Kenneth Chike Odiwe is the founder and principal owner of the Law Offices of Kenneth Chike Odiwe, PC. Attorney Kenneth Odiwe (commonly known as K. Chike Odiwe) was born and raised in Vallejo, California. Growing up, he saw and heard about countless instances of police misconduct. He knew at a young age that becoming a civil rights lawyer was the path that he wanted to take. During his first year of law school, he immediately began working on police misconduct cases at the nationally renowned civil rights firm, the Law Offices of John L. Burris. While at the Law Offices of John L. Burris, Kenneth Odiwe represented several families in police brutality and personal injury cases. Kenneth Odiwe is well versed in the handling of high-profile police misconduct cases throughout all phases of litigation. The Law Offices of Kenneth Chike Odiwe represents victims of police misconduct, police brutality, police corruption, hate crimes, and personal injuries. The practice is based out of the Bay Area, California. Odiwe is licensed in the state of California but his federal practice allows him to represent clients in every state in the Country. Kenneth Odiwe has extensive experience representing clients in civil rights cases with a specialty in police misconduct actions. He has been widely recognized for his work in civil rights and personal injury litigation. Kenneth Odiwe is a devoted civil rights and personal injury attorney with an outstanding track record for fighting for justice. He fights for people when powerful institutions violate their rights. He is emerging as an influential new voice in the fight for civil rights. The American Bar Association selected Kenneth Odiwe to serve as the Vice Chair of their Civil Rights & Social Justice Committee. Further, the American Bar Association selected Kenneth Odiwe to be a Contributing Editor for their Litigation News Editorial Board. He has been invited on several occasions to publish articles for various sections of the American Bar Association and other well-regarded legal journals. Odiwe regularly publishes columns for the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal. Kenneth Odiwe has received the highest peer-review rating for legal ability and ethical standards from Martindale-Hubbell. He has been peer-selected multiple times for inclusion in the Best Lawyers in America and the Northern California Super Lawyers list. Kenneth Odiwe has been recognized by Lawdragon as one of the leading litigators in America, one of the leading Plaintiff consumer lawyers in America, one of the leading civil rights lawyers in America, as well as one of the attorneys expected to lead the legal field in the next generation. Odiwe has been recognized as a Top 100 lawyer by National Trial Lawyers as well as National Black Lawyers. Attorney Kenneth Odiwe has been recognized as a Top 40 under 40 lawyer by several prestigious organizations, including, the American Bar Association, the National Bar Association, and the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal. He is also a Life Member of the Million Dollar Advocate’s Forum, for those attorneys who have achieved multi-million-dollar awards or settlements for their clients. Education St. John’s University, B.A., English Golden Gate University School of the Law, Juris Doctorate Courts Admitted Supreme Court of the United States United States Court of Appeal, Ninth Circuit U.S. District Courts for the Northern, Central, Eastern, and Southern Districts of California All California State Courts Recognition and Awards Martindale- Hubbell: AV Preeminent: The highest peer rating standard. This is given to attorneys who are ranked at the highest level of professional excellence for their legal expertise. Selected to the California Super Lawyers Rising Stars List: 2022, 2023,2024 American Bar Association: Recognized as one of the Nation's Top 40 Lawyers under 40 National Bar Association: Top 40 Under 40 Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journal: Top 40 under 40
Kareem R. Vessup, Esq. is the founder of The Law Office of Kareem R. Vessup, Esq. which specializes in Civil Rights litigation and offers trial counsel services to attorneys representing injured plaintiffs in personal injury actions. He is admitted to practice in New York State Courts and The Eastern District of New York. Regarded as a true trial talent, Vessup's early career has been marked by his aggressive yet charismatic and personable manner in the courtroom. He has often been praised for his ability to engender trust from jurors and clients and for his passionate commitment to the inner city minority communities of New York City. These qualities have enabled Vessup to distinguished himself in his early career. As an associate with prominent Plaintiff's Personal Injury Firms Block O'Toole & Murphy and The Pillersdorf Law Firm, and continuing in his own practice, Vessup quickly achieved verdicts and settlements totaling well in excess of $10 Million. In addition to practicing law, Mr. Vessup has taught trial advocacy at the Undergraduate and Law School levels of St. John's University for the past 11 years. He serves as an Adjunct Professor of Legal Studies at St. John's University for the past 7 years and recently completed his first year as a trial advocacy professor working along with Prof. Lou Fasulo Esq. at Pace Law School. Vessup has also been a guest lecturer in trial advocacy at several area law schools, mock trial programs, national leadership programs and public schools. Vessup is a double alum of St. John's University and St. John's School of Law. He has been recognized repeatedly for excellence in trial advocacy by the nation's leading trial organizations. Most recently he has been named a New York Metro Area "Rising Star” for 2013 and 2014 by Super Lawyers, a distinction reserved for top attorneys under the age of 40.
Mark St. Vil is a Haitian-American Attorney from Miami Florida who specializes in client-focused representation. Mark attended Florida A&M University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude, and Florida A&M University College of Law where he was elected Hooding Speaker for the 2014 graduating class.
Attorney St. Vil has experience working in several areas of law. His legal experience began in the area of criminal law, where he represented the State of Florida as a CLI with the 9th Judicial Circuit State Attorney's Office in Orlando Florida. There he handled hundreds of cases and took several to trial, including multiple-count life felonies.
