Find Lawyers in California, United States for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Practice Area Overview
“White-collar defense” captures a broad set of substantive areas of the law, all of them arising from the myriad ways that local, state, federal, and foreign governments regulate businesses and entrepreneurs — what they say to investors and the general public about their own successes and failures (securities law); how they compete with one another (antitrust law); how they win business, deliver services, and seek payment when governments are themselves the customers (False Claims Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act); how businesses treat the environment; and whether they comply with general laws against theft, fraud, bribery, tax evasion and corruption. Public officials must navigate similar rules and thus present similar types of issues included under the broad category of white-collar defense.
The practice demands particularly versatile lawyers who deliver a range of services. White-collar lawyers try cases in court. They also specialize in risk management and compliance, training businesses and their individual employees about ways to minimize potential criminal and civil liability. Corporations engage white-collar lawyers to conduct internal investigations of their own business practices to assess and prepare for the risk of criminal and civil liability. Individuals and corporations demand white-collar representation as much when they are merely witnesses to alleged wrongdoing as when they are accused of it. White-collar litigation also involves assessing victims’ damages and their potential remedies as well as representing those accused of wrongdoing in administrative and court proceedings.
White-collar practices also must anticipate and prepare for the potential trajectory of a white-collar case. For example, an internal investigation identifying potential criminal or civil issues can lead to government enforcement actions and follow-up civil claims by alleged victims or competitors — all arising from the same conduct. The risk of criminal punishment and civil fines and liability potentially running into the billions of dollars, increase the complexity of white-collar matters and the demand for sophisticated counsel.
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PRACTICE AREAS Trials Commercial Litigation Bet-the-Company Trials Class Actions White Collar Criminal Defense EXPERIENCE Kay is a seasoned trial attorney, having tried over 100 jury trials to verdict. She represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of high-stakes commercial litigation and white collar cases. Chambers USA ranks her among the top commercial litigators in California, quoting sources who describe Kay as “having great instincts and clients listen breathlessly...
Julian L. André focuses his practice on litigation with a particular emphasis on government prosecutions, enforcement actions and investigations, internal investigations, complex civil litigation and appellate matters. He is an experienced trial attorney and former federal prosecutor. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/julian-l-andre/
John Bartko is a Founder and a Principal of the firm. He represents both plaintiffs and defendants in complex civil, criminal and regulatory matters. He has represented many executives ensnared in complex regulatory investigations and has been involved in significant international discovery and complex investigations requiring foreign court appearances, including conducting examinations in Switzerland and Japan through pioneering requests for civil judicial assistance. He has traveled to Euro...
Dan Barton has practiced criminal defense in the mid-peninsula since 1988. He received his A.B., magna cum laude, in 1983 from Brown University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and awarded the Prize for Academic Excellence in Latin American Studies. Mr. Barton received his J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1988, where his honors included induction into the Order of the Coif. Mr. Barton is a criminal law specialist certified by the California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization and a...
Whitney Z. Bernstein is an aggressive litigator and accomplished trial attorney with a track record for achieving success for her clients when the odds are against them. She has spent her career successfully defending felony and misdemeanor criminal offenses, leading companies in internal investigations to prevent litigation, and representing companies and individuals in contract and business tort claims and employment litigation. Whitney is a credible, tireless, and respected advocate who ha...
After two decades prosecuting white collar crimes in federal courts throughout the country, Eric Beste now represents businesses and individuals facing domestic and international investigations and enforcement actions. A seasoned trial lawyer with a natural aptitude for advocacy, Eric takes each client’s story and turns it into a compelling narrative to achieve the best possible result. Eric focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations and compliance ma...
Thomas “Tom” H. Bienert, Jr. is a highly experienced trial attorney who handles the spectrum of litigation matters. After spending ten years as a federal prosecutor and two years at a national law firm, Tom founded Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams LLP (BKLW) in 2000 and steadily grew the firm to its current size through the addition of other trial attorneys. Since starting the firm, he has obtained many multi-million dollar verdicts for plaintiffs in civil cases, multiple zero-su...
Terry Bird has been litigating, trying and winning complicated civil and white collar criminal cases for more than 40 years. He started his trial experience as a federal prosecutor in the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney’s Office. Before that, he clerked for Justices Lynn “Buck” Compton and Robert Thompson at the California Court of Appeal. His extensive and successful trial experience in commercial business litigation and white collar criminal prosecutions has been recognized by h...
Anthony "Tony" Bisconti is an experienced trial attorney representing businesses and individuals in all aspects of litigation. His main practice areas include bankruptcy, complex civil and insolvency litigation, investigations, and white-collar criminal matters. He has substantial experience leading cases in all phases of litigation, including trials, contested matters, evidentiary hearings, arbitrations, mediations, adversary proceedings, and appeals. Tony has been involved in numerous busin...
