are deserving of hope, and that’s it’s my job not only to protect them from a flawed prosecution, but to help them get another chance in life.
I don’t make moral judgments about my clients; nor do I ever talk down to them. I prefer to explain the facts of the case and their legal predicament in as straightforward a manner as possible. I try to manage expectations, never promise more than what I know I can deliver, and usually seek to work closely with the client and his/her family members in preparing the defense. In my experience, keeping in close touch with the client’s family is always critical, particularly when the client is incarcerated – not just for the defense but for the client and family’s peace of mind. When I’m hired, my client and his/her family members are often going through the most traumatic time in their entire lives, so I appreciate their need to be updated of every step in what is often a long, complicated, and confusing process.
Family counselor is only one of the hats I wear during the course of my practice, but it is certainly one of the most important. I’ve seen firsthand the destruction of many families when the primary breadwinner is imprisoned or, in some cases, even deported. Prison destroys families, so I am acutely aware of the tremendous faith and trust my clients and their relatives place in me. This is why I fight so hard – each and every time, without exception.
In every single one of the sixty-plus criminal trials I’ve completed since 2005, I’ve felt that it’s our legal system that’s on trial as much as my client. My role is to ensure that throughout every step of the police investigation and prosecution, my client’s rights have not been trampled upon and that he or she has received every possible protection afforded by our legal system. I firmly believe that our legal system is the best in the world for the sole reason that these rights are provided to anyone who is accused of committing a crime, regardless of its nature and regardless of the client. So I see myself as fighting for the system, and never against it.
And maybe that’s why I’ve enjoyed so much extraordinary success over the last decade-and-a-half. The fact that most of my new clients are referrals from previous clients, or even from other attorneys who know what I can do, is a testament to this exemplary track record.
Outstanding Trial Results
Ms. Saffari's successful trial cases are typically won at the opening argument, where juries find her to be highly intelligent, passionate, and overwhelmingly persuasive.
As a result, she enjoys an impeccable reputation as an incomparable litigator with judges, prosecutors, and fellow defense attorneys in every major courthouse in Los Angeles County. Since 2005, she has tried more than 60 cases before L.A. judges and juries with outstanding results, client testimonials, and attorney recommendations.
High-Profile Cases
Ninaz Saffari has extensive experience in handling all types of major criminal cases, including large-scale drug trafficking, gang-related offenses, sex crimes, and murder. Many of her clients have faced life sentences, but have been exonerated through dismissals, acquittals at trial, or by receiving highly-favorable plea offers. A number of these cases have received significant media attention.
For example, her client Corey Stewart was facing two life sentences based on the false allegations of two women who claimed he had raped them. The local media splashed his face across all the papers and featured him on news segments as the "South Bay rapist". Thanks to Ms. Saffari, however, all charges were dismissed against him on the first day of jury trial after she proved that he was innocent, and that the allegations had been fabricated. He walked out a free man after spending 14 months in jail. He eventually got married, obtained a good job, and still keeps in touch with Ms. Saffari, whom he thanks for saving his life.
We Practice Criminal Defense and Only Criminal Defense
The Los Angeles Defense Attorney Law Firm handles criminal cases only. Criminal defense is a highly specialized, complicated, and often technical practice that requires complete devotion and focus. Criminal law is constantly evolving and requires regular analysis of all the important opinions that are handed down by the California Court of Appeal, the California Supreme Court, etc. Criminal law also requires in-depth knowledge of a defendant's Constitutional rights. Ninaz Saffari has devoted her entire career to mastering all of these areas to great effect for her clients.
Teamwork Strategy
When preparing for trial, Ms. Saffari always conducts a thorough, comprehensive, and detailed investigation of all relevant facts. She also makes every possible effort to carefully interview every single witness, including the alleged victim, the arresting police officer, and the investigation detective. To help her, she works with several of the top private investigators in the state. She also occasionally works with a highly reputable polygraph expert when a favorable lie detector test result might convince the prosecutor to dismiss the criminal charges.
During trial, Ms. Saffari will typically call expert witnesses to the stand whose testimony supports her client's innocence or otherwise defeats the prosecution's own witnesses and evidence. She only uses experts whose reputations are impeccable, and whom she knows will be persuasive to juries.
Strategic and Zealous Client Advocacy
It is precisely because of the time-intensive commitment that trial preparation requires that Ms. Saffari takes far fewer cases than other defense attorneys. She provides each client - and particularly that client's family if he or she is in custody - with highly personal service, and is always available after-hours and on weekends by cell phone. The five-star service she provides and, more importantly, the outstanding results she achieves for her clients, is why she proudly enjoys such an outstanding rating on AVVO.com (the top online directory and referral site for attorneys in the U.S.).
Ms. Saffari is a true believer in fighting for the legal rights of her clients. She understands that the purpose of criminal defense attorneys is to ensure that police, prosecutors, and judges do not transgress the civil liberties and Constitutional rights of individual defendants, particularly those of color or who are under-represented and unfairly targeted.
Why We Fight to Protect Your Criminal Record
Nothing is more important for your future than having a clean criminal record. Having a felony or certain type of misdemeanor on your record could jeopardize your opportunity to go to college, enlist in the military, obtain a job, or pursue a professional license & career. That's why Ninaz Saffari will do whatever it takes, and fight as long and as hard as necessary, to ensure that the charges against you are dismissed, that you are acquitted at trial, or that you obtain a plea bargain that protects your future. Ms. Saffari is highly experienced and successful in obtaining felony reductions and expungements for her clients.
Compassion for Our Clients
Ninaz Saffari understands how stressful and overwhelming it is when you are arrested and prosecuted, including the devastating personal and financial effects the process can have on you and your family. This is why she makes herself available after-hours and on weekends, frequently meets with you (even if you are in custody) and your family, and patiently explains the entire criminal process to you. She believes in working closely with her clients to work out the best possible strategy for your defense. Because of her compassionate and close-communication approach, her clients and their family members always know they are in the best possible hands, with an attorney who truly cares about them.
Intimate Knowledge of L.A. Courthouses
Ninaz Saffari has aggressively defended her clients in every major criminal courthouse in Los Angeles County. By being intimately familiar with each courthouse, she is able to effectively navigate the complexities of each courtroom, as well as the distinct personalities of its judges and prosecutors. She understands how certain judges will rule on certain issues, and which judges she should immediately exclude from the case with a motion.
Similarly, Ms. Saffari knows what type of highly-favorable early plea offers she can obtain from certain prosecutors and which Assistant District Attorneys she will have to push to trial. Prosecutors who have faced her in the past know she will fight them vigorously to defend her clients. They know that they have two choices when it comes to dealing with her: either offer her client an excellent plea bargain or battle her all the way to and through trial.
Since 2004, these judges and prosecutors have come to greatly respect Ms. Saffari. They know she is passionate about trial work and is utterly fearless in the courtroom. In addition, over the years, Ninaz has also developed beneficial, amicable relationships with court staff and probation officers, which has also worked to her clients' advantage.
Finally, because of this experience and knowledge, Ninaz Saffari understands that certain courthouses attract certain jury pools. For example, in certain courts, juries tend to be very conservative and pro-prosecution, whereas in others, they tend to be more open-minded and favorable to the defense. This information enables her to make critical decisions that benefit her clients.
