Joseph M. LaTona

Mr. LaTona is admitted to practice in numerous courts, including New York State (1975); the United States District Court for the Western District of New York (1975), the Eastern District of New York (1986), the Northern District of New York (2001); the Southern District of New York (2003), the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (1976), the Seventh Circuit (1985); the Federal Circuit (1986); the United States Supreme Court (1979); the United States Tax Court (1983).

Mr. LaTona's list of notable cases includes some of Western New York's most highly publicized and most compelling cases involving allegations of fraud, conspiracy, murder and criminally negligent homicide. Mr. LaTona's practice has always included involvement in complex white collar and electronic surveillance investigations and prosecutions.

Those cases include his representation of the taxpayers in United States v. Manufacturers & Traders Trust Co., 703 F.2d 47 (2d Cir. 1983), and United States v. Todaro, 744 F.2d 5 (2d Cir. 1984). He acted as co-counsel in successful litigation which resulted in nullifying Occupational Safety & Health Agency ["OSHA"] search warrants. In Re Buffalo Recycling, 2011 WL 1118671 (W.D.N.Y. 2011).

Mr. LaTona represented several of the criminal defendants and civil respondents in the Ingram-Micro income tax investigation in which several sales personnel were targeted [W.D.N.Y. 1996-1997].

Throughout his career, Mr. LaTona has represented public and elected officials. They include the Niagara County Clerk, the Niagara County Social Services Commissioner, a Niagara Falls Bridge Commissioner, a Niagara Falls City Councilman and a Deputy Commissioner of the Buffalo Parks Department [WDNY "Niagara County Investigation" 1991-1993; WDNY "Plumline" 1987; WDNY "Local 91 Investigation" 2003-2006; WDNY "Delano-Buffalo Parks" Investigation].

Mr. LaTona has also represented many police officers and corrections officers during his career. He also represented one of the "Lackawanna Six" and former University of Buffalo basketball great Maurice "Modie" Cox (1997).

Mr. LaTona is a member of the New York State Bar Association ("N.Y.S.B.A."), the Erie County Bar Association ("E.C.B.A."), the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and has lectured numerous times for the N.Y.S.B.A. and the E.C.B.A. Mr. LaTona has achieved Martindale-Hubbell's highest AV rating. He has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America, Naifeh and Smith, Woodward-White in each edition since 1987. Mr. LaTona has been selected in each New York Super Lawyers - Upstate Edition since 2008 as one of the top fifty lawyers. He was the subject of a feature article in the September 2008 New York Super Lawyers - Upstate Edition magazine.