Top Attorney – Brian C. Leighton
Clovis, CA/Press/- Brian C. Leighton Founder and Attorney of Brian C. Leighton Law Offices was selected for inclusion into the Top Attorneys of North America 2020-2021 edition.
“The key to my success has been a tremendous amount of hard work, perseverance and relentlessness.” – Brian C. Leighton
Brian C. Leighton Law Offices has served clients in central California and elsewhere in legal matters involving agriculture, constitutional law, government regulation and civil rights since 1986. Founder of the firm, Attorney Brian C. Leighton has been practicing law since 1979. From January 1980 to October 1986 he was a federal criminal prosecutor in the Eastern District of California, Fresno, on the Organized Crime Drug Task Force, where he successfully convicted defendants in approximately 100 jury trials. He also has Orally argued over 100 cases in the U.S. and California Courts of Appeals. He is admitted to The State Bar of California, various state and federal courts of appeal, and the California and United States Supreme Courts.
Mr. Leighton is a member of the California Lawyers Association. He was recognized as California Lawyer of The Year, 2011 for litigation. That award was a result of a 16 year litigation battle against the CIA and the State Department for unlawfully eavesdropping on conversations of a high level DEA agent who was serving the U.S. in a foreign country. After years of litigation, the CIA and the State Department settled with Mr. Leighton’s client for $3 million. A substantial portion of that litigation dealt with the government’s claim of “state’s secret privilege,” and Mr. Leighton’s successful filing of a motion to reopen the case because of the CIA and the Department of Justice’s fraud on the court.
Another significant case involved a small raisin farmer who refused to surrender a portion of his raisin crop to the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), contending it was a TAKING without just compensation in violation of the Fifth Amendment. The Federal Raisin Marketing Order was enacted in 1949 and has archaic provisions which allowed USDA to order a portion of the growers’ raisins to be taken off the market and be disposed of. The Department of Agriculture sued Mr. Leighton’s clients, the Hornes, seeking civil fines and draconian penalties in excess of $800,000. 
After 10 years of litigation, and two trips to the United States Supreme Court, where Mr. Leighton and the Hornes prevailed on both occasions; the United States Supreme Court agreed that the raisin reserve regulations were a TAKING and thus violated the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution. As a result of that victory, class action claims were filed in the United States Court of Federal Claims whereby hundreds of raisin producers are seeking millions of dollars of damages from the government for the TAKING of their raisins.
The USDA’s mandates pursuant to that Raisin Marketing Order had been taking raisins from farmers since 1949. Based upon Mr. Leighton’s background in constitutional law, he readily discerned that it was Fifth Amendment violation despite the adamant disagreement by the government, the lower federal courts, and industry opponents who vociferously argued otherwise.
The Top Attorneys of North America, a New York based publication, distinguishes and profiles leading attorneys who have reached a recognizable degree of success and leadership in their field. The directory is valued for promoting awareness of the accomplishments within the North American legal community.
CONTACT BRIAN C. LEIGHTON: