Attorney Profiles

Michael L. Fell – Attorney

Michael L. Fell is a dedicated and passionate defense attorney with a strong background in criminal law forged during his tenure as an Orange County Senior Deputy District Attorney. While an Orange County prosecutor for over 18 years, Mr. Fell handled many high profile cases and prosecuted various criminal offenses including, but not limited to: murder, arson, gang cases, sexual offenses, and organized crime. He also served as a Supervising Prosecutor with the Orange County Juvenile Court.

During his time with the OCDA’s Office, Mr. Fell was recognized for his efforts with the prestigious Ambassador of Peace Award from the Violence Prevention Coalition of Orange County in 2003. Mr. Fell has also received accolades and awards from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), Community Services Program (CSP)/Victim Witness of Orange County and the Constitutional Rights Foundation of Orange County.

After leaving the DA’s Office, Mr. Fell spent two years as the California Senior Trial Counsel for a civil law firm where he negotiated and litigated multi-million dollar civil cases. He left the civil firm in 2009 to open his own practice–Law Office of Michael L. Fell, A Professional Corporation—where he concentrates on representing individuals accused of various criminal offenses. He is now a California Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist.

Thanks to his years working as a top prosecutor with the Orange County DA’s Office, Mr. Fell knows how cases are prosecuted by his former office and he understands the evidence needed to file charges against those being accused or arrested. Many times, he is able to speak to DAs while they are reviewing the police reports written by the arresting officer and avoid charges being filed.

Mr. Fell is well known as a passionate proponent of “creative sentencing.” Because he feels that jail is seldom the appropriate punishment for his clients, he is very proactive in negotiating with DAs in resolving his clients’ cases for dispositions other than incarceration whenever possible.

Mr. Fell has been publicly noted for his exceptional criminal defense representation in a variety of ways: He has been selected by OC Metro Magazine for the last three years as one of Orange County’s “Top Attorneys” in criminal defense and has been recognized as a “Superb Rated Attorney” with a 10.0/10.0 rating by Avvo.com, a national attorney evaluation and information website.

Mark Geller – Attorney

For the past 26 years Mark Geller has been a prosecutor with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, retiring in January 2022 as a Senior Deputy DA. As a prosecutor Mr. Geller completed close to 150 jury trials for crimes including Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, and Gang Homicide, to name a few. Twice he was chosen prosecutor of the year by his peers and received many accolades throughout his distinguished career including awards from Mother Against Drunk Drivers and CSP (a victim’s advocate group). For the last 6 years he has worked as the sole Domestic Violence (DV) felony prosecutor for all of South Orange County stretching from Irvine to San Clemente. While he has developed relationships with every police agency in the County, his recent focus on DV leaves him uniquely situated to assist both victims and those accused with navigating the complex criminal justice system associated with Domestic Violence. His vast experience and very recent intimate knowledge of the inner workings of the DA’s office provide any potential client with the certainty that their case will be handled in the most beneficial way to ensure the best possible result.

Rita Liu - Attorney

Rita Liu graduated from the University of California, Irvine, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology, Law, and Society and earned her Juris Doctor from Western State University, College of Law, Fullerton, CA where she received the Criminal Law Certificate and Public Service Certificate. During law school, Ms. Liu clerked for the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, felony panel. Ms. Liu was also a volunteer attorney for the Legal Aid Society of Orange County assisting individuals with their family law matters. Her volunteer work and personal experience in the area of family law ignited her passion to work exclusively in this field.

Ms. Liu focuses her practice on all areas of Family Law. Ms. Liu is compassionate and understands the difficulties in navigating any family law case. She is dedicated to providing each of her clients with individualized attention, helping them through this difficult time. Ms. Liu is a strong and effective advocate in the courtroom but is also solution-focused.

Ms. Liu is Chinese-American and speaks conversational Mandarin Chinese. She is actively involved in the Orange County and Los Angeles County legal community and is an active member of the Orange County Bar Association's Family Law Section and Long Beach Bar Association's Family Law Section.

Ms. Liu is an avid dog lover, especially miniature Schnauzers. When not advocating for her clients, Ms. Liu enjoys the outdoors, music, traveling, searching for the next food adventure, and spending time with her family and friends.

