Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Robert J. "Bob" Becerra
Recognized in Best Lawyers since 2015 Awarded Practice Areas
Biography
Robert J. Becerra is a Florida Bar Board Certified Specialist in International Law, one of approximately 50 lawyers in Florida with such a certification. He concentrates his practice in the areas of litigation and arbitration, white collar criminal defense, grand jury investigations, corporate compliance and internal investigations, and administrative and judicial proceedings related to international trade matters. Prior to opening his own firm, Becerra practiced at the Miami law firms of Devine Goodman Rasco Watts-FitzGerald & Wells for 2 years and Fuerst Ittleman for 3 years. Before that, he spent 5 years at Sandler, Travis & Rosenberg, an international trade law firm, where he headed the firm's white collar defense practice. His early career started at Raskin & Raskin, PA, a white-collar criminal defense and litigation boutique, where he practiced for 14 years, the last seven as a partner. He has been counsel of record in a number of reported decisions, some of which resulted in changes in the law, and he has tried a number of cases, mostly jury trials, in both civil and criminal cases.
He consistently receives the highest "AV Preeminent" rating from the Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory for legal skills and professional ethics and is rated "Superb, 10.0" in the lawyer rating website www.AVVO.com. He is listed as a "Super Lawyer" in Super Lawyers Magazine and a "Top Lawyer" in the South Florida Legal Guide. He is listed in the publication "The Best Lawyers in America" 2015-2025 editions under "Criminal Defense: White Collar". He is a member of the Miami-Dade Bar Association; the American Bar Association, where he is a member of the Criminal Justice and International Law Sections, and trade organizations involved in international trade. Becerra is a Past-Chair of the International Law Section of the Florida Bar. He served as Chair of the Florida Bar Council of Sections. He is also Chair of the Florida Bar International Law Section's Foreign Legal Consultant Committee and the Florida Bar's International Law Board Certificationn Committee.
Becerra has been lead counsel in a large number of criminal cases in various federal districts and states involving diverse areas of the criminal law and has tried many of those cases to verdict. He has also been lead counsel in a variety of federal and state appeals and has engaged in numerous appellate oral arguments. He has also been lead counsel in internal investigations conducted by corporations alleged to have violated various regulations and laws, including those involving the seafood industry and the importation of food and drug products. In addition, Becerra has on many occasions prevented criminal charges against clients suspected of wrongdoing by preparing persuasive presentations that convince law enforcement authorities that criminal changes are unwarranted.
Becerra is very experienced handling civil litigation involving international trade issues, such as trademark infringement, gray marketing, cargo loss, errors and omissions by logistics providers and disputes that arise between exporters and importers.
He also has handled many U.S. Customs seizures of goods, liquidated damages and penalty cases, along with civil forfeitures of monies in corporate bank accounts which are alleged by the government to be tainted due to tracings to financial transactions in unregulated foreign exchange markets and trade-based money laundering. He has drafted and implemented anti-money laundering policies and procedures for exporters to mitigate the risk of money seizures. He has litigated civil forfeiture cases against federal and state governments involving the export of luxury automobiles. Becerra also advises clients on the due diligence required to avoid civil or criminal liability for violations of export laws regarding shipments to embargoed countries of controlled goods, and defends clients in export enforcement cases.
