Criminal Defense: White-Collar
*Named the "Lawyer of the Year" in this practice area in the 2026 edition in Stamford.
Joseph W. Martini
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2007 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Joseph W. Martini is a partner in Wiggin and Dana’s White-Collar Defense, Investigations and Corporate Compliance Practice Group. Mr. Martini has tried numerous jury cases to verdict and has briefed and argued over 20 cases before federal and state appellate courts. Mr. Martini served for nine years as an Assistant United States Attorney, investigating and prosecuting a broad range of federal crimes. He was awarded the Department of Justice’s Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and was also an instructor at the FBI Sensitive Operations and Undercover School at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Mr. Martini is on the Editorial Board of the American Bar Association, Section on Litigation, Committee on Criminal Litigation Newsletter, and is an active member of the Connecticut Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Federal Bar Council, and the CJA panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Martini frequently lectures on white collar matters before groups in the health care and defense industry, including the Society for International Affairs. He graduated cum laude with a B.A. from Gettysburg College in 1982, and in 1985 received his J.D. cum laude from Brooklyn Law School.
Overview
- Gettysburg College, B.A., graduated 1983
- Brooklyn Law School, J.D., graduated 1985
- District of Columbia, DIstrict of Columbia
- Connecticut, Connecticut
- New York, New York
- American Bar Association - Editor-in-Chief, Section on Litigation, Committee on Criminal Litigation Newsletter
- Connecticut Bar Association - Member
- Federal Bar Council - Member
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers - Member
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court. District of Connecticut
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. Supreme Court
- District of Columbia, DIstrict of Columbia
- Connecticut, Connecticut
- New York, New York
- American Bar Association - Editor-in-Chief, Section on Litigation, Committee on Criminal Litigation Newsletter
- Connecticut Bar Association - Member
- Federal Bar Council - Member
- National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers - Member
- Gettysburg College, B.A., graduated 1983
- Brooklyn Law School, J.D., graduated 1985
- U.S. Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- U.S. District Court. District of Connecticut
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. Supreme Court
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Named "Lawyer of the Year" by Best Lawyers® for:
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Stamford (2026)
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Stamford (2022)
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Stamford (2016)
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Additional Areas of Practice:
- Arbitration
- Collaborative Law: Civil
- Corporate Compliance Law
News & Media
Case History
Cases
- White Collar Criminal Defense
Mr. Martini has successfully defended a global defense contractor in a criminal and civil false claims case, Connecticut State legislators in public corruption matters, international construction firms in criminal OSHA cases, an officer of a Fortune 150 corporation in an accounting and securities fraud investigation, a reinsurance company executive in parallel criminal and civil litigation involving an insolvent reciprocal insurance company, an international franchiser in a criminal investigation of franchisee criminal activity, a pharmaceutical executive in an investigation of off-label promotion, healthcare professionals in health care fraud-related matters and numerous other individuals in tax fraud, mortgage fraud and Bank Secrecy Act matters.
- Internal Investigations and Corporate Compliance
Conducting internal investigations is a regular part of Mr. Martini's practice. He has represented public and private entities in investigations involving whistle blower allegations, Ponzi schemes, breaches of data security, fraud in the defense and construction industries, fatal construction accidents, health care fraud, anti-competitive conduct, employee fraud, theft and embezzlement, and fraud by customers of financial institutions.Mr. Martini also regularly advises clients on compliance issues, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Sarbanes Oxley Act, the PATRIOT Act, export and OFAC compliance, health care and money laundering and currency transactions laws.
- Civil Litigation and Arbitration
Mr. Martini regularly represents companies in complex commercial disputes, including matters in the aerospace, defense and manufacturing industries where sophisticated technological issues are often present and must be understood and explained to the trier of fact. Most recently, Mr. Martini represented an aerospace company in a federal jury trial concerning a supplier dispute. Before American Arbitration Association panels, Mr. Martini has obtained injunctive relief enforcing the terms and conditions of an asset purchase agreement that conveyed to his client significant intellectual property rights, and defeated wrongful termination claims brought against an assisted living facility. Mr. Martini has also represented the United States Marshal's Service in litigation to recover assets of a hedge fund forfeited to the government, commercial real estate entities in litigation involving allegations of kickbacks, larceny and breaches of fiduciary duty, a parent in an international child abduction matter, and an insurance brokerage firm in a matter involving allegations of trade secret theft.
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