Chelsea J. Panzeca - Cincinnati, OH

I hired Chelsea Panzeca to fight an unlawful charge, but immediately felt she was pushing for a conviction instead of defending me. If you want to see the proof, you can look up my successful appeal against her in the public court records under Abdulhakov v. Panzeca. The facts don’t lie. I gave her five witnesses and a video that proved the police report was untrustworthy. But instead of using my evidence, she completely ignored it. Then, I found out she was trying to set up court dates to make a plea deal without even talking to me first. After realizing she was not defending me, I had to fire her. I acted Pro Se and I was able to get my whole case dismissed with prejudice, the result that she avoided trying to achieve. After I fired her, I asked for my money back, but they refused and their communication became incredibly hostile when I mentioned taking further measures. I highly recommend finding a different lawyer who will actually fight for you, rather than one who prioritizes the easiest outcome for the system over your defense. UPDATE (June 2026): This is an update to my previous review. After the court officially reversed and remanded my case on appeal (Abdulhakov v. Panzeca), I attempted to resolve the remaining dispute peacefully by offering mediation to her attorney, Adam Bleile. Instead of acting like a professional, Mr. Bleile became highly emotional, hostile, and resorted to personal insults outside the courthouse. Before this interaction, they filed a retaliatory Counterclaim against me in court. To try and intimidate me, their lawsuit consists of completely irrelevant personal histories, a criminal case that a judge already dismissed with prejudice, and screenshots of my confidential disciplinary grievance against them. Notably, they failed to attach a single invoice, timesheet, or proof of actual work performed to support their claim. Using public court filings to retaliate against a former client who exposed their performance on appeal is incredibly low-quality legal work. If you expect professionalism, transparency, and emotional control from your legal counsel, stay far away from this firm.