Meet James Palestini | Criminal Defense Attorney

We had the good fortune of connecting with James Palestini and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi James, can you talk to us a bit about the social impact of your business?
Palestini Law helps the greater Phoenix community by providing legal resources and representation to those who find themselves on the “criminal” side of the law. There’s a lot of judgment and bias in society today: a lot of people find themselves labeled before ever facing trial. By bringing a personal approach to law, client-by-client, Palestini Law has helped hundreds of clients escape the stigma of “guilty.” Additionally, the success of Palestini Law has allowed me to give back to the community. I was recently able to help financially support the Special Olympics Team Arizona flag football team who recently won the gold medal in Orlando, Florida. I also sponsored a local indoor soccer team, FC Murcielagos. The mission here has always been to give back to the community, no matter what that means.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
What sets Palestini Law apart is our ability to provide personal criminal defense. At a lot of larger firms, you call because of a name or a face on a billboard, and then you never deal with that person. You definitely pay for that name or face, but you never see it, and what’s the point in that? At Palestini Law, you’re actually dealing with me personally from start to finish. I wouldn’t say the journey to starting Palestini Law was particularly difficult because it was always the goal, but it definitely wasn’t the first thing I did. Before going full time with Palestini Law, I was working at a small boutique criminal defense firm and Palestini Law was just a dream. However, I found that a lot of my clients ended up becoming repeat customers, or having multi-part cases, or referring their friends, family, coworkers – you name it. Once I realized that my own firm could be sustainable and provide a personal, dedicated, and successful product, it really was a no-brainer, and it became my full time gig.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
The best part of Phoenix is that, despite being a big city, it still feels very, very local. One of my favorite places is First Draft Book Bar, a bar and coffee shop inside of a local bookstore located in Uptown Phoenix. I’ve been going there since they opened – I feel like there should be a seat at the bar with my name on it! It’s a great place to meet clients, work on cases, or just talk to the bartenders. I’m also a huge fan of Postino’s, just around the corner from First Draft. Upward Projects has revitalized that entire area, but Postino’s was the first of their ventures there and it’s still my favorite – there’s nothing better after a work day than sharing a bottle of wine and a board of bruschetta with my wife. Additionally, I think the revitalization of Roosevelt Row in downtown has been great for Phoenix. There are so many local restaurants, breweries, and shops down there that you could spend from sunrise to sunset over there and still not see half of it all. It’s great to see local business thriving, especially in Phoenix where out-of-state influence grows astronomically year after year.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I definitely credit my wife, Andrea, for her unwavering support, guidance, and understanding throughout the process of starting and maintaining a successful and growing law practice. I also credit Clark Derrick, a partner at my previous firm, for helping develop me into the attorney I am today.

Website: https://palestinilaw.com

Instagram: @palestinilaw

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-palestini/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/palestinilaw

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/palestinilaw

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/palestini-law-phoenix

Other: https://www.avvo.com/attorneys/85014-az-james-palestini-4499994.html