Jonathan Lee is an experienced trial lawyer with a distinguished record of public service who recently joined Milanfar Law Firm as Senior Counsel. Jonathan brings decades of trial experience in both civil and criminal matters, having tried jury cases in state and federal courts throughout his career.
Jonathan spent twenty years serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, where he handled complex civil and criminal litigation on behalf of the United States. Prior to his federal service, he worked as a Deputy City Attorney for the City and County of San Francisco. His civil trial experience includes personal injury, medical malpractice, civil rights, and employment discrimination disputes. Earlier in his career, while in private practice, Jonathan represented clients in tort, property, contract, and insurance matters involving professional liability disputes, and he was seconded to a Lloyd’s of London syndicate in 1998.
In addition to his litigation practice, Jonathan has an extensive record of public service and professional leadership. He has served as a volunteer mediator in both federal and state courts, held numerous bar association leadership positions, and has been deeply involved in legal education through law school teaching and mentoring.
Beginning in 2021, Jonathan led a historic effort based in Contra Costa County to overturn the World War II-era mutiny convictions of the Port Chicago 50. His work resulted in the formation of the Contra Costa County Bar Association’s Port Chicago Task Force in 2022, which he chaired until 2024 and continues to co-chair. On July 17, 2024, these efforts culminated in a landmark decision when the Secretary of the Navy issued orders setting aside the mutiny verdicts and sentences of the Port Chicago 50, along with 206 additional sailors convicted of the lesser charge of disobeying an order.
