Alan helped me with my bank fraud case. It lists it as one of his specialties on his website, but…read morethere is something EVERYONE should know, regardless of the area he practices in... Alan Yamamoto is a SETTLEMENT LAWYER, meaning that he will not fight for your behalf, but indeed go the path with the least amount of resistance in order for your case to be settled. If you are trying to fight and battle your way out of your case, Alan is not for you. On too many occasions throughout our entire case, he recommended so many options indicating it would reduce sentence time and it did the complete opposite. For example, he told us to disclose all of the files to the attorney and it backfired on us, only increasing the sentence time. On another example, he told us to accept the terminology by being the 'organizer' of a case in order to reduce sentence time, and now a new law passed and because we indicated we were the 'organizer' the sentence time cannot be reduced. These are just two small examples of other things that he has stated, but the opposite happened. We were too far into the case to switch lawyers so unfortunately we were stuck with Mr. Yamamoto. I WOULD NOT recommend Yamamoto, unless all you want is a settlement lawyer. Yes other lawyers will say he is "well-respected" in the community but all of that is bullsh**. Lawyers will never bring other lawyers down (it's an unspoken rule). It's like asking a waitress what's good at a restaurant, of course they are going to say everything is good and some items are more popular (well-respected) than others, but NEVER will they say anything is bad. One last thing to mention is that even at the trial, he WAS NOT PREPARED. His thoughts and phrases were all jumbled and they were not organized at all. This was SUPER FRUSTRATING since we paid tens of thousands of dollars to him and his company and he finishes his poor service with this. Honestly, I felt I could have represented the family member better than he did. I was absolutely appalled. Go find yourself another lawyer.

Hiring Carmichael Ellis & Brock (Yancey Ellis) was one of the best decisions I've ever made for my…read morefamily's legal issue. He is by far the most passionate lawyer I've ever encountered -- zealous, aggressive when needed, and fully dedicated to giving us the strongest defense possible. From start to finish, it was clear that he cared deeply about his craft, his profession, and providing us with the absolute best representation. His representation remains one of the greatest investments and value received to this day! What stood out just as much was the respect he commanded in the courtroom. Even bail bondsmen and court clerks recognized him and noted how he consistently makes prosecutors work hard. That gave me incredible confidence in knowing we had the right person on our side. To this day, I remain blown away by his skill, humility, and thoughtfulness. I only hope he'll still be available if we ever need his services again -- though I wouldn't be surprised to see him rise to even higher levels in his career, which would be well deserved. I highly recommend Yancey Ellis without hesitation.

The best lawyers I have ever worked with! Hiring Jessica…read moreCarmichael was the best decision my family and I could ever make. My brother was accused and eventually charged with marriage fraud, a federal crime, and even though he was and is innocent, the prosecution was dead set on convicting him. When my brother was arrested Jessica was my first phone call and not only had she remembered my brother from a brief consult a year before, but was extremely empathetic to his situation and was ready to help right away. She brought her partner Yancey Ellis to the case and the two of them made a dream team. For the first time in months (and years) I felt I could take a breath and let them take over my fight for my brother. I've had several bad experiences with lawyers and letting go of the reigns and letting the two of them take control was a huge deal and a huge relief because they were kicking ass. Since day one of hiring Jessica and Yancey, they've given it their all and there wasn't a day, email or phone call that went unanswered. They both are very professional, prompt, knowledgeable and heavily involved in their cases. Not only did they give me peace of mind that my brother's life and future are in good hands but accomplished the ultimate results in a record time. With their amazing work they managed to get the case dismissed by prosecution and release my brother sparing him and our whole family humiliation of the trail. Myself, my brother and our whole family is eternally thankful to Jessica and Yancey!! They rock!

What can I say that hasn't previously been said lauding how fantastic this attorney is? Robert…read morereally is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. :D My husband and I finally bit the bullet and decided to file the big B. I had actually spoken to another attorney, but, at the last minute, something drew me to Robert. I truly can't say what it was, but wow. Am I EVER glad I went with my gut. From the moment we met with Robert in his Leesburg office until the day that he emailed us that we are "now debt free" (attaching our discharge), his expert guidance, warmth, professionalism, intelligence, legal knowledge, humor, and counsel made this entire process absolutely pain free. Truth. Robert knew RIGHT AWAY, with zero hesitation, that we should file Chapter 7. He explained the process in detail, excluding nothing, made us feel completely at ease, and we felt like we were talking to a down-to-earth, honest, and extremely smart friend. He positively alleviated any trepidation that we were experiencing. In the ensuing months, and during the entire process, Robert was constantly checking in with us - telling us what was going on - and alerting us to next steps and any additional documentation he needed in order to keep things running smoothly. His communication skills are stellar. I can't emphasize strongly enough how thankful we are that this great attorney rescued us! And, yes. We believe that it's Robert's expertise that guaranteed our successful outcome. Choosing and engaging the right attorney for this process is crucial to its success...and Robert Brandt is the professional you need. On the actual day of our meeting of creditors with the trustee (last step), Robert was right there, representing us every step of the way and going out of his way to make sure we were okay. He was very confident and personable with the trustee, and I'm sure that that was even greater icing on the cake. :) Listen - I'm a pretty exacting and smart consumer - oh, and I WORK in the legal field (and have for years) - so I know a top attorney when I see one. If you're considering filing, email/call Robert immediately. His price is great, his legal knowledge and skill are outstanding, and he's a stand-up, honest guy on top of it all. Plus he really cares. What more could you ask for? Answer: nothing. Robert's got it all, and the only thing you'll ever ask yourself when you engage him is: "Why did I wait so long?" :)

I highly recommend Robert Brandt. One of the best decisions I've ever made was to choose Robert. I…read moresought his services and expertise because I read reviews that he takes great care to lead you through the process, answering all of your questions, and that it would be him that would be dealing with me and my concerns and stresses. I can attest that the reviews are true. Robert is amazing and I always felt I was in good hands because he is an expert with Ch. 13 BKs. I always felt he was being honest with me and sincere. Because he is so knowledgeable about the law, he advised me when was the best time to file, in MY best interest. That's what a good counselor does; looks out for your best interest, and ensures you have the facts you need so you can make an informed decision. I will always be grateful to The Law Office of Robert S. Brandt.

I can't go into too many details, but if someone is giving you the short end of the stick, Jim Lay…read moreand Angela Dougherty will take that stick over to whoever is doing you wrong and.... you get the idea. I stopped telling (and listening to) lawyer jokes after meeting these good people. They truly are the champions of "the little man" and not in that cheesy "Saiontz and Kirk" kind of way. Jim Lay has been an active, supportive member of the community and truly fights for justice. Here's some info on them if you ever need counsel: Carter & Lay practices in the following areas of law: General Civil Practice, Insurance and Health Care Law, Labor and Employment Law, Medical Benefits Coverage and Reimbursement, ERISA, Creditors Bankruptcy, Corporate and Commercial Law, Business Law, Trial and Appellate Litigation in State and Federal Courts. Year Established: 2006 Firm Size: 4 Representative Clients: The Atlantic Company of America; Akmer International; Time for Good Food, Inc.; The Birchmere; Journal Newspapers; Lloyd's of London. Alexandria Sheriff, Dana A. Lawhorne; Alexandria Committee of Police Local 5 IUPA, AFL-CIO, Arlington; Coalition of Police, Local 48; IUPA, AFL-CIO; Crystal City Restaurant; Crystal City Sports Pub; Highlander Motor Inn; Socrates Institute.