Best Lawyers in America for Criminal Defense: General Practice
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State
James W. Spertus is an experienced trial attorney and a former federal prosecutor who has been litigating cases in federal and state courts for more than 26 years. He has tried dozens of cases to favorable jury verdicts and has successfully argued numerous cases in federal, state, trial, and appellate courts throughout the United States. Broad trial and appellate experiences help Mr. Spertus quickly identify the essential issues, facts, documents, and witnesses that drive outcomes, and he ach...
As a former three-term District Attorney in Dane County, Hal Harlowe’s familiarity with the complex operations of our legal system gives him an invaluable advantage in defending clients. His trial experience includes representing defendants in juvenile and criminal defense cases, defending licensed professionals in disciplinary matters, and litigating civil matters such as personal injury, contract disputes, real estate and guardianship cases. Having led countless investigations himself...
Derek Byrd was born and raised in Sarasota . He graduated from Florida State University in 1990 with a B. A. in Criminology. He earned his Juris Doctorate Degree from Quinnipiac College of Law in Hamden, Connecticut in 1995 graduating cum laude. After being admitted to the Florida Bar in early 1996, Derek went to work for the Public Defender’s Office in Sarasota, where he gained extensive and valuable trial experience. He opened The Byrd Law Firm in 1998. Mr. Byrd is Board Certified in ...
Anna Geigle is a Member at Geigle | Morales, LLC. Before forming the firm, Anna was a Deputy State Public Defender in the Denver Trial Office. During her tenure as a Public Defender, Anna was appointed on more than three thousand cases. Anna’s appointments ranged from misdemeanor traffic to juvenile to sexual assault and homicide cases. The vast majority of her experience is in representing clients charged with felony offenses. To date, she has tried over fifty cases to verdict. Anna en...
Larry Zukerman is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Larry, who practices law in Cleveland, Ohio, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Larry is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
David Kaplan has more than 40 years of experience in criminal defense, including complex litigation and trial representation in state and federal courts on matters ranging from violent crime to white collar defense. Additionally, he frequently represents attorneys facing disciplinary consequences, other professionals facing regulatory licensing issues, and students confronting disciplinary actions. David graduated from the University of Denver College of Law in 1982 and began work as a Deputy...
Hugo de Beaubien is a Founding Partner of our firm. He was raised in Birmingham, Michigan, and Ormond Beach, Florida. After receiving an undergraduate degree in business from Florida State University in 1970, he was awarded his Juris Doctorate from Stetson University in 1973. At Stetson, Hugo served as Exchequer of Phi Delta Phi and as President of the senior class. Hugo has been active in the Orange County Bar Association through his service as Chairman of the Criminal Law Section and Legal ...
Matthew is the founding member of the Radefeld Law Group in Clayton, Missouri specializing in Federal and State criminal and crime victim's advocacy law. Over the last 25 years, he has tried cases throughout Illinois, Missouri, and the District Courts of Eastern and Western Missouri and the Southern District of Illinois. He has argued before the Eastern, Western and Southern Appellate Districts of Missouri, Fifth District Appellate Court of Illinois, the Missouri Supreme Court and U.S.C.A. fo...
Stephen W. Shaw is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, DUI / DWI Defense and Family Law. Stephen W., who practices law in Birmingham, Alabama, has been recognized since 2009. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Stephen W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Carmen Roe, a criminal defense attorney, understands the significant responsibility of being the only person who stands between her clients and their liberty. She is a fierce advocate who approaches every case with knowledge, preparation, and relentless determination. Carmen Roe Law Firm in Houston is always available online, in person or over the phone.
John is a lifetime member of the 82nd Airborne Association and the U.S. Army Ranger Association. He served his country as a Staff sergeant in the U.S. Army from 1990 to 1996 and was also an Airborne Ranger, a significant achievement that requires dedication, determination, exceptional mental toughness, and a commitment to excel. The selection process for becoming an Airborne Ranger is highly competitive and rigorous and includes physical fitness assessments, mental aptitude evaluations, speci...
Robert M. Frost, Jr. is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Robert M., who practices law in New Haven, Connecticut, has been recognized since 2022. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Robert M. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Cathy J. Green is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Bet-the-Company Litigation, Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Cathy J., who practices law in Concord, New Hampshire, has been recognized since 1989. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Cathy J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Dionne Scherff defends adults and juveniles against criminal charges in Kansas and Missouri federal and state courts. A former prosecutor who focused in child abuse and sex crime cases, Dionne transitioned to criminal defense practice in 2003. Dionne handles matters ranging from drug offenses to sex crimes. She is one of only a few Kansas lawyers qualified by the Kansas Supreme Court to handle death penalty cases and one of only two lawyers in Kansas’s death penalty history to get a cap...
Bill is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers—an honor limited to the top 1% of lawyers in the State and a Fellow of the American Board of Criminal Lawyers. He was named as one of the Best Lawyers in America for White Collar Criminal Defense and also named as one of the Top 10 Lawyers in Minnesota. He has been selected as a Super Lawyer by Minnesota Law & Politics every year since 1991. Mr. Mauzy is certified by the Minnesota State Bar Association as a Criminal Trial Spe...
Our Methodology
Recognition by Best Lawyers is based entirely on peer review. Our methodology is designed to capture, as accurately as possible, the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area.
The Process
Best Lawyers employs a sophisticated, conscientious, rational, and transparent survey process designed to elicit meaningful and substantive evaluations of the quality of legal services. Our belief has always been that the quality of a peer review survey is directly related to the quality of the voters.