Criminal Defense Attorneys in St. Petersburg

Facing a criminal charge in Pinellas County — whether a DUI, a drug offense, a violent felony, or a federal case in the Middle District of Florida — demands immediate, experienced legal representation. The Sixth Judicial Circuit courts serving St. Petersburg are active and demanding, and the difference between a skilled criminal defense attorney and an unprepared one can mean the difference between a dismissal and a conviction.

After thorough research into attorney credentials, client feedback, peer ratings, and professional recognition, here are five of the most highly regarded criminal defense attorneys serving St. Petersburg:

1. Sean K. McQuaid — Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid, P.A.

Sean McQuaid is the President and managing partner of Battaglia, Ross, Dicus & McQuaid — the oldest law firm in St. Petersburg, established in 1958 and ranked as a Tier 1 law firm nationally by U.S. News & World Report. A Stetson University College of Law graduate and a Pinellas County resident since 1997, McQuaid has built one of the most decorated criminal defense profiles in the Tampa Bay region over 25 years of practice.

Why Clients Choose Him:

• Florida Super Lawyer for more than a decade, including selection to the 2026 list, combined with an AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell, recognition in Best Lawyers every year since 2014, and multiple consecutive Tampa Bay Times “Best of the Best” honors — a sustained body of peer and public recognition matched by few attorneys in Pinellas County.
• Named the Expertise Award winner for Best Criminal Defense Attorney in St. Petersburg, with a perfect 10.0 Avvo rating, a 4.9-star Birdeye score across 380 verified reviews, and a 33-for-33 five-star client rating on Avvo — one of the highest verified client satisfaction profiles in the region.
• Former President of the St. Petersburg Bar Association and active member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, the Pinellas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers — leadership roles that signal deep roots in the local legal community and strong relationships with the judiciary.

Address: 5858 Central Avenue, Suite A, St. Petersburg, FL 33707 | Phone: (727) 381-2300

2. Donald J. Kilfin — The Kilfin Law Firm, P.C.

Donald Kilfin is a former Pinellas County state prosecutor who spent six years as an Assistant State Attorney — including promotions to lead trial attorney in both misdemeanor and felony divisions — before transitioning to criminal defense. He founded The Kilfin Law Firm in 2013 with a deliberate focus on limited case intake to ensure each client receives full personal attention.

Why Clients Choose Him:

• AV Preeminent rated by Martindale-Hubbell with a perfect 10.0 rating on Avvo backed by 47 verified reviews, including a 2026 review praising his ability to negotiate an outcome that avoided a potential life sentence in a federal case — a result that reflects elite-level negotiation capability and prosecutorial insight.
• Former Pinellas County prosecutor across both misdemeanor and felony divisions, published in Super Lawyers Rising Stars in 2010 and named to the National Trial Lawyers Top 100 — credentials that confirm both peer-recognized legal excellence and practical courtroom experience in the same courts where his clients are now charged.
• Martindale-Hubbell Client Champion Gold Award in 2025 — granted only to attorneys with ten or more client reviews averaging 4.5 stars or higher — reflecting a consistent pattern of client satisfaction across DUI, felony, juvenile, drug trafficking, domestic violence, and firearms cases.

Address: 400 Carillon Parkway, Suite 130, St. Petersburg, FL 33716 | Phone: Available via firm website

3. Melinda Morris — Morris Law Firm, P.A.

Melinda Morris is a former Pinellas County felony prosecutor who spent years as an Assistant State Attorney with the Sixth Judicial Circuit before founding Morris Law Firm in 1999. She personally participated in over 50 jury trials as a prosecutor — including first-degree murder, manslaughter, and DUI manslaughter cases — and served as Lead Trial Attorney in specialized units before building her defense practice in downtown St. Petersburg.

Why Clients Choose Her:

• Over 25 years of criminal law experience straddling both sides of the courtroom — first as a Sixth Judicial Circuit prosecutor where she tried serious felony jury trials daily, and then as a defense attorney who has represented thousands of clients from pre-arrest investigation through trial, applying prosecutorial-side knowledge to dismantle the state’s cases.
• Holds both a Juris Doctorate and a Master of Business Administration from Stetson University College of Law — ranked number one in the country for trial advocacy — an educational foundation that directly informs the firm’s scholarly approach to motion practice and case strategy.
• Member of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Pinellas Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the St. Petersburg Bar Association, with client reviews across Google and legal directories consistently praising the firm’s thoroughness, responsiveness, and ability to achieve charge reductions and case dismissals without pressuring clients toward easy outcomes.

Address: 111 2nd Avenue NE, Suite 515, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 | Phone: (727) 388-4736

4. Rohom Khonsari — Khonsari Law Group

Founded in 2011 by Rohom Khonsari — a Wake Forest University and Tulane University Law School graduate — the Khonsari Law Group has established itself as one of downtown St. Petersburg’s most highly reviewed criminal defense and family law practices. Khonsari has handled over 40 jury trials and high-profile cases that attracted national media attention, and the firm maintains a 4.9-star rating across 247 Birdeye client reviews.

Why Clients Choose Him:

• A 4.9-star rating across 247 verified Birdeye reviews with consistent client praise for transparency, responsiveness, and genuine personal investment in each case — one of the highest independently verified client satisfaction scores among St. Petersburg criminal defense practitioners.
• Federal criminal defense experience alongside state court practice, having represented clients before both Florida courts and federal tribunals, as well as in criminal-related immigration and civil matters — cross-jurisdictional experience valuable for clients whose cases carry both state and federal exposure.
• Independently ranked among the top three criminal defense lawyers in St. Petersburg by ThreeBestRated.com following a 50-point inspection methodology, and praised by clients and peer attorneys alike for an ability to deliver results under tight deadlines and in high-pressure situations where other attorneys struggled.

Address: 150 2nd Avenue N, Suite 970, St. Petersburg, FL 33701 | Phone: (727) 269-5300

5. Bjorn Brunvand — Brunvand, Wise & Farinella Law Group

While the firm is headquartered in Tampa, Bjorn Brunvand and his colleagues at Brunvand, Wise & Farinella have long served clients across the full Tampa Bay area including Pinellas County, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater. Brunvand holds the rare dual distinction of being both a Florida Board Certified Criminal Trial Attorney and a Nationally Board Certified Criminal Trial Lawyer — credentials that place him among the most formally credentialed criminal defense attorneys in the region.

Why Clients Choose Him:

• Dual board certification in criminal trial law at both the Florida Bar and national levels — certifications requiring extensive jury trial experience, rigorous written examination, and sustained peer evaluation — making Brunvand one of only a small number of attorneys in the Tampa Bay area to hold both designations simultaneously.
• Admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court, the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and multiple federal district courts — a federal practice footprint that makes him a natural fit for St. Petersburg clients whose charges carry federal exposure or who require appellate representation after Pinellas County trial court proceedings.
• FindLaw verified client reviews describe him as a consummate professional and a “lawyer’s lawyer,” with multiple clients noting that Brunvand personally took over cases where other attorneys had failed, delivering acquittals and dismissals in high-profile matters including sexual battery, federal drug charges, and white-collar offenses.

Address: 502 E. Tyler Street, Tampa, FL 33602 (serving St. Petersburg/Pinellas County) | Phone: (813) 521-8069