Our Team

While a law student, Chris worked as a certified Law Clerk for the Los Angeles County Office of the District Attorney. Here, he participated in multiple high-profile murder trials and grand jury investigations and was responsible for performing preliminary hearings. During his time at the Los Angeles District Attorney’s office, Chris had the opportunity to work in the Los Angeles Superior Court Airport Courthouse, with jurisdiction over West Los Angeles (including Beverly Hills, Brentwood, and Santa Monica). Later, Chris worked in the prestigious “Major Crimes Division” at the Hall of Justice in Downtown Los Angeles with a focus on complex and high-profile prosecution throughout Los Angeles County. Additionally, he has been a key member of the Operations Teams for a number of nationwide developers and has extensive experience in the planning and development of thousands of residential homes and master-planned communities.

Chris founded the Law Offices of Christopher Chaney in 2019. Since then, he has represented clients across California in both state and federal court. Chris has handled a number of high-profile cases across state and federal courts, successfully defending clients facing homicide charges; conspiracy; prosecutions under the RICO act; racketeering, fraud, identity theft; domestic violence; sex crimes; narcotic possession and distribution, among countless others.

With locations in Century City and the San Fernando Valley, The Law Offices of Christopher Chaney provide California state criminal and restraining order services throughout California, with federal, criminal, and immigration services nationwide. Our clients have ranged from doctors, lawyers, and educators to police officers and high-profile public figures & celebrities. Chris is an active member of the California State Bar as well as multiple Federal Court jurisdictions, the California Lawyers Association’s Criminal Law section, The Beverly Hills Bar Association, The American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.

• People v. Atkins
• People v. Fabela 
• People v. Hsu 
• People v. Morrison

Known as “Dan” to his friends and clients, Mark Daniel Melnick was born and raised in Southern California where he grew up on the movie studio lots and worked as a production assistant for United Artists. After receiving his bachelor’s degree from UCLA, Dan attended the San Fernando Valley School of Law where he received his J.D. Following law school, Dan entered the field of labor law in Chicago. Dan eventually returned to Los Angeles in 1984 where he turned his attention exclusively to criminal law. In the time since Dan has gained extensive experience in the Southern California justice system, representing thousands clients in cases ranging from minor misdemeanors to serious felonies. Dan is committed to protecting the rights of the individual person from the often overzealous prosecution in a system that shows time and again the inequities of the individual against the state or federal government. Dan is an active member of the California Bar and has been practicing law for nearly 40 years.

Originally from Russia, Lily obtained her bachelor’s degree in History and English at Kazan State Teachers College. She worked as an English professor and interpreter before coming to the United States to earn her MBA at National University in San Diego. Her path continued on through time in banking and mortgages at Wells Fargo.

Now, Lily is in her final year of law school at the Mitchell Hamline School of Law in St. Paul, Minnesota while she also works as a bilingual law clerk at the Law Office of Christopher Chaney.