Artesia Man Accused of Running Fake Law Practice for Nearly a Decade, Victims Sought

A 44-year-old Artesia man accused of pretending to be an attorney has pleaded not guilty to 13 misdemeanor counts of the unauthorized practice of law.

Amardeep Singh Gill, who is not registered as an attorney with the State Bar of California, has allegedly been representing himself as an lawyer in California since 2003. He has been doing business out his offices in Artesia, Lakewood, Bakersfield and San Jose, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.

If convicted, he faces a maximum sentence of 13 years in jail, according to a statement from the District Attorney’s office.

Gill is accused of fraudulently owning and operating Gill & Associates, P.C. since January 13, 2003 by misrepresenting himself as a licensed attorney in the State of California, including adding the suffix “Esq.” to his name.

His fraudulent law offices in Orange and Los Angele Counties are located at:

• Artesia Office: 17127 Pioneer Boulevard, Suite M3
• Lakewood Office: 5150 E. Candlewood Street, Suite 17E
• Bakersfield Office: 1603 California Avenue, Suite 115
• San Jose Office: 888 North First Street, Suite 214

According to the District Attorney's statement, Gill is accused of offering his unauthorized legal services at www.gillassociates.webs.com and claiming to have 11 years of experience with legal specialties including immigration, corporate, contracts, information technology, business and tax, civil litigation, and criminal defense.

His website further states that he is the firm’s Chief Counsel with 20 years of “overall law experience.”

On a visit to Gill's Artesia office, which is located in the multi-unit AMA Plaza building along Pioneer Boulevard near the Artesia (91) Freeway, Patch discovered several firm advertisements along the office's hallway walls, Gill's business cards and a placard of "Gill & Associates, P.C." on the office door. Also taped to the door was a document dated Oct. 28, 2003, searching for an Attorney at Law and Paralegal to add to the firm. (See image carousel for photos from the Artesia office.)

According to court documents filed by the District Attorney’s office, Gill is accused of requiring a non-refundable $2,000 fee to initially review a case in addition to a minimum $10,000 retainer, which is subject to increase on a case-by-case basis and does not include expenses or costs incurred to try the matter. He is also accused of advertising that he charges an additional fee of $100,000 for his minimum retainer if a client’s business address is between South Street and California State Route 91 in the cities where his offices were located.

Gill Refused to Provide Court with State Bar Number

The District Attorney’s statement reports that Gill allegedly met with a person in May 2010 who was looking for legal representation to sue his employer due to injuries he sustained while working on a job site. Gill went on to act as the victim’s “attorney” in the case by filing several legal documents with the court, making court appearances and participating in proceedings. At a Jan. 3, 2011, hearing, Gill was unable to provide a State Bar number when requested by the Superior Court Judge. On three separate Notices of Appeal forms for judgments entered against his client, Gill is accused of pretending that his Bar number was protected by State law when the form requested it. 

On Jan. 21, 2011, the Court reported Gill to the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, who launched an investigation. The defendant turned himself in to the court on July 12, 2011, and was arraigned on seven misdemeanor counts of the unauthorized practice of law. An Amended Complaint filed last Friday charged him with six additional misdemeanor counts of the same violation.

He is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 23 for a pretrial hearing, and a jury trial on his case is presently scheduled to start on Aug. 30, according to the Orange County Superior Court's website. 

D.A.’s Office Searching for Others Misrepresented or Solicited By Gill

The District Attorney office is now seeking the public’s help in identifying potential additional victims whom he solicited as clients for legal services and handled cases despite being unlicensed and unauthorized to practice law.

In order to be an attorney authorized to practice law in California, a person must pass an examination administered by the State Bar of California and be a registered member. State law prohibits unlicensed practitioners and business from offering unauthorized legal services to protect consumers from being defrauded, the District Attorney’s office said in a statement.

Anyone who believes they have been a victim or has additional information regarding this case is encouraged to contact Supervising District Attorney Investigator Katherine Kriskovic at (714) 347- 8817.