Brian S. Harnik*
ATTORNEY AT LAW
*Professional Corporation

A trial lawyer for more than 35 years, Senior Partner Brian Harnik is an aggressive and successful advocate in both civil litigation and general business law. He handles disputes on behalf of defendants, plaintiffs, and as a neutral mediator and arbitrator. He also advocates for clients before various government entities.

Mr. Harnik has tried numerous jury and court cases in jurisdictions around the country. He handles complicated business disputes of all types. He is admitted to practice law in New York, Massachusetts and California. He is also admitted to practice before various Federal Courts in California and New York, the Ninth Circuit and the United States Supreme Court. He sits periodically as Judge Pro Tempore and as settlement judge for the Riverside County Superior Court in Palm Springs, California. Mr. Harnik has earned an AV rating, and was recently selected as a Top Lawyer by the Inland Empire Magazine.

Mr. Harnik began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney from Brooklyn, New York where he served as a homicide prosecutor and advanced trial supervisor. In 1988, Mr. Harnik was brought to California by the Los Angeles based firm of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP where he handled complex jury trials for large corporations. In 1990, he co-founded Roemer & Harnik LLP, which successfully represents clients in a wide variety of civil matters.

Areas of Emphasis

  • Civil Litigation
  • Employment Law
  • Real Estate & Property
  • Land Use & Entitlements
  • Alternative Dispute Resolution
  • Business Transactions

Education and Trial Experience

  • Binghamton University (B.A. 1978)
  • The Boston University School of Law (J.D. 1981)
  • Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney (1981 – 1988)
  • Brooklyn District Attorney’s Homicide Bureau Senior Trial Attorney
  • Brooklyn Sex Crimes & Special Victims Bureau Trial Supervisor
  • Brooklyn Major Offense Prosecution Program Trial Attorney
  • Litigation Associate at Quinn Emanuel, et al.
  • Senior Trial Partner at Roemer & Harnik LLP

Community

  • CV Strategies, Inc. (former principal and Chief Financial Officer)
  • Desert Bar Association (Past President)
  • Boys and Girls Clubs of Coachella Valley (Vice President)
  • The Warren E. Slaughter Richard I. Roemer American Inn of Court (Co-Founder)
  • Desert Town Hall – Indian Wells (Past President, Current Vice President, Board of Directors)
  • Sunrise Bank (Former Director, Executive Committee Member, Chair of the bank’s Risk Liaison Committee)
  • The Living Desert (General Counsel)
  • Hidden Harvest (Board member)
  • McCallum Theatre Foundation (Board Member)
  • California State University San Bernardino, Palm Desert Campus Advancement Board
  • Guest lecturer at College of the Desert – Business Law