Elizabeth Wolstein

Elizabeth Wolstein is an experienced advocate who focuses on high stakes government and business litigation. She defends clients in government civil enforcement matters; represents organizations and individuals in civil litigation involving federal and state agencies; and litigates complex commercial disputes on behalf of businesses and individuals.

Elizabeth has litigated complex disputes involving all manner of subject areas, including non-profit governance, academic freedom, the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act, breach of contract, fraud and other business torts, civil rights, constitutional claims, and federal and state freedom of information laws, to name a few. Her clients have ranged from family and start-up businesses, to national non-profits, to foreign sovereigns, to individuals and grass roots groups challenging arbitrary government action. Elizabeth emphasizes development and mastery of facts and evidence as integral to successful litigation strategy and works closely with clients to achieve their objectives.

Elizabeth served for nine years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, including for several years as Deputy Chief Appellate Attorney. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Elizabeth handled some of the Civil Division's most significant cases, including defending the constitutionality of the federal statute banning partial birth abortion, representation of multiple federal agencies in the Enron bankruptcy, and defending Freedom of Information Act cases arising out of the war on terror. She argued numerous appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, two of which were televised on CSPAN. Elizabeth is a recipient of the Department of Justice's Attorney General's Distinguished Service Award.