Ramnaney, a former federal civil rights prosecutor and longtime public defender, brings insight into how government agencies investigate, and defend, claims of law enforcement misconduct.
MARINA DEL REY, Calif. — V. James DeSimone Law, a Southern California employment and civil rights firm, announced that trial attorney Nikhil Ramnaney, of Harbor Justice Law, has joined the firm as of counsel.
He will work with V. James DeSimone Law’s civil rights team on cases involving police misconduct, employment discrimination and other civil rights actions. This includes all violations of constitutional rights such as excessive force, wrongful death, and malicious prosecution. Nikhil will continue his work as a preeminent criminal defense attorney taking on select matters in state and federal court.
For more than four decades, civil rights attorney V. James DeSimone has successfully represented individuals and families who have suffered harm at the hands of law enforcement, government entities, businesses and other powerful institutions.
“Nikhil has seen this work from every angle,” DeSimone said. “His range of experience makes him a fierce advocate for people who have been harmed by the institutions meant to protect them. We’re grateful to have him on our team.”
Ramnaney spent several years as a trial attorney in the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Working out of Justice Department headquarters in Washington, D.C., he investigated and prosecuted police and correctional officers accused of abuse of authority, violence, and obstruction of justice.
His cases took him across the country and included investigations into in-custody deaths and physical abuse inside correctional facilities. He received multiple commendations from the FBI and the U.S. Attorney General for that work.
Before joining the Justice Department, Ramnaney represented public entities and law enforcement agencies in civil litigation, including police-related employment disputes and internal investigations. That work gave him firsthand knowledge of how municipalities and law enforcement agencies investigate officer misconduct, handle internal discipline and defend civil lawsuits. He now uses that inside knowledge on behalf of plaintiffs.
As a Los Angeles County Public Defender, Ramnaney represented juveniles and adults on charges ranging from misdemeanors to homicide. Over his career, he has tried nearly 50 cases and litigated hundreds of motions. He is the former president of Local 148, the Los Angeles County Public Defenders Union, and has long been an advocate for workers’ rights, organized labor, and the fair treatment of working people.
“From the Department of Justice to Los Angeles courtrooms, my career has taken me from prosecuting civil rights cases to defending people facing state and federal criminal charges,” Ramnaney said. “After trying more than 50 cases, that journey has shaped how I think about the criminal justice system and police procedure, and what it takes to win. I’m excited to bring that experience to VJD Law alongside Jim, Carmen, and this team of skilled litigators and fighters. I’m ready to help deliver justice for our clients.”
Born and raised in Southern California, Ramnaney earned his undergraduate degree from UCLA and then attended Tulane University Law School on an academic scholarship, graduating magna cum laude. During law school, he gained courtroom and defense experience with the Federal Public Defender’s Office, then later worked at an Am Law 100 firm handling complex, high-stakes commercial litigation for Fortune 500 companies.
He is affiliated with the National Police Accountability Project, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, California Public Defenders Association and the California Appellate Project – Los Angeles. He also serves on the board of the South Asian Bar Association.
About V. James DeSimone Law
For more than 40 years, founder V. James DeSimone has represented individuals and employees throughout Southern California in civil rights, employment, wrongful death and catastrophic injury cases. The Marina del Rey, Calif., firm has secured multiple multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts on behalf of its clients, and DeSimone has been recognized as a Top 100 Super Lawyer, California Civil Rights Lawyer of the Year and a Best Lawyers Civil Rights Lawyer of the Year.
