Michael & Associates opens San Diego office and adds senior trial attorney

Michael & Associates Criminal Defense Attorneys has expanded into San Diego with a new office and the addition of Senior Trial Attorney Michael Norton. The move deepens the firm’s California reach as it targets DUI and other misdemeanor and felony defense work across San Diego County and Southern California.

Why it matters: - Michael & Associates now has a San Diego base for clients facing DUI, drug, theft, assault and other criminal charges in San Diego County and Southern California. - The expansion adds a veteran local trial attorney and strengthens the firm’s California criminal defense footprint.

What happened: - Michael & Associates Criminal Defense Attorneys announced a new California criminal defense presence in San Diego on July 30, 2026. - Senior Trial Attorney Michael Norton is leading the expansion. - Norton has been licensed in California since 2006. - Norton will represent clients from pre-file investigations through arraignment, motion practice, negotiated resolutions and jury trials. - The San Diego office is at 600 W. Broadway, Unit 700, San Diego, CA 92101. - The office phone number is (619) 333-5833.

The details: - Norton has more than two decades of criminal defense experience. - His practice has covered DUI, domestic violence, assault, drug crimes, theft offenses, weapons charges, probation violations and other misdemeanor and felony matters. - Norton is a member of the California Public Defenders Association and the California DUI Lawyers Association. - His work includes a 2018 presentation on criminal restitution in DUI cases and a published article on early termination of probation and criminal record relief. - Michael & Associates says each client gets a dedicated Senior Trial Attorney who manages the case from start to finish. - The firm says its team includes more than 45 criminal defense lawyers. - The firm says its lawyers include former prosecutors, Board Certified Criminal Law specialists and attorneys with advanced forensic science training. - The California practice emphasizes challenging forensic evidence in DUI and drug-impaired driving cases. - The firm says some attorneys hold the ACS-CHAL Forensic Lawyer-Scientist designation. - That forensic focus includes breath testing, blood alcohol analysis, forensic toxicology, laboratory procedures and gas chromatography. - The San Diego office handles DUI, domestic violence, assault, drug crimes, theft offenses, weapons charges, probation violations and other misdemeanor and felony cases. - Michael & Associates also lists offices in Austin, San Antonio, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, Nashville, Los Angeles and San Diego. - The firm says its senior trial attorneys handle DWI, DUI, assault, domestic violence, drug possession, theft, weapons, probation violation and felony cases. - The firm says its lawyers have more than 1,000 combined jury trials. - The firm reports a 98.5% client satisfaction rate based on 1,840 post-case survey responses collected between September 2022 and May 2026. - The firm reports favorable outcomes in approximately 65% of its 2025 trial cases, with about 50% resulting in outright acquittals. - The firm says it has a 5.0 Google rating and more than 1,400 five-star reviews across Google, Avvo, BBB and Martindale.

Between the lines: - The San Diego move signals a bet on local experience and trial-ready staffing as a way to compete in a crowded criminal defense market. - The firm is also leaning heavily on forensic-evidence challenges, which can be especially important in DUI and drug-related prosecutions. - Norton’s local courtroom familiarity and the firm’s broader attorney bench appear designed to cover both routine misdemeanors and high-stakes felony cases.

What's next: - Norton will begin handling cases out of the San Diego office for clients across San Diego County. - The expansion positions Michael & Associates to grow further across California while maintaining its multi-office defense model. - Clients seeking more information can use the firm’s San Diego office at 600 W. Broadway, Unit 700, San Diego, CA 92101 or call (619) 333-5833.

The bottom line: - Michael & Associates is using its San Diego expansion to add local trial experience, widen its California reach and sharpen its defense strategy around forensic evidence.