Whitney Z. Bernstein, Appellate Attorney in San Clemente, California

Whitney Z. Bernstein is an aggressive litigator and accomplished trial attorney with a track record for achieving success for her clients when the odds are against them. She has spent her career successfully defending felony and misdemeanor criminal offenses, leading companies in internal investigations to prevent litigation, and representing companies and individuals in contract and business tort claims and employment litigation. Whitney is a credible, tireless, and respected advocate who has tried numerous felony and misdemeanor federal and state jury trials.

In addition to Whitney’s considerable courtroom and trial experience, she has drafted and argued countless suppression and discovery violation motions, negotiated favorable dispositions for her clients, and obtained numerous dismissals of charges. Whitney takes a very hands-on approach by involving herself in all aspects of case management, investigation, discovery, depositions, interviews, negotiations, and trial preparation. She also has successfully argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals regarding interpretation and application of federal immigration laws.

Whitney’s outstanding results and reputation have earned her recognition by Chambers USA as a top litigator in White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations. She was named the Best Lawyers “Lawyer of the Year” for Criminal Defense: General Practice in Orange County in 2023 and has been recognized by Best Lawyers for her work in White Collar Criminal Defense since 2021. The Daily Journal, California’s leading legal newspaper, selected Whitney as one of the Top 40 under 40 lawyers in California in 2023 and Top White Collar Lawyers in California for 2022. Super Lawyers® has recognized Whitney as a “Rising Star” every year since 2020, a distinction bestowed on no more than 2.5 percent of attorneys in any state. The National Trial Lawyers also named Whitney as one of the Top 40 Under 40 Defense Trial Lawyers in 2021 and 2022 for her demonstrated superior qualifications, leadership skills, and trial results.

Outside of the courtroom, Whitney is very involved in her community. She trains federal criminal defense practitioners at the local and national level and proudly serves as a Lawyer Representative for the Southern District of California, as an executive board member for the Women’s White Collar Defense Association’s Los Angeles Chapter, and as the co-chair of the San Diego Cornell Alumni Admission Ambassador Network. Previously, Whitney served on the inaugural Advisory Board to the San Diego County Probation Department Chief.

Prior to joining Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP, Whitney was a trial lawyer for the Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc. Before that, she was a trial lawyer for Brooklyn Defender Services in Brooklyn, New York. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania Law School earning her Juris Doctor and simultaneously earning her Master of Science in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania Department of Criminology. As an undergraduate at Cornell University where she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Government and Sociology with a concentration in Law and Society, she graduated with Distinction in All Subjects, Dean’s List, and was an active volunteer in the local community as a firefighter and teacher inside prisons.