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 Investor’s Benchmark Litigation Guide, and routinely named a Southern California “Super Lawyer” for white collar defense by Los Angeles magazine.
Focusing on complex criminal, SEC, and regulatory enforcement matters, Mr. Hanna has represented individuals and corporations in a wide array of cases, including alleged health care fraud, securities fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, insider trading, and environmental crimes. Mr. Hanna also frequently counsels clients on compliance program enhancements and best practices.
Additionally, Mr. Hanna is often engaged by leading companies and by Audit and Special Committees of Boards of Directors to conduct sensitive internal investigations. Mr. Hanna has conducted investigations throughout the world, including Argentina, China, Colombia, Dubai/UAE, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Malaysia, Russia, and Venezuela.
Mr. Hanna’s civil practice includes representing businesses in high-stakes litigation in state and federal courts around the country. He has represented numerous clients in actions brought pursuant to the False Claims Act against government contractors, health-care providers, and educational institutions. He also has successfully handled cases involving consumer and shareholder class actions, unfair business practices, misappropriation of trade secrets, and civil fraud.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Hanna served as a federal prosecutor in Southern California for eight years. Mr. Hanna was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California in Los Angeles from 1990 to 1994, handling matters involving illegal export of high-technology computer equipment, money laundering, financial structuring, narcotics, and other violent and economic crimes. From 1995 to 1998, Mr. Hanna was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of California in San Diego, where he served as Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. In that capacity, he was responsible for prosecuting cases involving major money laundering and narcotics trafficking organizations, criminal tax violations, and international chemical diversion. As an Assistant United States Attorney, Mr. Hanna has represented the government in numerous federal court jury trials and has briefed and argued cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has received many awards and commendations from state and federal agencies, including the FBI, DEA, IRS, and the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Mr. Hanna received his law degree magna cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 1987, where he served as Associate Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. He earned his B.A. degree from the University of California, San Diego in 1984.
Mr. Hanna’s professional associations include the State Bar of California (admitted 1987), and the Orange County and Federal Bar Associations. Mr. Hanna previously served on the Board of Directors of the Public Law Center, Orange County’spro bono legal aid organization.
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