Alyssa Bell

Alyssa represents clients in high-stakes criminal and civil proceedings, appeals, and investigations. She is a noted appellate practitioner, frequently engaged by individuals and companies to pursue justice in state and federal courts of appeal. Chambers USA praises Alyssa as "one of the sharpest minds in white collar appellate work who has a track record of winning tough cases." Her Ninth Circuit experience is especially extensive, including regular arguments before the court and over 100 appearances as counsel of record. When a client's livelihood is on the line, Alyssa leverages her background as a former federal public defender in the Appellate Unit to restore their reputation and preserve their interests.

A thoughtful and determined advocate, Alyssa has achieved hard-won victories in criminal litigation involving extradition, financial fraud, RICO conspiracy, narcotics offenses, and Fourth and Fifth amendment challenges to government overreach. On the civil side, she has handled post-trial motions and appeals for a variety of clients, including startups and financial entities. In particular, she excels at litigating groundbreaking issues of statutory construction, including novel interpretations of the federal bribery and honest services fraud statutes, First Amendment issues critical to the separation of church and state, and novel theories under California's Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

Prior to joining Cohen Williams, Alyssa held two positions at the Office of the Federal Public Defender: first as a trial deputy, then in the Appellate Unit, where she appeared numerous times before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. She also served as the office's impact litigation coordinator, spearheading a strategy to challenge corrupt police practices in a high-profile series of cases that were recognized by the L.A. Times.