News Releases

State Bar Seizes Practice of Brazen Attorney Impersonator Facing Felony Charges in Los Angeles

The State Bar has seized the practice of an individual who repeatedly and illegally misrepresented himself as an attorney to obtain thousands of dollars from unsuspecting Los Angeles clients, Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona announced Friday. Efferin Deans of Lake Balboa has no fewer than 22 aliases and is not authorized to practice law in California.  

Deans sought clients by targeting visitors to Los Angeles courthouses where he mispresented himself as an attorney and brazenly appeared in court on their behalf. In late August, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge informed the State Bar’s Office of Chief Trial Counsel that Deans appeared in the judge’s courtroom, holding himself out as an attorney.  Deans has a prior conviction for practicing law without a State Bar license and is fluent in Spanish and has a history of targeting Spanish speakers seeking legal help.  

“The unauthorized practice of law presents a serious threat to some of the most vulnerable members of our communities,” said State Bar Chief Trial Counsel George Cardona. “It is also a crime. The Office of Chief Trial Counsel is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to combat this threat.”  

The State Bar investigated Deans and worked in partnership with the Notario Fraud Unit of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office and the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA).

Deans was arrested and faces three felony counts of grand theft; two felony counts of preparing false documentary evidence; one felony count of perjury by declaration; and three misdemeanor counts of practicing law without being licensed by the State Bar.

The felony counts were filed on October 27, 2021, by Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

“Practicing law without a license violates the California State Bar Act, is morally and ethically wrong, unfair to the unsuspecting client, and can cause irreparable harm to the client’s case,” said Gascón.

The Superior Court of Los Angeles County issued an interim order on Thursday, which allows the State Bar to seize client files and records of former clients of Deans or the Law Offices of Deans and Associates from his office in Canoga Park and his San Fernando Valley home office.   

Clients or former clients of Efferin Deans or the Law Offices of Deans and Associates seeking the return of their client files may contact the State Bar’s dedicated bilingual phone number at 213-765-1766.

Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of Efferin Deans can also call the DCBA hotline at 213-974-1452.

The State Bar has partnered with the LA County DA’s office and DCBA for years on the persistent problem of unlicensed individuals claiming to provide low-cost legal help to unknowing consumers.

A State Bar proposal intended to increase access to legal services—currently out for public comment—includes recommendations that would address and improve enforcement efforts against this pervasive problem. Recommendations include:

• Statutory amendments to allow for prosecution of the unauthorized practice of law (UPL) as a felony, with harsher penalties for violations and an extended statute of limitations for charging cases;
• Increased resources and funding for law enforcement and the State Bar to investigate and prosecute UPL;
• Creation of a victim restitution fund for UPL victims; and  
• Resources for consumer education that will help legal consumers avoid being victimized by UPL.

The State Bar has a unit dedicated to investigating and addressing the unauthorized practice of law, including those who give legal advice without a license or otherwise pose as attorneys. 

People who have been targeted by someone who is not licensed to practice law can file an unauthorized practice of law complaint with the State Bar. There is no cost, and U.S. citizenship is not required; the State Bar will not ask complainants about their citizenship or immigration status. The online complaint form is available in English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese.

In 2020, the State Bar opened more than 600 cases in which a nonattorney was alleged to have engaged in the unauthorized practice of law. The agency referred more than 300 such cases to law enforcement last year.

Additional State Bar resources for consumers:

• COVID-19 fraud alert
• Legal guides in seven languages, including guides for immigrants on seeking legitimate legal help and avoiding immigration fraud
• Immigration legal resources

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The State Bar of California's mission is to protect the public and includes the primary functions of licensing, regulation and discipline of attorneys; the advancement of the ethical and competent practice of law; and support of efforts for greater access to, and inclusion in, the legal system.