James J. Brosnahan is named among the top 30 trial lawyers in the United States, according to the Legal 500 US . A lion of the trial bar , James J. Brosnahan is one of the most respected and recognized trial lawyers in the United States. Mr. Brosnahan has more than 50 years of experience in both civil and criminal trial work. He regularly undertakes complex cases that are about to go to trial. He has tried, to conclusion, 150 cases. The cases have ranged from anti-trust to wire fraud and from...
Frank Burke is the founder of Frank Burke Mediation and Arbitration PC, and a panel member of the National Rosters of Arbitrators and Mediators of the American Arbitration Association for Commercial, Large Complex Case and Energy Disputes. He is a Member of the National Academy of Distinguished Neutrals, California Chapter, recognized for both mediation and arbitration. He also serves as a Mediation Panel Member of the U.S. District Court ADR Program and on several state court mediation panel...
PRACTICE AREAS Commercial Litigation White Collar Criminal Defense Appellate Litigation EXPERIENCE Reuben Cahn is a courtroom advocate of rare experience and ability. A Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, he has tried over 100 cases to jury verdict and has argued twice before the Supreme Court (in 2011 and 2018) in addition to numerous arguments before both the 9th and 11th Circuits. This combination of skill and experience at the highest levels establish Mr. Cahn as one of the m...
Paul S. Chan is the managing principal of Bird Marella. His practice focuses on the trial and arbitration of complex business disputes, including commercial fraud, class action, securities, and intellectual property litigation. Paul also represents companies and individuals in regulatory and parallel civil/criminal investigations. A graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard College, Paul has particular expertise litigating cases involving the False Claims Act, civil RICO statute, unfair comp...
A National Practice Devoted To Complex Federal Criminal Defense, Federal and State Habeas Litigation And Other Federal Matters. Ezekiel E. Cortez is a Board Certified Criminal Law Specialist, California State Bar Board of Legal Specialization after passing the federal specialist examination. As a devoted career criminal defense attorney, Mr. Cortez has unwaveringly devoted his practice to the defense of federal criminal cases and other federal matters since 1984. Since 1988 Mr. Cortez has als...
Jack DiCanio’s litigation practice focuses on complex litigation, white collar defense, securities litigation and special corporate investigations. Mr. DiCanio has extensive trial experience representing corporate and individual clients in a variety of civil and criminal actions involving: internal corporate investigations; federal and state securities litigation, including broker/dealer liability; securities fraud, including allegations of accounting improprieties, material misrepresen...
Mr. Eisner has successfully defended clients facing the most serious criminal accusations for over 33 years. He practices criminal defense exclusively, and have been a Certified Specialist in Criminal Law - Certified by the California State Bar’s Board of Legal Specialization - for over 20 years. This designation, and periodic recertification, comes only after demonstrating the highest level of proficiency in criminal defense, extensive litigation of complex and serious cases, and a rev...
Jennifer Fisher is a partner in Goodwin’s Complex Litigation & Dispute Resolution practice, and a co-chair of the firm’s Cannabis practice. She focuses her practice on litigation, including commercial litigation and white collar defense, and on cannabis law. Ms. Fisher has represented corporations and individuals involved in a broad range of complex and high stakes litigation, legislative and administrative proceedings. Ms. Fisher provides advice on regulatory and compliance i...
Grant Fondo, an experienced federal prosecutor and former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of California, is head of the Litigation Department for Goodwin’s California offices, founder and Co-Chair of its Digital Currency & Blockchain Technology practice, Co-chair of the firm’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act + Investigations for Technology group, and a partner in the firm's Securities Litigation & White Collar Defense group, and in its Data, Privacy & Cy...
Experienced in federal court, Ryan applies thoroughness, creativity, and enthusiasm for the law to accomplish clients’ goals in high-stakes disputes. Ryan joined Bienert Katzman Littrell Williams after six years as a trial attorney with the Federal Defenders of San Diego, where he represented clients charged with various types of fraud, cross-border smuggling, and other offenses. Maintaining an active trial, motions, and appellate practice, Ryan has secured dozens of dismissals of felon...
Thomas R. Freeman is a principal at Bird Marella and a graduate of the Northwestern University School of Law. His practice is focused on civil litigation at the trial and appellate levels, and criminal appeals. He is certified as an appellate specialist by the State Bar of California Board of Legal Specialization and has argued countless cases before federal and state appellate courts and case-dispositive motions before trial courts. Tom has handled a broad range of complex matters, including...
Jesse Gessin is trial counsel for businesses and individuals. He is the rare attorney who successfully tries both civil and criminal cases. For example, his multimillion-dollar jury verdict was recognized as the highest California verdict in several categories for that year. He entered the case only a few months before trial. In 2022, hired less than ten days before trial, Jesse achieved a complete defense verdict for a successor trustee against multimillion-dollar claims of wrongful investme...
