Alicia McElwaine-Leto - South Gate Civil Litigation Lawyer Reviews & Ratings

Ms. McElwaine-Leto is a member of the California Lawyers Association, American Bar Association, Pasadena Bar Association,and Los Angeles County Bar Association and is licensed to practice before all Courts in the State of California as well as the United States District Court, Central, Southern and Eastern Districts. In 2017 Ms. McElwaine-Leto earned Lawyers of Distinction recognition and was a recipient of Avvo's Client Choice Award in 2017, 2018, 2020, and 2021. In 2019 Ms. McElwaine-Leto was named a "Top Attorney" ranked in the top 5% by . From 2019 through 2025 she earned Super Lawyer status being named to the prestigious "Rising Stars" category - available only to those in the top 2.5% of the industry. In 2024 The National Trial Lawyers recognized her as a member of the Top 25 Female Trial Lawyers. In 2023, 2024 and 2025 Ms. McElwaine-Leto was recognized by Best Lawyers - Ones to Watch in America for her work in Plaintiff's Personal Injury Litigation.. Ms. McElwaine-Leto attended Concoridia University Irvine on an athletic scholarship for Softball and Deans Academic scholarship. In 2010 Alicia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree after double majoring in Political Science and History.. Upon receiving her Juris Doctorate degree from Thomas Jefferson School of Law in 2014 Alicia worked for a consumer protection firm with an emphasis in Federal consumer litigation where she gained a solid and articulated understanding of the law represenrting clients against Fortune 500 opponents.. Ms. McElwaine-Leto has resolved 100s of client disputes with banks, bill collectors and credit agencies pre-litigation in addition to being named counsel of record in over one hundred filed civil cases. With over a decade of courtroom experience Ms. McElwaine-Leto has gained an astute knowledge and understanding of both criminal and civil cases overseeing all aspects of litigation from client affairs to winning at trial after jury deliberation. Having spent thousands of hours in the courtroom, Ms. McElwaine-Leto has appeared in 100s of both felony and misdemeanor criminal cases frequently representing clients who were wrongfully accused and often facing life sentences behind bars.. Ms. McElwaine-Leto has been named counsel of record in 100s of cases overseeing all aspects of litigation from client affairs to second chairing a murder trial. Ms. McElwaine-Leto's most recent trial win occurred in March 2019 when she convinced a 12 person jury that her client was innocent of all five counts by unanimous decision.. Alicia has dedicated her practice to being an advocate for those who do not have the ability to represent themselves.. Ms. McElwaine-Leto has deep roots in Southern California where her family made a name for themselves as top executives in Hollywood with an impressive client list that included Frank Sinatra, Elivs Presley, Judy Garland and Steven Spielberg. Alicia has based her legal career on the objectives her family was known for, being "scrupulously loyal to clients as well as a tough, shrewd negotiator".