Halim Dhanidina, former justice for the California Court of Appeal, has joined noted criminal defense firm Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP

LOS ANGELES, April 11, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Law Firm of Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP, established in 1994 and dedicated to criminal defense (with an emphasis on the most serious white-collar matters), civil litigation and civil rights cases in California state courts and Federal courts nationwide, is pleased to welcome former justice Halim Dhanidina to our firm as a partner.

"We could not be more excited to welcome Justice Dhanidina to the Firm.  Justice Dhanidina is an icon in the California legal community whose reputation and skill is unparalleled.  As a former deputy district attorney, Superior Court Judge, and Appellate Court Justice, Halim brings to bear a unique and incomparable perspective to the practice of criminal law,"   said Mark Werksman, managing partner at Werksman Jackson. 

"He knows how to try a case, he knows juries, and he clearly knows the courts.  His addition to the Firm will significantly benefit our clients as Werksman Jackson continues to represent some of the most consequential matters in the country," added partner Alan Jackson.

Dhanidina joins Werksman Jackson after serving the public for over 23 years, first as a prosecutor, where he prosecuted felony cases for the elite Hardcore Gang and Major Crimes division, handling numerous high-profile cases including 7 capital cases, then as a justice for the  California Court of Appeal, where he heard over 800 appeals, and later presided over 70 jury trials as a Los Angeles  County Superior Court Judge.  Dhanidina is the first Muslim to be appointed judge in the state of California. 

"After devoting 23 years of my career to service in the criminal courts as a prosecutor, judge, and appellate justice, I can think of no better place to apply the unique skill set I have developed than Werksman Jackson and Quinn," said Dhanidina.  "Their reputation for excellence in criminal practice and exemplary quality of their advocacy drew me to join their partnership and inspires me to advance the firm's place as the premier defense practice in the state if not the nation."

Justice Dhanidina serves as an  Independent Director on the Board of Fidelity National Financial Group (FNF) and is a consultant for the venture capital firm CerraCap Ventures. He also volunteers as a board member for the non-profit organization Muslim-Jewish NewGround, and he serves on the Advisory Boards of the Asian Pacific American Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association and Asian Americans Advancing Justice and is a member of the Foundation Board and Board of Trustees of the Orange County School of the Arts. He is also an adjunct professor of law at the University of California at Los Angeles, the University of California at Irvine and Chapman University.

Dhanidina was a founding member of APABA-LA and has received the South Asian Network's Community Empowerment Award, the Muslim Public Affairs Council Foundation's Community Leadership Award, the Muslim Legal Fund of America's Trailblazer in Justice Award, and the South Asian Bar Association Foundation's Trailblazer Award. Justice Dhanidina was recognized by the California State Assembly in Special Resolution 1470 for his contributions to the legal profession, and he is also a recipient of the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association Daniel K. Inouye Trailblazer Award.

He received his Juris Doctor in 1997 from the UCLA School of Law in Los Angeles after receiving his Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Pomona University in Claremont. Dhandina joins the firm after heading the trial practice group at Umberg Zipser LLP. 

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SOURCE Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP