Introduction

From 2006 through 2014, Chris Andrian was the only criminal defense attorney in Sonoma County recognized by Super Lawyers, a peer nomination and independent research distinction awarded to no more than five percent of attorneys in any state. That nine-year run of exclusive recognition in Sonoma County is a specific, verifiable fact about how the legal community evaluated his work during that period. Andrian & Gallenson, located at 1100 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95401, phone 707-527-9381, practices criminal defense exclusively, and describes itself as carrying more courtroom experience than any other criminal defense firm in Sonoma County. The website is andriangallenson.com.

The firm does not practice anything except criminal defense. No family law, no personal injury, no estate planning. Every case that comes through the door is a criminal matter, and every hour of experience the attorneys have accumulated is in that single domain.

Practice Areas

Andrian & Gallenson handles criminal defense at both the state and federal level. The firm’s practice covers:

DUI Defense: Driving under the influence charges range from first-offense misdemeanors to felonies involving injury or prior convictions. The firm challenges the evidentiary basis of these cases, including the traffic stop, field sobriety tests, chemical testing procedures, and the reliability of the results.

Domestic Violence: Domestic violence charges carry significant consequences beyond the criminal penalties themselves, including restraining orders, effects on family court proceedings, and immigration consequences for non-citizen clients. The firm handles these cases with awareness of all downstream effects.

Sexual Assault: Sexual assault cases require careful handling of the forensic and testimonial evidence, often in an environment where the presumption of innocence faces intense public pressure. The firm provides defense representation in these cases at both the misdemeanor and felony level.

Drug Crimes: California drug law has evolved significantly through ballot initiatives and legislative changes. The firm handles possession, possession for sale, transportation, and manufacturing charges across the full range of controlled substances, including cases with federal nexus.

Marijuana Offenses: Despite California’s legalization framework for recreational cannabis, criminal charges still arise from conduct outside the licensed commercial system. The firm addresses these matters under both state and applicable federal law.

Environmental Violations: Environmental criminal cases involve regulatory frameworks enforced through criminal prosecution, often with significant technical components. These charges require attorneys who can engage with both the legal and technical dimensions.

Computer Crimes: The criminalization of computer-related conduct covers a wide range of offenses, from unauthorized access to fraud to crimes involving digital communications. The firm handles these matters as part of its state and federal criminal defense practice.

White Collar Offenses: Fraud, embezzlement, tax crimes, and similar offenses prosecuted in state or federal court require attorneys who understand both the underlying financial or business conduct and the criminal procedure governing the prosecution.

Violent Crimes: The firm defends against charges including assault, battery, robbery, and other violent offenses, from misdemeanor altercations to serious felonies carrying significant prison exposure.

Complex Federal Cases: Federal prosecutions carry distinct procedural rules, sentencing frameworks, and often involve investigations by federal agencies with significant resources. The firm handles complex federal matters, drawing on experience in federal courts.

Attorney Profiles

Chris Andrian was recognized exclusively by Super Lawyers as the only honored criminal defense attorney in Sonoma County for the period from 2006 to 2014. That recognition reflects peer evaluation and independent research rather than self-assessment. His practice has been built entirely around criminal defense in Sonoma County and state and federal courts.

Stephen Gallenson contributes to the firm’s combined experience in criminal defense litigation across a career in Sonoma County courts.

Caitlin van Loben Sels and Adriana Abrica are additional attorneys at the firm, further extending its collective courtroom experience.

The firm also includes former deputy district attorneys, attorneys who previously prosecuted cases in the same courts where they now defend clients. That prosecutorial background provides direct insight into how charging decisions are made, how evidence is evaluated internally before charges are filed, and what prosecution strategies look like from the inside.

The firm collectively claims more than 100 years of combined experience and more than 200 jury trials. The firm describes its approach as that of “long-distance runners,” reflecting a willingness to prepare for and pursue extended litigation rather than looking for early exits.

Location and Service Area

The office is at 1100 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95401. The firm serves clients in Sonoma County and in state and federal courts as needed. Santa Rosa is the county seat of Sonoma County and the location of the primary courthouse for county criminal matters.

Client Focus

Andrian & Gallenson serves individuals facing criminal charges across the full spectrum of the criminal calendar, from misdemeanors to serious felonies, from first contacts with law enforcement to complex multi-year federal prosecutions. The firm’s exclusive focus on criminal defense means that every resource in the office, and every hour of experience the attorneys bring, applies to criminal cases.

The “long-distance runner” characterization matters for clients facing serious charges. Not every case resolves quickly, and not every case should. Clients whose matters require extensive pre-trial litigation, evidentiary hearings, expert witnesses, and ultimately jury trials need attorneys who are prepared and willing to run that distance.

FAQ

What did it mean for Chris Andrian to be the only honored Super Lawyers criminal defense attorney in Sonoma County from 2006 to 2014?
Super Lawyers identifies attorneys through a combination of peer nominations and independent research, limiting selection to no more than five percent of attorneys in a state. Recognition as the only honored criminal defense attorney in Sonoma County for nine consecutive years means that during that period, no other criminal defense attorney in the county met the threshold for inclusion. It is a specific, narrow distinction tied to peer and independent evaluation over an extended period.

Does the firm handle both state and federal criminal cases?
Yes. The firm handles criminal defense in Sonoma County state courts, other California state courts as needed, and in federal courts. Federal criminal cases involve different procedural rules, different sentencing guidelines, and different investigative agencies than state prosecutions. The firm’s practice includes complex federal matters as a specific category of its criminal defense work.

What does having former deputy district attorneys on staff mean for clients?
Former prosecutors have firsthand experience with how charging decisions are made, how cases are evaluated internally before they are filed, and what the prosecution’s approach looks like from inside the office. When those attorneys switch to defense work, they carry that knowledge into their representation. For clients at Andrian & Gallenson, it means attorneys who understand the opposing side not only from litigation experience against prosecutors, but from having been prosecutors.

Why does the firm describe itself as “long-distance runners”?
The characterization reflects a philosophy about case preparation and litigation readiness. Some criminal defense cases resolve quickly; many do not. Complex cases involving serious charges can span months or years, require extensive investigation and expert witnesses, and ultimately proceed to jury trial. A firm that approaches cases as long-distance runners is one that prepares for the full distance, not just the early stages. For clients facing serious charges, that approach means their attorneys are not looking for the first available exit but rather are prepared for wherever the case needs to go.

Does the firm handle drug cases given California’s evolving cannabis laws?
Yes. California’s cannabis legalization framework applies to conduct within the licensed commercial system. Criminal charges still arise from conduct outside that framework, and federal law continues to treat cannabis as a controlled substance regardless of state law. The firm handles marijuana offenses alongside the full range of drug crime defense.

Closing

Nine years as Sonoma County’s sole Super Lawyers-recognized criminal defense attorney, more than 200 collective jury trials, and former prosecutors now applying their inside knowledge to defense work. Andrian & Gallenson operates exclusively in criminal defense, bringing the depth of a practice built around nothing else to clients facing DUI, domestic violence, drug, violent crime, white collar, and federal charges throughout Sonoma County and beyond.

1100 Mendocino Avenue, Santa Rosa, CA 95401
Phone: 707-527-9381
andriangallenson.com