Federal Defense Attorneys in the Southern District of California

• Bank Fraud
• Conspiracy
• Embezzlement

Diane Bass practices federal criminal defense in the Central District of California, along with the Northern and Eastern Districts. Her office is in Irvine, and Santa Ana is her home court. She has been practicing since 1991, with a focus on federal fraud cases. Diane began her legal career in civil litigation before moving to the public defender's office, then joined the federal criminal defense panel, where she built a practice across every category of federal case. She treats mitigation as central to her work, not an afterthought: she has clients write their own life story, gathers character letters, and submits mitigation materials to the probation officer before the pre-sentence interview. Watch the full video interview above to hear Diane talk about her approach to communication, mitigation, and what she wants every client to know before they call her.

• Federal & State Criminal Defense Appeals
• White-Collar Crime
• RICO

George C. Boisseau is an experienced California criminal defense attorney with more than four decades of experience handling state and federal criminal matters. He has tried more than 100 cases to verdict and has represented hundreds of individuals from the investigation and pretrial stages through trial, sentencing, and appeal. His federal practice includes RICO and VICAR offenses, homicide, narcotics, wire and mail fraud, and other serious federal charges. He has also briefed and argued more than 100 appeals in the Ninth Circuit and California appellate courts and has argued before the California Supreme Court. He is a member of the U.S. Supreme Court Bar and has served on Criminal Justice Act trial and appellate panels.

• Embezzlement, Felony Charges, Probation Issues

Paladin Legal Defenders was founded in 2004 by Attorney Charles Stoddard. Megan T. Hopkins took over as the new owner in July 2026, and is leading the office into a new era and new areas of practice, as Charles looks forward to retirement. Attorney Megan T. Hopkins is an experienced federal criminal defense attorney, with 11 years of experience as an Assistant Federal Defender in the Eastern District of California, and in civil litigation before that. She and her colleagues at Paladin are experienced criminal defense attorneys with the goal of providing an outstanding and highly competent criminal defense in all areas of criminal law. Our goal in every case is to identify all of the options available to each client, weighing the pros and cons of each option with the client in order to help them reach the best resolution possible given the facts and circumstances of their individual cases. We practice primarily in Orange County, but we also handle cases throughout the state of California. We have worked hard to cultivate our excellent reputation with the Courts, District Attorney’s Office, and United States Attorney’s Office, and we often achieve successful results where other attorneys have failed. Whether it is negotiating a favorable plea bargain, or taking a case to trial, the attorneys at Paladin Legal Defenders are prepared to take every possible step to ensure the best result for each client, whatever that may be. The meaning of Paladin is one who fights valiantly for a noble cause; let us be your Paladin.

• White-Collar Crimes
• Health Care Fraud
• Hospice Fraud

Karren Kenney is a federal criminal defense attorney, Certified Fraud Examiner, and founder of Kenney Legal Defense. With more than 30 years of courtroom experience and over 100 jury trials, she represents individuals, professionals, business owners, and corporate clients facing federal investigations and criminal charges throughout California and across the United States. Karren’s federal practice includes complex fraud, health care and hospice fraud, wire and mail fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, public corruption, immigration offenses, firearms cases, government benefit fraud, drug trafficking, and other serious federal crimes. She also represents clients during federal investigations, grand jury investigations, search warrants, pre-indictment negotiations, detention and bond proceedings, plea negotiations, trials, and sentencing. As both an experienced trial lawyer and a Certified Fraud Examiner, Karren is particularly skilled at analyzing financial records, identifying weaknesses in government investigations, and translating complicated evidence into a clear and persuasive defense. She understands that a federal case cannot be defended effectively by focusing only on the indictment. The government’s evidence, investigative methods, witnesses, financial records, and theory of intent must all be tested carefully. Karren believes preparation begins long before trial or sentencing. She works closely with clients to understand their history, family, career, medical circumstances, and the events that led to the case. When sentencing becomes necessary, she develops mitigation as an integral part of the defense strategy, not as a last-minute collection of character letters. Her goal is to present the client as a complete human being while giving the court credible reasons for the most favorable sentence permitted by law. Communication is also central to Karren’s practice. Federal cases can be frightening and overwhelming, particularly for clients and families encountering the criminal justice system for the first time. She makes it a priority to explain what is happening, what the government must prove, and what decisions lie ahead so that clients can participate meaningfully in their own defense. Karren is also the creator and host of the Legal Vixen™ podcast, where she draws on decades of courtroom experience to discuss criminal cases, trial strategy, constitutional rights, and the realities of the justice system. Through candid conversations with attorneys, judges, courtroom professionals, and other guests, she helps listeners understand how the legal system operates beyond the headlines. Karren is licensed to practice law in California, Texas, and Washington, D.C. Her principal office is in Orange County, California, with satellite offices in San Diego and Houston. She represents clients in federal courts throughout California and nationwide.

• Criminal Defense
• Federal Criminal Defense
• White Collar Defense

Michael John Khouri is an attorney with Khouri Law Firm APC in Irvine, California. His practice includes criminal defense, professional licensing defense, and representation of healthcare providers in Medicare and Medi-Cal audits and fraud matters. He has tried more than 100 cases. Khouri began his legal career as a Deputy District Attorney in Orange County, focusing on police conduct in narcotics cases. He argued People v. Bravo before the California Supreme Court. In private practice, he has defended clients in federal and state courts in matters ranging from violent crimes to complex healthcare fraud, including cases involving billing practices, narcotics, and patient assault. He lectures nationally and serves on the indigent defense panel for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. He holds an AV rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

• Federal Criminal Defense
• Texas Criminal Defense
• White-Collar Defense

Franklyn Ray Mickelsen, known professionally as Mick Mickelsen, is a partner at Broden & Mickelsen in Dallas, Texas. His practice focuses on complex federal and Texas criminal cases, criminal appeals, and post-conviction litigation. His experience includes defending charges ranging from DWI to murder and handling capital cases at both trial and appellate levels. Mickelsen has obtained reversals of death sentences in post-conviction proceedings and new trials in murder and sexual assault cases. He also argued a case before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals that established precedent concerning the insanity defense. He is board certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Criminal Law and Criminal Appellate Law. His professional recognition includes Texas Super Lawyers, Best Lawyers in America, and D Magazine’s Best Lawyer list.

• DUI
• Domestic Violence
• Drug Crimes

Many attorneys dabble in criminal law. Logan spent his career specializing in criminal defense. As early as law school, Logan was one of just 16 students chosen nationwide for the prestigious Gideon’s Promise training program. He went on to represent thousands of clients as a state public defender in Los Angeles County and then as a federal public defender in San Diego. In 2019 alone, Logan won 7 straight not guilty verdicts at trial, earning him the title 2019 Misdemeanor Attorney of the Year in an office of over 700 lawyers. He has earned dismissals on every kind of case, ranging from misdemeanor DUI’s to the most serious felonies with potential life-sentences. A former college boxer, Logan knows how to tape up his knuckles and fight for his clients. But he also knows that winning a case is about telling the better story. Logan is a published fiction author and a former reporter and editor for the Daily Journal, California’s most prestigious legal news provider. Logan has adapted his writing and narrative skills to tell his clients’ stories in the most effective ways possible. While prosecutors see a file, Logan sees a person. He uses his storytelling skills to humanize his clients and tear apart the state’s version of events, providing a defense that is as smart as it is aggressive. Most importantly, he cares for those who have trusted him with their futures, providing a personal touch found in no other criminal defense office.