He then worked to represent those accused of crimes by the State of Florida, with the Law Offices of the Public Defender 11th Judicial Circuit of Florida. As a Public Defender, Attorney St. Vil tried multiple cases to trial by jury, where he maintained an unbeaten record. After nearly three years of handling criminal cases on both sides, Attorney St. Vil transitioned into government and local politics, where he drafted resolutions and ordinances for the City of Miami as a policy advisor and legal consultant.
Mr. St. Vil then worked as an insurance defense litigation attorney with a prominent Miami firm, representing insurance companies throughout the United States and London, England. As an insurance defense attorney, he negotiated settlements for tens of millions of dollars and now provides his prowess and expertise in insurance law at The St. Vil Firm, PLLC. Attorney St. Vil is an active member of The Florida Bar and has been admitted to the Southern and Northern United States District Court of Florida.
Attorney St. Vil's commitment to service extends to his role as an active citizen, serving as Chairman of the Planning and Zoning Board, and founding his own Non-Profit Organization, People About Change, Inc. In his spare time, Mr. St. Vil enjoys spending time with his family and loved ones, attending sporting events, weight-training, and a good game of Texas Hold'Em.
Whitney Ali is a partner at The Law Offices of Zulu Ali & Associates, LLP. She focuses her practice on criminal defense and immigration. She was named partner of The Law Offices of Zulu Ali & Associates, LLP in 2020. Zulu Ali & Associates was founded by her father and principal attorney, Zulu Ali, in 2007. Zulu Ali & Associates is the largest Black-owned law firm in California’s Inland Empire and has been named Best Law Firm by The American Institute of Trial Lawyers for 2022.
Attorney Whitney Ali earned a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California, Riverside, and a Juris Doctorate from John F. Kennedy University College of Law. Like her father, she is a distinguished biographee of Marquis Who's Who.
Attorney Zulu Ali, a native of Shelbyville, Tennessee, is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, who served as a sworn police officer with the City of Shelbyville, City of Lewisburg, and Vanderbilt Police Departments, respectively. Later, Attorney Ali earned a Juris Doctorate (law degree) from Trinity International University Law School and a liberal arts degree with an emphasis in African Studies from Regents College through a consortium with Tennessee State University. Attorney Ali has been admitted to the California State Bar; United States District Courts for the districts of Central California, Southern California, Northern California, and Colorado; United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Circuits; United States Supreme Court; and the International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands. Inspired by civil rights attorneys Charles Hamilton Houston, Thurgood Marshall, and Avon Williams, Jr., who used the law and courts as a vehicle to make change and protect all people against injustice, Attorney Ali opened the Law Offices of Zulu Ali with a focus on representing persons accused of crimes and seeking criminal justice, immigrants, victims of discrimination, and persons seeking civil justice. He has expanded his practice to include the representation of defendants, victims, and persons seeking reparations before the International Criminal Court at The Hague, Netherlands. Attorney Ali serves as Director of the Jury Reform Initiative; American Committee for United Nations Oversight, an advocacy group lobbying the United Nations for police reform; Director of the Stop and Frisk Academy, which trains at risk youth and others to deal with police encounters; Director of the Southern California Veterans Legal Clinic, a legal clinic offering no cost and low cost legal services to military veterans; and a member of the National Conference of Black Lawyers. Attorney Ali has been named to the Top 100 Lawyers by the prestigious National Black Lawyers-Top 100; The National Trial Lawyers – Top 100 Lawyers; Premier Top 100 Trial Lawyers by the American Academy of Trial Attorneys, also known as the National Academy of Jurisprudence; Esteemed Lawyers of America; Top 10 Attorneys for client satisfaction in criminal law, immigration law, and personal injury by the American Institute of Legal Counsel; Top 10 Attorneys in criminal defense, immigration law, and personal injury by the American Justice Institute; and named one of Rue Ratings Best Attorneys of America and was also honored by the National Action Network with the Vanguard Award as one of Los Angeles’ 100 Most Influential African Americans. Attorney Ali resides in Southern California with his wife (Charito) of over 32 years. Their four adult children, Christine, Whitney, Ashley, and Lynda; and three grandchildren, Amayah, Tye, and Izem. Experience U.S. Marine Police Officer Appellate Lawyer International Lawyer Trial Lawyer Admissions California State Bar (All State Courts) U.S. District Court, Central California U.S. District Court, Southern California U.S. District Court, Northern California U.S. District Court, Eastern California U.S. District Court, District of Colorado U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Tenth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit United States Supreme Court International Criminal Court, The Hague, Netherlands African Court on Human Rights Education Tanzania, Africa Trinity Law School, Juris Doctor University of Phoenix, M.B.A., M.S. University of the State of New York, A.S. Tennessee State University, USNY degree consortium Tennessee Law Enforcement Academy, P.O.S.T. Police Officer Certification Memberships (Past/Present) American Immigration Lawyers Assoc. American Association for Civil Justice California Attorneys for Criminal Justice National Immigration Project Federal Bar Association U.S. Military Service and Awards U.S. Marine Corps (Active Duty Veteran) Good Conduct Medal Recipient Meritorious Unit Commendation Award National Defense Medal Recipient AWARDS Top 100 Lawyers by the National Black Lawyers-Top 100 (California) Top 100 Lawyers by The National Trial Lawyers-Top 100 (California) Premier 100 Trial Attorney by the American Academy of Trial Attorneys (National Academy of Jurisprudence) Top 10 Lawyers by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys Top 10 Best Immigration Lawyers by the American Institute of Legal Counsel Top 10 Criminal Law, Immigration Law, and Personal Injury Attorneys by the American Jurist Institute Top 10 Criminal Law and Immigration Law Attorneys by Attorney & Practice Magazine