About Hugo Ernesto
Hugo Ernesto Castillo is a licensed attorney admitted to practice law in the State of California. He was admitted to the California State Bar in 2002. His license is currently in active status. Mr. Castillo is the founder and principal attorney at The Castillo Law Office, a criminal defense firm located at 1939 Harrison Street, Suite 710, Oakland, California 94612. He has been practicing law for over 23 years, serving clients throughout the greater Oakland area and surrounding counties in Northern California.
Mr. Castillo earned his Juris Doctor degree from Golden Gate University School of Law, where he graduated in 2002. Prior to law school, he completed his undergraduate education at San Francisco State University, receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree. During his time at Golden Gate University School of Law, he was an associate editor of the Law Review and participated in the school's clinical legal education program. He also externed for a federal magistrate judge for the United States District Court for the Northern District of California and interned at the San Francisco Public Defender's Office for two years.
Mr. Castillo concentrates his practice in the area of criminal defense law. He represents individuals in matters involving domestic violence, robbery, sexual assault, homicides, DUI, and sale of narcotics. His practice encompasses all stages of litigation, including initial case evaluation, discovery, mediation, settlement negotiations, and trial proceedings in both state and federal courts. He has handled complex cases involving DNA evidence, gang-related offenses, ballistics, fingerprints, false confessions, mistaken witness identification, and accident reconstruction.
Throughout his career, Mr. Castillo has handled cases in the Superior Court of California for the County of Alameda, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has also appeared before the California Court of Appeal on multiple occasions. Prior to founding his own firm, he worked as an associate at a large criminal defense law firm in the Bay Area for over ten years.
Mr. Castillo is an active member of the California State Bar Association. He has been recognized for his professional achievements, including being selected for inclusion in California's Super Lawyers® Rising Stars℠, an honor limited to no more than 2.5% of attorneys in the state. He was also honored with the Client Distinction Award for 2013 by Martindale-Hubbell® and the Elizabeth Rose Award for Professionalism and Integrity in 2002. Mr. Castillo is fluent in both English and Spanish, allowing him to serve the diverse communities of the Oakland area effectively.
