Legal Results,
Shown on Video
By CourtGPT Legal
Results That Matter
Three decades of dedicated legal service to North County families and businesses.
What Clients Say
Watch real client stories and see the results we've achieved. Our video content helps potential clients understand what to expect when working with our team.
“After 14 months of custody proceedings, CourtGPT secured primary physical custody of my two children and a child support order that covered their schooling. The litigation team was prepared at every hearing and kept me informed throughout.”
Margaret Solano-Burke
Family Law Client
Child Custody Victory — San Diego
“I was rear-ended by a commercial vehicle at the I-8 interchange and faced $180K in medical bills and lost wages. CourtGPT filed suit, took depositions of the trucking company officers, and reached a $1.4M settlement at mediation — net to my family after fees was $824K.”
Thomas R. Nakamura
Personal Injury Client
$1.4M Settlement — San Diego County Superior Court
“My employer fired me six weeks after I disclosed a pregnancy under FEHA. CourtGPT handled my EEOC charge through to a finding of reasonable cause, then negotiated a $340K settlement that included back pay, front pay, and accommodations language.”
Adriana Kowalski-Villanueva
Employment Discrimination Client
EEOC Case Resolved — San Diego
“CourtGPT formed my restaurant-group holding company — three LLCs, custom operating agreements, and the initial FTB filings — in three weeks. They also drafted my vendor lease template and employee arbitration clause, which saved me $12K in outside counsel fees.”
Marcus J. Webb
Business Formation Client
LLC Formation — Del Mar
“My EB-1 extraordinary ability petition was initially rejected by USCIS. CourtGPT prepared a Request for Reconsideration with 47 additional citations and three expert affidavits. The second review resulted in approval — my researchers can now continue their cancer immunotherapy work in the US.”
Dr. Priya Venkataraman
Immigration Client
EB-1 Visa Approved — San Diego
“I was charged with a DUI-muddled misdemeanor after a collision at Pacific Beach. CourtGPT's criminal defense team filed a motion to suppress the blood draw based on Chain of Custody errors. The DA dismissed at the preliminary hearing — no conviction, my nursing license stayed clean.”
James E. Callahan
Criminal Defense Client
Misdemeanor Dismissed — San Diego Superior Court
“Fired from a regional manager position after complaining about a hostile supervisor — the HR investigation found my complaint substantiated but the company terminated me anyway. CourtGPT tried the case to a jury. The verdict: $680K compensatory, $350K in front pay future lost earnings. Interest accruing post-judgment.”
Claudette Oduya-Mbeki
Wrongful Termination Client
FEHA Trial Verdict — San Diego Superior Court
“CourtGPT drafted my revocable living trust, pour-over will, healthcare directive, and power of attorney — everything executed with a full notarization and recorded deed transfers for my real property holdings in Carlsbad. My children's inheritance is protected and probate is avoided.”
Robert C. Finch
Estate Planning Client
Trust & Estate Plan — North County
Founded in San Diego, Serving California Since 1994
CourtGPT Law was founded in San Diego in 1994 by James Solano, a San Diego native and UC San Diego graduate, with a simple mission: provide families and businesses access to experienced legal counsel without the corporate firm overhead. Thirty years later, our attorneys have recovered over $50M in settlements and verdicts for clients throughout California.
Our Story
After clerking for a San Diego County Superior Court judge and then practicing at one of the region's largest litigation firms, James Solano opened CourtGPT Law in 1994 with a straightforward belief: clients deserve direct access to experienced attorneys, not a revolving door of associates they'll never meet.
From a single conference room in the Gaslamp Quarter, the firm grew by word of mouth — a family law client referred a business neighbor, who referred an employment matter, who referred a personal injury case. Today, CourtGPT Law operates from 525 B Street in downtown San Diego, with a team of six attorneys and a support staff that treats every client like family.
Our video-forward approach began in 2012 when we started recording case walkthroughs and client success stories — not for marketing, but because we found clients who watched these videos came to their consultations better prepared, with more realistic expectations about the legal process. That is still our philosophy today.
Our San Diego Connection
Every attorney at CourtGPT Law is a San Diego native or has called the county home for a decade or more. We know the local courts — San Diego Superior Court's Central Facility in Hillcrest, the Family Law Courthouse in Mission Valley, the Federal Courthouse on Front Street — and we know the prosecutors, opposing counsel, and commissioners who appear there regularly. That institutional knowledge matters in how we structure negotiations and trial strategy.
Main Office
San Diego, CA 92101
Sat: By Appointment
Lead Attorneys
Licensed California State Bar attorneys — no paralegals handling your case
James R. Solano
Founding Partner — Litigation
California State Bar #158296, 1991
JD, University of San Diego School of Law, 1990
30+ years of trial experience in complex commercial litigation, personal injury, and criminal defense. Named Super Lawyer every year since 2012. Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Margaret T. Okonkwo
Managing Partner — Family Law
California State Bar #258473, 1996
JD, UC Berkeley School of Law, 1995
Board-certified family law specialist with 28+ years handling custody, divorce, and domestic violence matters. Martindale-Hubbell AV Rated. Recognized by California Lawyer Magazine as a Top Family Law Attorney.
