Best Lawyers in America for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
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Ryan S. Stippich is a shareholder in the firm’s Litigation Practice, as well as a member of the White Collar Litigation and Corporate Compliance Group and Reinhart Institutional Investor Services. He represents clients in a wide range of complex civil and criminal matters at both the trial and appellate levels. Ryan focuses his litigation practice in the areas of securities litigation, shareholder disputes, professional liability litigation, other business torts and class actions. Ryan ...
Mike Magner is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group. An acclaimed former federal prosecutor, he delivers practical advice and offers a steady hand to clients facing a wide range of commercial disputes, internal investigations, and white collar criminal matters. Mike is a preeminent, highly respected trial attorney and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. Drawing on his more than 40 years of experience handling complex criminal and civil matters — including nearly 50 ju...
Richard Tegtmeier is an experienced and accomplished trial lawyer in Taft's Compliance, Investigations, and White Collar Defense group. He specializes in complex criminal and civil litigation and has tried more than 200 cases before juries. He is respected throughout the country for his unique ability to navigate the courtroom and the complex process of a jury trial—he has the confidence required to think and act outside the box and produce the type of results that can only come from de...
Patrick F. Stokes is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Patrick F., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2024. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Patrick F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Michael H. Dore is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Michael H., who practices law in Los Angeles, California, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Michael H. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Jeffrey Whitt is a highly respected criminal defense attorney based in Knoxville, Tennessee. Known for his formidable presence in state and federal courtrooms across Tennessee, he has built a reputation as a skilled trial lawyer and relentless advocate for his clients. Jeff earned his law degree from Samford University in 1991 and holds a bachelor’s degree from Maryville College, where he was an Academic All-American and All-Conference honoree in both football and tennis. An active lead...
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...
Rob Fisher is a Chambers USA ranked trial lawyer and former Assistant United States Attorney who represents clients facing bet-the-company internal and government investigations or charges brought by agencies such as the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and the various state attorneys general. He serves as practice group leader for the firm’s Government Investigations & White Collar Defense prac...
Bob Brennan is who you want in your corner when the government comes calling. A former federal prosecutor, Bob’s work is informed by deep experience in healthcare compliance. He is known for his pragmatic, client-centric approach to the defense of civil and criminal investigations including False Claims Act matters, compliance counseling regarding potential exposure under the False Claims Act statute, the Anti-kickback statute, and the Stark law and complex civil litigation. Much of Bob...
Bob Allen is a partner in Kirkland & Ellis LLP’s Litigation and Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations practice groups. Bob’s practice focuses on representing corporations and individuals in criminal and regulatory investigations, as well as complex litigation. Prior to rejoining Kirkland, Bob served in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. As a member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Taskforce, Bob investigated a...
PRACTICE AREAS Trials Commercial Litigation Bet-the-Company Trials Class Actions White Collar Criminal Defense EXPERIENCE Kay is a seasoned trial attorney, having tried over 100 jury trials to verdict. She represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of high-stakes commercial litigation and white collar cases. Chambers USA ranks her among the top commercial litigators in California, quoting sources who describe Kay as “having great instincts and clients listen breathlessly...
Mark Filip, a former federal judge and high-ranking Justice Department official, helps to lead Kirkland’s government enforcement defense and internal investigations group, and serves as a member of the Firm’s Executive Committee. As a partner in the Firm’s Chicago and Washington, D.C. offices, Mark has successfully guided numerous Fortune 100 companies and financial institutions through complex mission-critical moments, counseling leaders and Boards of Directors on high-stak...
Keith Edwards is a Wichita-based criminal defense attorney who represents individuals charged with crimes in municipal, state, and federal courts throughout Kansas. Keith is a graduate of the National Criminal Defense College’s Trial Practice Institute and has devoted his entire career to criminal defense. He handles cases involving misdemeanor and felony charges, including DUI, drug offenses, property crimes, sex offenses, and violent crimes.
Avi Weitzman is Co-Chair of the Complex Litigation and Arbitration practice and a partner in the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice at Paul Hastings, based in the firm’s New York office. Mr. Weitzman has successfully served as lead trial counsel in high-profile white collar and civil trials, both while an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York and in private practice since then. Mr. Weitzman is an experienced and sought-after trial lawyer, kn...
Howard Shapiro is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He has more than 35 years of courtroom experience as a trial lawyer in civil and criminal matters, and has been repeatedly recognized as one of the nation’s leading litigators in high-stakes cases, ranging from bet-the-company contractual disputes to mass torts to white-collar litigation.
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.