Umberg/Zipser LLP Announces Former Appellate Justice Halim Dhanidina has Joined the Firm
The Californer/10128155

IRVINE, Calif. - Californer -- Umberg/Zipser LLP (U/Z) is pleased to announce Justice Halim Dhanidina (Ret.) has joined the firm to help lead the expansion of the firm's complex litigation practice, including trials and appeals.

Justice Dhanidina (Ret.) joins U/Z upon his retirement as an associate justice with Division Three of the California Court of Appeal, Second Appellate District in Los Angeles. Appointed in 2018, Dhanidina was the first South Asian American to serve as an appellate justice in the State of California and the first Muslim appellate-level judge in the United States. As an associate justice, he wrote 305 opinions and heard 822 appeals.  Prior to his appointment to the Court of Appeal, Dhanidina served for six years on the Los Angeles County Superior Court, making him the first Muslim judge ever appointed in California history. He went on to preside over 72 jury trials in this position.

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Prior to his judicial career, Dhanidina had extensive trial experience as a Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney for over 14 years, conducting 68 jury trials while assigned predominately to the Hardcore Gang and Major Crimes Divisions.

Dhanidina commented, "I am excited to join U/Z to help grow the firm's trial practice. Once I made the difficult decision to leave the bench, the choice of where I would practice in this next phase of my career was easy. U/Z's reputation for excellence and community involvement represents the legal profession at its best and directly aligns with how I view the practice of law - from the bench and the private sector. I am grateful to have the opportunity to become part of this incredible team and excited about the future."

Dhanidina shares U/Z's commitment to community service. As a son of educators, he has enthusiastically shared his knowledge and experience with the next generation of practitioners over the past 12 years, teaching criminal trial advocacy, civil trial advocacy, criminal procedure, professional responsibility, and criminal law at the UCI School of Law, Chapman University Fowler School of Law, Western State Law School, Whittier Law School and the Glendale University College of Law. He is a founding member of the Association of South Asian Prosecutors, Asian Pacific American Bar Association of Los Angeles, and Muslim Students Association at the Claremont Colleges, and has served as a judge for the Los Angeles County teen court program and volunteer coach for the Constitutional Rights Foundation Orange County's Mock Trial competition.

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https://www.umbergzipser.com/profiles/halim-dhanidina/

About Umberg/Zipser LLP
U/Z is a premier business litigation and intellectual property boutique. Drawing on its lawyers' many decades of experience in some of the nation's largest and most prestigious law firms, as well as national and state government service, U/Z provides clients with unparalleled legal services.