Becerra was author of "Anti-Foreign Corruption Enforcememt in the Second Trump Administration" published in the Florida Bar International Law Section's International Law Quarterly Magazine's Spring 2025 issue; "The Extraterritorial Reach of Corruption, Money Laundering and Fraud Crimes: Offenses Without Borders", published in the Fall 2024 issue; and "Gold at the End of the Rainbow: Money Laundering Through the Precious Metals Markets" published in the Winter 2022 issue. In that same publication, he authored "When the Gray Market Turns Black", in the Fall 2020 issue. He also authored "Crack in the Carmack: Florida Supreme Court holds Carmack Amendment Preemption Not Absolute in all Claims involving Inland Shipments" published in the Florida Bar International Law Section's publication "International Law Quarterly", Winter 2018 issue. Becerra also authored, "The Black Market Peso Exchange and the Small Exporter" published in the Florida Bar International Law Section's publication "International Law Quarterly", Winter 2015 issue. He also authored "A Review of the Adequate Forum Factor in Forum Non Conveniens Analysis in Florida's State and Federal Courts" in the Florida Bar International Law Section's publication "International Law Quarterly", Summer 2014 edition. Becerra authored a chapter in the Florida Bar International Law Section's "International Law Deskbook 2020" entitled "International Criminal Law". He has been published as well in the Journal of Commerce, in web based newsletters and blogs and has been a speaker on a variety of panels and seminars regarding areas of his practice.
Becerra is a 1990 cum laude graduate of the University of Miami School of Law.
Overview
- English
- Spanish
- University of Miami School of Law, J.D., graduated 1990
- Florida, Florida Bar
- Florida Bar International Law Certification Committee - Chair
- Florida Bar International Law Section's Foreign Legal Consultant Committee - Chair
- Florida Bar Council of Sections - Immediate Past-Chair
- Florida Bar International Law Section - Past-Chair
- Florida Bar International Law Section - Co-Chair, International Litigation, Arbitration & Transactions Conference 2015-2016; iLaw 2017
- Northern District of Florida
- Southern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Southern District of Indiana
- Eastern District of Texas
- Southern District of Florida
- Middle District of Florida
- Court of International Trade
- Eastern District of Michigan
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- Supreme Court of the United States
- English
- Spanish
- Florida, Florida Bar
- Florida Bar International Law Certification Committee - Chair
- Florida Bar International Law Section's Foreign Legal Consultant Committee - Chair
- Florida Bar Council of Sections - Immediate Past-Chair
- Florida Bar International Law Section - Past-Chair
- Florida Bar International Law Section - Co-Chair, International Litigation, Arbitration & Transactions Conference 2015-2016; iLaw 2017
- University of Miami School of Law, J.D., graduated 1990
- Northern District of Florida
- Southern District of Texas
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
- Southern District of Indiana
- Eastern District of Texas
- Southern District of Florida
- Middle District of Florida
- Court of International Trade
- Eastern District of Michigan
- United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
- Supreme Court of the United States
Client Testimonials
Awards & Focus
Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2026 for work in:
- Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Additional Areas of Practice:
- International Trade and Finance Law
- International Arbitration - Commercial
- Litigation - Intellectual Property
- Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy)
- Transportation Law
News & Media
Additional Information
Case History
Cases
- Car Cave LLC v. USA
Car Cave was auto importer who had vehicle seized by Customs upon importation. Auto importer claimed that vehicle, due to its age, was exempt from federal auto requirements. Customs disagreed. Client sued Customs in federal court, and before time expired for Customs response, Customs agreed to settle the case by returning the vehicle and waiving all storage and other costs associated with the seizure of the vehicle.
- United States v. Akua Mosaics
Client and its President were convicted after guilty plea in federal court of evading over $ 1 million in anti-dumping and countervailing Customs duties. Despite Government recommendation of a prison sentence, Becerra's advocacy earned the client and its President a sentence of probation.
- Shenzen Synergy Digital Co. Ltd. v. Mingtel Inc.
Breach of contract case between client, a Chinese exporter of tablets, and a U.S. distributor. Client sued distributor under the U.N. Convention on the International Sale of Goods. Client won case at a bench trial in federal court in Texas and obtained judgment for damages and pre-judgment interest in excess of $375K. Judgment for client affirmed on appeal.
