Best Lawyers in America for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
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Jeffrey Chiesa rejoined the firm in November 2013 following his service as United States Senator for New Jersey. Mr. Chiesa, an experienced litigator with an impressive background in both the public and private sectors, practices in the firm's Litigation, Corporate Internal Investigations and Monitoring, and White Collar Criminal Defense Groups. In June 2013, Governor Chris Christie appointed Mr. Chiesa to serve in the United States Senate following the death of Senator Frank Lautenberg. Duri...
Alan Albert is a nationally-honored trial lawyer who has represented clients from Muhammad Ali to multinational corporations in a broad array of commercial disputes, white-collar criminal investigations and prosecutions, intellectual property litigation and other governmental and regulatory matters. Mr. Albert has been recognized in The Best Lawyers in America continuously for the past 20 years, and is one of a small number of lawyers in the country to be recognized by Best Lawyers in six dis...
In our modern day rush-to-judgment society, people charged with crimes are often convicted in the court of public opinion long before they ever step foot in a courtroom. Despite citizens of this country being innocent until proven guilty, the reality is that in this day and age you have to fight for your innocence. I pride myself in knowing that I can be the voice that helps a client through what is perhaps the most difficult time in their life. Our team of experienced professionals is dedica...
Shawn Holley is a partner at Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP, a boutique entertainment and business litigation firm in Santa Monica. She began her career as a Los Angeles County Public Defender, handling hundreds of serious criminal cases from inception to trial. She was the Managing Partner of the Los Angeles office of The Cochran Firm and the head of its national Criminal Defense Section. With more than sixty trials to her credit, Ms. Holley is the rare trial attorney who pra...
Diana Feinstein is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Diana, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Diana is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Randi McGinn is one of the best trial lawyers in the United States, having tried to verdict over 130 jury trials. Her specialty is representing David (or his spouse) against the Goliaths of this world -- insurance companies, product manufacturers, trucking companies and the government. She was the first woman president of the Inner Circle of Advocates, the 100 best plaintiffs' lawyers in the United States. In addition to being listed in Best Lawyers, she has been selected in the Lawdragon 500...
Nicole Rodriguez Van Dyk concentrates her practice on the defense of white collar criminal prosecutions, government and regulatory investigations, and complex civil litigation. Nicole leverages her strong litigation experience to advise clients on navigating the unique challenges of parallel criminal, civil, and regulatory proceedings. A significant portion of Nicole’s practice is devoted to the representation of health care providers in state and federal criminal investigations and pro...
Barry H. Berke, Co-chair of the Litigation department, is a nationally recognized trial lawyer who represents officers, directors, professionals and corporations in sensitive and high-profile investigations and proceedings. Mr. Berke has handled major matters on behalf of his clients involving all aspects of white collar crime, including allegations of securities fraud, accounting and bank fraud, RICO and FCPA violations, tax offenses, bribery, bid rigging, and embezzlement. Mr. Berke also ha...
Gopi Panchapakesan is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Gopi, who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Gopi is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
With over 50 years experience as a defense lawyer, Tom’s practice includes criminal matters, with an emphasis on federal and state commercial and white collar prosecutions. He has extensive trial experience in the defense of commercial and white collar criminal cases, as well as cases involving allegations of public corruption, money laundering, fraud, computer tampering, arson, theft, assault, and vehicular manslaughter. In addition, Tom has been lead trial counsel in a number of capit...
Joseph Preston “Pete” Strom, Jr., the managing partner at Strom Law Firm, LLC , has been fighting for justice since 1984. Born in Columbia, South Carolina in 1959, Pete attended the University of South Carolina and graduated in 1981 with a Bachelor of Arts. While attending the University of South Carolina, Pete served as President of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. After graduating from the University of South Carolina, Pete attended the University of South Carolina School of Law where he...
The biggest victory is quietly stopping a case, and David has helped clients avoid charges in many DOJ,SEC, and other government investigations. But David is equally known for courtroom and appellate victories – including antitrust, environmental, health care, securities, immigration, commodities, banking, bribery, government contracts, and others. He also has been recruited to try civil cases, sometimes shortly before trial. Cases include: Acquittal of the Boeing pilot charged in the 7...
Ralph W. Kohnen is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Ralph W., who practices law in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been recognized since 2012. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Ralph W. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
James O. Darnell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: General Practice and Criminal Defense: White-Collar. James O., who practices law in El Paso, Texas, has been recognized since 1993. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which James O. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Russell D. Babb was born in Wilson, North Carolina. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a Morehead Scholar and co-captain of the 1995 Carolina football team. A four-year starter as an offensive lineman for the Tar Heels, Mr. Babb was also the winner of the 1995 Jim Tatum Award, which is presented each year to the top Senior Scholar-Athlete in the Atlantic Coast Conference. After college, Mr. Babb entered the University of North Carolina School of La...
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.