Attorney Profiles
Bryant Street Law Offices is a collective of solo practitioners dedicated to criminal defense on behalf of clients in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California. Attorneys in our community include:
Robert Marlowe Amparán
Robert Marlowe Amparán assists clients in all matters pertaining to criminal defense and appeals, including:
- Misdemeanors & Felonies
- White Collar Crimes
- Capital Offenses (Death Penalty)
- Sex Crimes (including Rape)
- Violent Crimes (including Assault & Battery and Domestic Violence)
- Cyberlaw Crimes (Cybercrimes)
- Murder & Manslaughter
- Vehicular Homicide
- Drug Crimes (including Forfeiture & Trafficking)
- Drunk Driving (DUIs / DWIs)
Mr. Amparán focuses his practice on homicide, rape, sex crimes, and other violent crimes. He has extensive trial experience in California state and federal courts and in criminal appeals, establishing a strong record of acquittals and other favorable verdicts. In addition, he was one of the attorneys who represented John Mark Karr, the man falsely accused of being a pedophile and murdering JonBenét Ramsey, resulting in the dismissal of all of his California charges. For his years of dedication and excellent representation of his clients, Mr. Amparán has been selected as a Northern California Super Lawyer.
Mr. Amparán obtained his law degree from Golden Gate University School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1994.
Education
Admissions
- State Bar of California, 1994
Gayle Gutekunst
Gayle Gutekunst assists adult and juvenile defendants in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California in all phases of criminal law proceedings in both state and federal courts, including trials and post-trial convictions. Ms. Gutekunst began her legal career practicing in the areas of oil and gas, business transactions, civil litigation, and municipal law. Since then, she has broadened her practice to include criminal defense at both the appellate and trial levels.
In 1992, Ms. Gutekunst joined the Fresno County Public Defender's Office. While there, she was on their first Major Crimes team focusing on capital litigation. She finished her tenure there on the Motions Team performing research, writing, strategizing, and training, which included Continuing Legal Education (CLEs) presentations. She also represented the Public Defender on statewide juvenile justice issues and developed protocols with the Fresno Superior Court, County Counsel and Department of Health on the intersection of public health and the criminal courts. She was the Fresno Superior Court Judge's appointment to the countywide Adult Detention Facility Advisory Committee.
In 2006, Ms. Gutekunst joined Pier 5 Law Offices in San Francisco, an established community of criminal defense practitioners. While there, she associated with attorneys Robert Amparán and Benjamin Prince to represent John Mark Karr, resulting in the dismissal of all his California charges. She also represented several clients with the famous attorney J. Tony Serra. In April 2009, she joined Bryant Street Law Offices, a collaboration of sole practitioners devoted to criminal defense and civil rights litigation.
Education
- J.D., Fordham University School of Law, 1978
- Barnard, 1974
Admissions
- State Bar of California, 1980
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California, 1980
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 1988
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, 1988
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado, 2007
- U.S. Supreme Court, 1990
Professional Associations
- State Bar of California
- Bar Association of San Francisco
- California Public Defenders Association, 1985 - current
- California Attorneys for Criminal Justice
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- California Appellate Defense Counsel
Reported Cases
- U.S. v. Chan, et al. (E.D. Cal. 2008) 2008 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 104164
- People v. Glenos, (1992) 7 Cal.App.4th 1201
- Bigelow v. Superior Court, (1989) 208 Cal.App.3d 1127
- Coast Elevator Co. v. State Bd. of Equalization, (1989) 186 Cal.App.3d 206
Languages
- German (proficiency)
- French (basic)
- Hungarian (basic)
- Arabic (basic)
Che L. Hashim
Che L. Hashim is a criminal defense attorney with Bryant Street Law Offices assisting clients in the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout Northern California. Mr. Hashim received his Juris Doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law and his undergraduate degree from Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts. He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 2005.
Education
- J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law, 2005
- B.A., Amherst College, 2002
Admissions
- State Bar of California, 2005
Benjamin Prince
Benjamin Prince is a criminal defense attorney with Bryant Street Law Offices. Mr. Prince obtained his Juris Doctorate from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He is admitted to practice by the State Bar of California and the U.S. District Courts for both the Central and Northern Districts of California. Along with Mr. Amparán and Ms. Gutekunst, he helped obtain a dismissal of all California charges for John Mark Karr, the man falsely accused of murdering JonBenét Ramsey.
Mr. Prince was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. He speaks both English and Spanish.
Education
Admissions
- State Bar of California, 2004
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California, 2004
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, 2004
Languages
- Spanish
Valerio Romano
Valerio Romano represents clients facing charges of felonies and misdemeanors in state and federal courts throughout California. While in law school, Mr. Romano clerked at the San Francisco Federal Public Defender's office. He then had the good fortune of obtaining a position with Shari White of Pier 5 Law Offices, where he worked with J. Tony Serra, a famous San Francisco attorney and defender of basic human rights. Starting with his work at Pier 5 Law, Mr. Romano has successfully defended many medical marijuana and narcotics cases. He has also worked with other attorneys to obtain acquittals in many violent felony cases, including freeing an innocent defendant accused of murder.
Today Mr. Romano continues to handle criminal defense cases, and has expanded his practice to include real property and cyber law cases. His extensive computer background includes working as a Unix Administrator for NBC's internet portal, NBCi, and as a network engineer for Firstworld Communications, formerly known as Slipnet. His pre-law computer experience gives him a firm understanding of the complex issues surrounding technology litigation.
Recently, Mr. Romano was appointed by the San Francisco Superior Court, and has been featured in the press as one of the attorneys defending the wrongfully accused Terry Childs; for more information, see our press page. He is also a founder of ExampleMotion.com, a legal research website offering sample pleadings and motions online. During the creation of www.ExampleMotion.com, Mr. Romano read thousands of briefs written by other attorneys, giving him an extensive understanding of diverse areas of law.
Education
- J.D., University of San Francisco School of Law, 2005
Admissions
- State Bar of California, 2006
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of California
Professional Associations
Languages
- Italian
Marla Zamora
Marla Zamora provides comprehensive representation for defendants in all criminal law cases. Ms. Zamora obtained her Juris Doctorate from University of California, Hastings College of Law and her Bachelor of Arts from Chico State College. She was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1977. Ms. Zamora is proficient in Spanish and assists both English and Spanish speaking clients.
Education
- J.D., University of California, Hastings College of the Law, 1976
- B.A., Chico State College, 1972
Admissions
- State Bar of California, 1977
Languages
- Spanish
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