Denise Vatani Heinz - OF COUNSEL

Denise Vatani Heinz, Esq. graduated magna cum laude from UCLA with a double major in political science and international relations and received her Juris Doctorate from Chapman University School of Law. She has advocated for clients ranging from high-net-worth individuals, business owners, blue-collar workers, and stay-at-home parents. In each scenario, no matter the client, she has always taken pride in providing the same level of expertise, respect, and attention to every case.

Denise pays attention to detail and knows how to properly move your case to resolution. She delivers “big firm” advocacy and proficiency but more efficiently and affordably.

When not working, Denise enjoys spending quality time and traveling with her husband and three young children.

Jennifer Kim - Attorney

Jennifer (“Jen”) Kim officially joined the Law Office of Michael L. Fell in 2023. Ms. Kim received her bachelor’s degree from Pepperdine University and has studied abroad in Florence, Italy, as well as Seoul, South Korea. She speaks Korean and English.

Ms. Kim obtained a certificate in Business Administration with a concentration in Real Estate from UCLA. Prior to entering the legal arena, Ms. Kim‘s professional experience focused heavily on real estate transactions in the private equity sector, which inspired her to apply to law school. Subsequently, she joined an employment litigation firm, assisting in the representation of plaintiffs under state and federal law.

Ms. Kim received her juris doctor with an emphasis in Criminal Law from Chapman Fowler School of Law. As part of the emphasis program, she completed over 170 hours of clinical work through the Orange County District Attorney’s Criminal Prosecution Clinic.

During her time at Chapman, Ms. Kim was a member of the Moot Court Board, representing the school in national competition; a member of the Animal Legal Defense Fund, getting unethical dairy products off the shelves of local markets; and Vice President of The Federalist Society, engaging the student body with principles of debate and constitutionality. Ms. Kim received the highest-grade award in Advanced Criminal Procedure Capstone and top grades in International Criminal Law, California and Federal Evidence, Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure, and Civil Remedies.

During her downtime, Jen loves working on puzzles and painting. She strongly advocates against animal cruelty and hopes to be a part of the legislative change imposing harsher sentences for such crimes.

Andrew Milcovich - Of Counsel

Andrew Milcovich has honed his legal expertise through years of dedicated service as a prosecutor, first with the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office and later with the Orange County District Attorney’s Office. In these roles, Andrew handled a wide array of cases, building strong relationships with law enforcement agencies and mastering the intricacies of criminal prosecution. His transition to criminal defense is underscored by his deep understanding of the prosecution's tactics, allowing him to craft robust defense strategies for his clients. Andrew’s recent experience as a prosecutor gives him a distinct advantage in navigating the criminal justice system, ensuring that his clients receive comprehensive and effective representation. Whether defending against serious felony charges or navigating complex legal challenges, Andrew is committed to achieving the best possible outcomes for his clients.

Irena Nissanoff - Executive Director | Certified Paralegal

Raised in Huntington Beach, Ms. Nissanoff attended Cal State Fullerton and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice and a minor in Political Science. She then attended Platt College where she obtained her paralegal certification (Associate of Arts in Paralegal Studies). Prior to coming to work for the Law Office of Michael L. Fell, Ms. Nissanoff worked at a civil firm as a paralegal handling legal research, reviewing contracts, and preparing legal letters.

In 2010, Ms. Nissanoff joined the Law Office of Michael L. Fell, assisting the attorneys with their duties and projects. She also supports client services, conducts legal research, and helps in the preparation of pleadings, declarations, and motions. Ms. Nissanoff also prepares documents for filing with the court, organizes case files, and manages the daily operations of the firm.

Ms. Nissanoff speaks fluent Farsi and is a sworn Notary Public.

Baylee Hill- Certified Paralegal

The Law Office of Michael L. Fell is proud to have Baylee Hill as a member of its team. After graduating from California State University, Chico with a degree in criminal justice, in 2013, Ms.Hill later received her paralegal degree from California State University, Long Beach.

From 2014 through 2021, Ms. Hill worked in a civil litigation firm. After earning her paralegal degree in 2018, she took on additional responsibilities of handling case management, trial preparation and legal research for the firm. Ms. Hill managed multiple attorney calendars ensuring court deadlines were met and drafted pleadings and legal correspondences as well.

In 2022, Ms. Hill came to the law firm of Michael L. Fell where she has reconnected with her passion of working in the criminal justice arena. She interacts directly with clients on a constant basis and is able to help them in all aspects of their criminal case, offering professional and compassionate assistance.

When she is not working on criminal cases, she enjoys spending time with her family and rooting for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim!