Firm Highlights
Case Highlights
- Our firm has won countless Not Guilty verdicts on DUI cases, including felony DUIs.
- Our firm has fought and won dismissals on numerous DUI cases.
- Resolved serious felony DUI matters (including DUI death cases) with little or no jail time.
- Won a significant number of DMV Hearings, protecting numerous clients' driving privileges.
Appellate Highlights
- Don and Lara have worked on all of the major DUI appellate cases in California, including:
- People v. Vangelder;
- People v. Harris;
- People v. Arredondo; and
- Espinoza v. Shiomoto
- Don and Lara also drafted amicus curiae briefs in the cases of:
- People v. Dungo in the California Supreme Court; and
- Williams v. Illinois in the United States Supreme Court.
- Lara routinely handles criminal appeals. Those include appeals after a denial of a 1538.5 motion to suppress, as well as appeals after trial. Lara has won many criminal appeals.
Scholarship and Teaching
- Our firm wrote the leading book in the nation on DUI defense, Attacking and Defending Drunk Driving Tests.
- Don, Lara and Mike regularly lecture other lawyers across California on DUI defense strategies.
- Don and Lara are former recipients of the President's Award from the California DUI Lawyer's Association, for outstanding criminal defense and appellate work.
- Don is the former two-time elected President of the California DUI Lawyer's Association.
- Lara is a current elected Vice-President of the California DUI Lawyer's Association.
- Don is also an instructor for the National College of DUI Defense, where he has taught DUI trial skill to lawyers from New York to San Diego.
The Winning DUI Defense Team
Don Bartell believes in the team approach.
That is why he works on every case with his Partner, Lara Gressley, and Associate, Michael Donaldson. Lara has been an attorney for 16 years and brings her serious felony trial experience and outstanding research and writing abilities to the firm. Lara has worked on all of the leading DUI appellate cases, is a contributing author to his book, and leads the firm's criminal appellate practice.
Partner Donald Hensel practices Family Law, Civil Litigation, and Criminal Defense. Don Hensel's zealous advocacy, coupled with his outstanding knowledge of the law, has resulted in numerous victories for his clients.
The GO-TO source for other lawyers
Lawyers call BH&G when they, or their loved ones, need help. Why go elsewhere, when you can hire the source? That is because they know Don Bartell and his team are the best criminal defense, DUI, and appellate attorneys around. They know they will get quality representation and individual attention from a team of lawyers who have a command of the field. If you've been charged with a crime, you should not settle for anything less than the best representation you can find. At BH&G, that's exactly what you will get. Just ask any lawyers around.
The Firm's Specialty is DUI Defense
BH&G specializes in DUI defense. But that does not only include routine DUI first offenses. The firm specializes in second, third, and fourth DUI offenses, as well as DUI manslaughter and murder.
The firm's expertise also includes the handling of any criminal defense matter. Those non-DUI matters include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Hit and Run
- Drug Offenses
- Domestic Violence
- Homicide/Murder
- White Collar Crimes
- Robbery/Theft Crimes
- Assault Crimes
- Criminal Appeals
- DMV Hearings and Writs
Finding the Right Firm
Searching for the right criminal defense or DUI defense lawyer is an important process. Making this task even more difficult, the internet is filled with various information and endorsements. It's often hard to know what information to trust. That's why BH&G not only stands by everything posted on this website, BH&G encourages you to ask other lawyers about the firm. In fact, if other lawyers have questions, they call BH&G for the answers. Other attorneys will tell you that there is no firm more knowledgeable about the law, and no firm that has obtained more successful outcomes for its clients.
Please visit the Case Results link so that you can see some of the outcomes that BH&G has obtained for clients just like you. BH&G lawyers won't settle for anything but the best possible results for you. BH&G looks forward to providing you with the best representation the defense bar has to offer.
