Melissa DuChene - Newport Beach, CA

Skilled protector of your rights

• License defense for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, health care businesses, and all professional license holders
• Highly skilled in criminal and DUI defense
• Excellent record of acquittals and charge reductions
• Office of Administrative Hearings trials
• Department of Consumer Affairs DOI investigations
• DOJ, Office of the Attorney General case resolutions
• Experience working in the Public Defender’s Office

Experience on your side

When your professional career or freedom is on the line, Melissa J. DuChene is the experienced defense attorney you can rely on to vigorously defend your rights and fight for you. Over the years, Ms. DuChene has earned a sterling reputation as a tenacious attorney that will work tirelessly to secure the best possible outcome for you.

Chudnovsky Law has an outstanding track record of client successes, and client reviews consistently rank Ms. DuChene and Chudnovsky Law among the top-rated attorneys in California. Melissa is a compassionate, highly skilled attorney that excels at defending clients often dealing with some of life’s most stressful challenges.

Professional license defense

Attorney Melissa DuChene provides criminal defense and professional license defense representation for physicians, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, engineers, insurance, health care businesses, and all licensed professionals. She defends those accused of inappropriate behavior or acts that may impact their ability to practice their profession.

If you are under investigation or are dealing with a license accusation, Ms. DuChene will represent you in front of all licensing boards and agencies, including:

• Department of Consumer Affairs, Division of Investigation
• All 40 Department of Consumer Affairs licensing agencies
• Department of Justice, Attorney General
• Office of Administrative Hearings
• California Nursing Boards
• Medical Board of California
• Board of Pharmacy
• Dental Board of California
• Department of Insurance
• Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)

In addition to her extensive experience defending healthcare professionals, Melissa also has prior experience representing patients in medical malpractice litigation early in her career. This experience gives her a deep understanding of how medical negligence and duty of care claims are analyzed, formulated, and litigated.

Expertise in the intersection of criminal and license defense

Criminal investigations, charges, or even a misdemeanor DUI arrest can trigger profound consequences for licensed professionals. Ms. DuChene skillfully defends professionals for matters that involve both criminal and administrative license issues:

• Criminal charges, DUI, drug diversion, or substance abuse
• Criminal investigations
• Healthcare fraud
• Medicare and insurance fraud claims
• Sexual misconduct
• Penal Code 23 license suspension motions
• DEA registrant investigations and violations

Criminal and DUI Defense

Over the years, Melissa DuChene and Chudnovsky Law have successfully handled thousands of criminal cases. Melissa will skillfully defend you in all phases of criminal prosecution, from law enforcement investigation to arrest, arraignment, and throughout the criminal court process.

Clients often retain Melissa to handle pre-filing defense with the goal of preventing or reducing criminal charges before they are filed. She knows how the DA will construct their case against you and which criminal defense strategies will be most effective.

Melissa’s experience working in the Public Defender’s Office provides her with inside knowledge of how government prosecutors build their cases and how to develop the most effective defense. She is skilled in all areas of criminal defense, including:

• Misdemeanor defense, felony defense
• Pre-filing defense during investigations
• Licensed professionals charged with crimes or DUI
• Non-US citizens accused of crimes or DUI
• Attorney General criminal referrals

Ms. DuChene is a highly competent DUI defense attorney that carefully evaluates every case for all available DUI defense strategies. Depending on your unique case facts, she will work to get your DUI dismissed or reduced, penalties minimized, protect your driver’s license, and keep you out of jail.

She has the experience to resolve every type of driving under the influence offense, including:

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and felony DUI
• Felony DUI with great bodily injury
• DUI under the influence of drugs
• DUI hit and run
• Vehicular manslaughter, Watson murder
• Commercial driver DUI and Uber DUI

Ms. DuChene will effectively represent you at every stage of the process from the time of arrest, at your DMV Admin per se hearing, arraignment, negotiating a plea deal, during pre-trial, and at trial.

Service Area

Melissa J. DuChene represents professional license defense clients throughout the entire state of California. She represents criminal defense clients throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County.