Prior to becoming a criminal defense attorney, Mr. Bernal served as a prosecutor for almost a decade. As a prosecutor, Mr. Bernal worked on hundreds of cases and tried dozens of jury trials to verdict. This gives Mr. Bernal a unique perspective that most criminal defense lawyers simply do not have.

Over the course of his career, Mr. Bernal has handled thousands of cases in virtually every area of criminal law. He has prosecuted and defended cases in the areas of insurance fraud, health care fraud, wire fraud, tax evasion, drug trafficking, burglary, consumer protection, domestic violence, murder, and many other areas. Mr. Bernal represents clients facing criminal charges in both state and federal court. Additionally, Mr. Bernal is fully bilingual and is able to seamlessly assist Spanish-speaking clients facing criminal charges.

Prior to forming Bernal Law, APLC, Mr. Bernal served as a Deputy District Attorney in the San Diego District Attorney’s Office, where he prosecuted complex white-collar crimes, including insurance fraud, tax offenses, and other complex financial crimes. Mr. Bernal also served as a Special United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego prosecuting federal crimes.

Since 2017, Mr. Bernal has served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at California Western School, teaching courses in the area of Trial Advocacy and Legal Writing. He has lectured in the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, and Peru on issues relating to criminal tax prosecutions, trial advocacy and the Rule of Law.