Attorneys

Brown & Nieto provides personal, high-quality legal representation to clients throughout the state of Maryland. The firm places one goal above all others: uncompromising quality. We pride ourselves on finding creative solutions to difficult problems. The firm handles a vast range of civil and criminal matters, including federal criminal defense, civil rights litigation, post-conviction and white collar defense. It is our goal to treat our clients as we would want to be treated ourselves – to be good listeners, to be responsive to our clients’ needs, and to build lasting relationships with our clients.

We have successfully represented a wide range of clients, from a top elected county official to hip-hop musicians. Some of our recent successes include: the suppression of a federal wire tap, several vacated sentences in post-conviction proceedings, and numerous not-guilty findings. Among the results we are most proud of are results that nobody sees: instances in which criminal charges were avoided through negotiation.

C. Justin Brown, Esq.

C. Justin Brown is an attorney based in Baltimore, Maryland. He has been recognized as a Super Lawyer for the past two years. He handles a wide variety of complex cases, from federal criminal defense to civil matters to white collar defense. He has successfully defended white collar and criminal defense clients, and litigated civil rights claims on behalf of plaintiffs. He currently represents Adnan Syed, the subject of the podcast “Serial,” and he has successfully obtained a remand that will bring Syed’s case back to Baltimore City Circuit Court. He takes a creative approach to problem solving, and believes in the importance of effective communication with his clients.

Mr. Brown brings a unique background to his law practice. Prior to entering the legal profession, Mr. Brown was a print journalist who worked for several national publications, including The New York Times, Newsweek and The Christian Science Monitor. He covered a full range of major news stories, including the war in Kosovo, Yugoslavia. In 1998 he was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for his war reporting. In 1994 he won the New York State Bar Association media award for a 3-month investigation into the most dangerous hotel in New York City. Please click here for more about Mr. Brown’s background.

Christopher Nieto

Christopher C. Nieto, Esq. is an experienced trial attorney that concentrates his law practice primarily in federal criminal defense, serious state criminal cases and various immigration issues. He has tried cases in federal and state court for more than 10 years. He has substantial experience in high-profile cases involving extensive electronic surveillance in both federal and state wiretaps. Mr. Nieto has been able to obtain criminal acquittals in both federal and state courts for clients charged with a variety of crimes: drug distribution, felony gun possession, armed robbery and felony assaults. In many of these cases, his clients faced either a lengthy or a mandatory prison sentence for their alleged crimes. It was Mr. Nieto’s hard-work and persistence that directly led to their exoneration and dismissal of charges.

In a variety of other cases, Mr. Nieto has successfully obtained minimum or probationary sentences well beneath the applicable sentencing guidelines. He approaches each case with an unparalleled vigor and determination that serves his clients well. He takes the time to speak with people who know his clients best: friends, family, parishioners and members of the community. He eloquently ensures that the presiding judge is well-versed in the circumstances that make his client special and deserving of a better sentence. Mr. Nieto works tirelessly with his clients to develop the necessary mitigation required to achieve successful results and executes his presentation with success.

Mr. Nieto also focuses on representing undocumented immigrants so they can better achieve their American dreams. From representing individuals who came to this country to provide a better life for their family to those that just want to work, Mr. Nieto offers experienced counsel to clients who are threatened with deportation and various other immigration issues.

Lylian Romero

Lylian Romero is an associate attorney at Brown & Nieto. She handles a variety of cases, including state and federal criminal defense and civil matters. Lylian joined the firm in 2015 after serving as a judicial clerk to the Honorable Karen C. Friedman in the Baltimore City Circuit Court.

Lylian graduated with honors from the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law in 2014. While in law school, she was an active member of the Student Bar Association, serving as both the Class President of the evening class and the Treasurer of the Latin Law Students Association (LLSA). Lylian also represented indigent defendants at bail review hearings while working as a student attorney in the school’s Access to Justice clinic.

Lylian brings a diverse background and fresh perspective to the firm. She moved to Baltimore from Miami, FL, in 2010, when she decided to go to law school. She is a first-generation American of Argentine descent and speaks fluent Spanish.

Education

University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law (J.D., 2014 cum laude)

Florida International University (B.S., 2007)

Bar Admission

Maryland, 2014

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