- AMG Trade & Distribution LLC v. USA
Filed lawsuit on behalf of auto parts distributor/importer against federal government including Customs and Border Protection for the return of seized auto parts claimed to be counterfeit. Government settled with auto parts distributor/importer by returning every single auto part seized back to auto parts distributor/importer
- State v. Garcia
Becerra represented the president of a freight forwarding company in Doral, Florida in a criminal case charging her with evasion of cigarette taxes in violation of Florida Statutes, a third degree felony. The case arose when agents of the State of Florida’s Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco (“ABT”) inspected the freight forwarder’s warehouse in January, 2017 and discovered pallets of cigarettes in boxes marked “For Export” that did not have any tax stamps showing that domestic cigarette taxes had been paid. The agents seized the cigarettes. The freight forwarder did not have an exporter or wholesaler permit for cigarettes, but had been storing the cigarettes for their owner, a company in Jamaica. Periodically, pursuant to the Jamaican owner’s instructions, the freight forwarder would arrange the export of a portion of the cigarettes to Jamaica. None of the cigarettes were shipped or sold domestically. A few months after their inspection, the ABT agents informed the president of the freight forwarding company that she was being charged with evasion of cigarette taxes and possession of unstamped cigarettes, both felonies. After getting that call, the president retained Becerra to represent her. After shepherding the president of the freight forwarder through the booking process and bonding her out, Becerra prepared a presentation to the state prosecutor explaining that pursuant to both Florida Statutes and the Federal Constitution’s Commerce and Export Clauses, there are no Florida taxes on cigarettes that are exported to foreign countries. Since the freight forwarder possessed the cigarettes only for export to the owner in Jamaica, no tax was owed, and therefore the president of the freight forwarder could not have evaded cigarette taxes. After analyzing Becerra’s presentation, the prosecutor agreed with Becerra, and pursuant to negotiations, the State of Florida agreed to dismiss the felony charges, and instead agreed to allow the president to plead no contest to a misdemeanor charge of failing to have a permit to export cigarettes. No fine, tax or sentence was imposed.
- United States v. Cell Tech Electronics, et.al.
Federal criminal case involving allegations of trade-based money laundering through the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange. Corporate manager faced several years in prison if convicted. Indictment out of San Juan, but defendants' motion to transfer to Florida was granted. Jury trial in March, 2014 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, resulting in acquittal of corporate defendant and its individual manager. Expert testimony used to explain alternative currency markets
- Vasquez-Estrella v. Sarmiento et.al.
Florida state court action which alleged that defendant stole $60 million from brokerage in Venezuela. Case was dismissed in defendants' favor after evidentiary hearing, with dueling experts, on defendants' motion to dismiss for forum non conveniens in favor of Venezuela as an alternative forum. Dismissal affirmed on appeal
- United States v. 34 Luxury Vehicles
Federal civil forfeiture case involving the government seizure of 21 luxury vehicles from automobile exporter which were bound for Asian markets from the U.S. Government maintained seizure was warranted due to alleged fraud in their purchase from dealers and violation of anti-export policies. After filing motions to dismiss and for probable cause hearing, case settled with government returning all 21 luxury vehicles to exporter without payment of any monies or storage charges.
- People v. Wayne Murray
New York state criminal case involving indictment of defendant accused of bookmaking, racketeering and money laundering. After much negotiation, defendant had charges reduced and plead guilty to disorderly conduct, less than a misdemeanor under New York law.
- Bay N' Gulf, Inc. v. Anchor Seafood
Florida state court civil action where plaintiff alleged defendant converted a container of frozen fish imported from Brazil. At trial, jury rendered verdict in Plaintiff's favor, finding that defendant was not a bona fide purchaser for value and committed a conversion of the container load of frozen fish, worth about $100,000.
- State of New Jersey v. Wells Fargo Account
Forfeiture case brought by New Jersey against funds to be used to purchase vehicles for export to China. Represented auto exporter in California who had provided funds to broker in New Jersey to purchase vehicles from dealership. Obtained favorable settlement during jury selection and after motions in limine were heard. Case was difficult in that New Jersey forfeiture law is very pro-state with few procedural and substantive rights to claimants.
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