Mr. Gluck is regularly recognized by leading legal publications as one of the top white collar criminal defense attorneys in the nation. Chambers and Partners USA, one of the primary arbiters of achievement in the legal profession, has referred to him as "one of the smartest people doing criminal defense work" and “just unstoppable; a great strategist and team player who thinks outside the box.” Mr. Gluck devotes a significant portion of his practice to representing health care pr...
Arturo González is chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Commercial Litigation and Trial Practice Group and a former co-chair of our Litigation Department. He is a trial lawyer who specializes in high-stakes, bet-the-company litigation. Mr. González has successfully defended three trials where the plaintiffs sought more than $1 billion in damages, including a trade secrets case on behalf of Cypress Semiconductor Corporation. That lawsuit was filed by Silvaco Data Systems, and...
Gordon A. Greenberg regularly represents clients in civil and criminal investigations, as well as in trials and congressional hearings. He has significant experience defending clients in high-stakes, bet-the-company matters that have civil and criminal components. Gordon has more than 30 years of experience handling a wide range of business crime investigations and trials. Read full biography: https://www.mwe.com/people/greenberg-gordon-a/
Jan Handzlik is an accomplished investigations and trial lawyer with a national and international practice. He represents individuals and organizations in investigations, prosecutions, regulatory enforcement actions and complex civil litigation in the United States and abroad. He also conduct corporate internal investigations, represent clients in multinational investigations, and advise domestic and foreign clients on law compliance and risk avoidance. An experienced trial lawyer, Jan has tr...
Nicola T. Hanna is a litigation partner and member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations, Class Action and Complex Litigation, and Healthcare Practice Groups. Mr. Hanna is an experienced trial lawyer and a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has been recognized annually as one of the top criminal defense attorneys in California by Chambers USA Guide , listed in Best Lawyers in America® , recommended for class actions and white collar crime in Institutional Investo...
Russell Hayman represents companies in the technology, health, life sciences and in other sectors in complex civil litigation nationwide. Drawing on his background as a federal prosecutor, he has also represented companies in government investigations and criminal proceedings. A successful trial lawyer having taken over 25 cases to trial, Russell has successfully defended clients in complex federal antitrust, patent infringement and theft of trade secret cases involving acoustic, cellular, Wi...
Brian Hennigan is Managing Partner at Hueston Hennigan LLP. For the past 20 years, Mr. Hennigan has specialized in complex litigation with an emphasis on white collar criminal defense. Over that time period, he has successfully represented individuals and corporations facing a wide array of challenges presented by federal prosecutors and investigating agencies. More recent representations have included the successful representations of individuals facing allegations under the Foreign Corrupt ...
Shawn Holley is a partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP, a boutique entertainment and business litigation firm in Santa Monica. She began her career as a Los Angeles County Public Defender, handling hundreds of serious criminal cases from inception to trial. She was the Managing Partner of the Los Angeles office of The Cochran Firm and the head of its national Criminal Defense Section. With more than sixty trials to her credit, Ms. Holley is the rare trial attorney who pra...
Mark Holscher is a partner in the Firm's Los Angeles and San Francisco offices and is a member of the Commercial Litigation Practice Group. In the last five years, Mark has obtained plaintiffs verdicts and settlements of over $1.1 billion, with multiple nine figure recoveries. Mark has also successfully defended clients against multiple claims in excess of a billion dollars. Mark’s background as a former Assistant United States Attorney coupled with his successful civil trial record has...
John Hueston has been described by Chambers USA, which ranked him in Band 1 nationally, as “the best trial lawyer of his generation” with “a commanding reputation for trial advocacy.” He has been recognized twice as a “California Lawyer of the Year” by California Lawyer magazine, twice as “California Trial Lawyer of the Year” by Benchmark Litigation, and among the “Top Lawyers of the Decade” by the Daily Journal. Mr. Hueston won &ldq...
Guyton Jinkerson is admitted to practice before all Courts of the State of California(admitted January 15, 1970), the United States Supreme Court (admitted March 19, 1973), the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, the United States District Court for the Central District of California, United States District Court for the Eastern District of California and other Courts. From 1970 to 1974, he was a Deputy Public Defender in t...
Ken Julian represents companies and individuals in civil and criminal cases and governmental investigations. He has prevailed in matters involving allegations of insider trading, healthcare fraud, financial fraud, false claims, price fixing, FDA violations and environmental contamination. He has represented Fortune 500 companies, corporate executives, physicians and attorneys. His clients include a former Major League Baseball player and a worldwide film star. Colleagues have described him as...
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