Robert J. Nakamura
Partner — Criminal Defense & Employment
California State Bar #348591, 2002
JD, UCLA School of Law, 2001
Former San Diego County Deputy District Attorney turned defense attorney. 22+ years handling DUI defense, white collar criminal, and FEHA employment matters. Named to Best Lawyers in America 2019-2024.
Practice Areas
General practice firm with in-house specialists — no referrals to unknown firms
Family Law
Custody, divorce, child support, spousal support
Criminal Defense
DUI, felonies, misdemeanors, appeals
Personal Injury
Auto accidents, premises liability, wrongful death
Business Law
Formation, litigation, contracts, employment
Employment Law
FEHA discrimination, harassment, retaliation
Immigration
Employment visas, family reunification, naturalization
525 B Street, Suite 1500, San Diego CA 92101 · (619) 555-0147
Transparent Legal Service Plans
From free consultations to full legal representation. No upfront costs, no obligation.
Free Consultation
A no-obligation 30-minute case evaluation. We'll review your situation, explain your legal options, and outline a path forward.
- Free 30-minute consultation
- Case merits review
- Legal options explanation
- No obligation to continue
- Video or in-person available
- Same-week appointments
Case Evaluation & Filing
Attorney review of your documents, case strategy development, and initial court filings prepared by our litigation team.
- Attorney document review (up to 10 pages)
- Case strategy session (60 min)
- Court filing preparation (2 filings)
- Case timeline outline
- Rights explanation document
- Monthly check-in call
Deposition Preparation
Pre-deposition coaching and strategy sessions. We prepare you for examination, review likely questions, and practice responses with you.
- 2-hour coaching session
- Question-by-question practice
- Objection instruction coaching
- Live mock deposition role-play
- Written prep summary packet
- Recording for self-review
Trial Preparation
Complete trial-ready representation including juror analysis, witness preparation, and mock trial sessions before your court date.
- Dedicated trial attorney assigned
- Jury pool analysis (San Diego County)
- Witness preparation sessions (up to 5)
- Opposing counsel brief review
- Mock trial simulation (4 hours)
- Trial-day attorney on standby
Contingency Representation
No upfront fees for qualifying personal injury and employment claims. We collect a percentage only if you receive a settlement or verdict.
- Zero upfront attorney fees
- Case evaluation at no charge
- Investigation costs covered by firm
- Medical records retrieval included
- Settlement negotiation handling
- Trial representation if needed
Appellate Brief Review
California Court of Appeal and Appellate Division brief preparation by our appellate specialists. Complete briefing from initial Notice through decision.
- Complete appellate brief drafting
- Record extraction and review
- Legal argument research
- Authority briefing (50+ citations)
- Reply brief included
- Oral argument prep session
Criminal Defense Flat Fee
Misdemeanor and felony criminal defense representation. From arraignment through disposition or trial, our defense team handles your case.
- Arraignment to disposition
- Court appearance representation
- Plea negotiation handling
- Pre-trial motion filings
- Jury trial preparation (if needed)
- Post-sentence appeals guidance
Family Law Retainer
Comprehensive family law including custody, visitation, child support modifications, and spousal support from filing through final judgment.
- Custody petition preparation
- Child support calculation filing
- Spousal support request filing
- Mediation session attendance
- Court trial preparation
- Modifications post-judgment
Business Formation Package
LLC, S-Corp, or C-Corp formation in California. Includes operating agreement drafting, EIN registration, initial compliance, and one year of registered agent service.
- Articles of Incorporation filing
- Custom operating agreement
- Federal EIN registration
- California Secretary of State filing
- One year registered agent
- Post-formation compliance review
Employment Law Consultation
FEHA and federal employment law claims including discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and wrongful termination. Initial evaluation determines merit and next steps.
- Attorney intake session (60 min)
- EEOC/DFEH filing guidance
- Evidence preservation instruction
- Witness list development
- Demand letter drafting
- Settlement demand strategy
Immigration Consultation
Business and family immigration evaluation by our immigration counsel. Employment-based visas, family reunification, and naturalization assessment.
- Visa eligibility assessment
- PERM labor certification review
- Family sponsorship evaluation
- Naturalization timeline review
- Adjustment of status guidance
- Business visitor guidance
Retainer — General Counsel
Monthly general counsel retainer for businesses and individuals needing ongoing legal access. Unlimited consultations, contract review, and priority scheduling.
- Unlimited phone consultations
- Contract review (unlimited)
- Business formation discount
- Employment law guidance
- Regulatory compliance access
- Monthly attorney check-in call
Contingency fee arrangements available for qualifying cases. No upfront costs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to common questions about hiring a lawyer, legal fees, case timelines, and what to expect when working with CourtGPT Law.
Don't see your question answered here?
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Real Cases. Real Outcomes.
Watch client testimonials, case study walkthroughs, and attorney spotlights. Real people navigating complex legal challenges — and the attorneys who guided them to favorable outcomes.