Best Lawyers in District of Columbia, United States for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Brenda Lee represents companies, universities, and individuals in a broad range of investigations and related proceedings, including white collar criminal, securities enforcement, anti–money laundering (AML), and anti-discrimination matters. She has significant experience representing financial institutions, tech companies, and individuals in parallel proceedings, including overlapping criminal and civil investigations. The vice-chair of the firm’s Anti-Discrimination Practice, Ms...
Kimberly A. Parker's practice focuses on white-collar criminal matters, internal corporate investigations, and compliance counseling. Ms. Parker is vice chair of the firm's Litigation/Controversy Department, co-chair of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice, and co-leads the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and Anti-Corruption Practice. Ms. Parker is also co-chair of the firm's Pro Bono and Community Service Committee.
Robert P. Trout has over 40 years' experience in civil and criminal litigation. His practice has concentrated primarily on complex commercial litigation and white-collar criminal defense, as well as the defense of administrative agency enforcement actions. He began his legal career at the Department of Justice, where he served for two years in the Criminal Division, followed by four years as an Assistant United States Attorney in Baltimore, Maryland. Mr. Trout served as Associate Deputy Indep...
Bill Pittard is an experienced lawyer with a unique depth of government and litigation experience. Bill’s practice focuses on representing individuals and businesses with high-stakes problems. He particularly helps clients connected to the Legislative Branch, whether as officials of that branch or as individuals and businesses preparing for congressional hearings or otherwise responding to congressional inquiries. Over the past several years, for example, Bill has helped guide clients t...
George J. Hazel is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. George J., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2025. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which George J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Reginald “Reg” Brown is a partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. He has a vibrant and diverse crisis and governmental investigations practice, and regularly counsels financial institutions and other industry-leading clients facing complex and significant regulatory, enforcement and reputational matters. Reg provides investigations-related guidance, strategic counsel and crisis management assistance to a broad range of companies and senior executives c...
Matt Kaiser is the founding partner at KaiserDillon PLLC. He represents individual and small business clients in commercial litigation , government investigations , and white-collar cases . Before starting KaiserDillon PLLC, Matt worked at some of the best litigation firms in the country - Williams & Connolly and Zuckerman Spaeder. He also worked in the Maryland Federal Public Defender's Office and clerked for United States District Judge Catherine C. Blake. Matt is an adjunct professor o...
Kwame Manley is the Global Co-Chair of the Paul Hastings Litigation Department, and the former Chair of the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice at Paul Hastings. Based in the firm's Washington, D.C. office, Mr. Manley focuses his practice on white-collar criminal defense, internal corporate investigations, and complex civil litigation. A former federal prosecutor, Mr. Manley defends individuals and companies before various agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ),...
Jonathan S. Jeffress served the District of Columbia as an Assistant Federal Public Defender for 14 years, regularly taking on – and defeating – the Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in court. Jon specializes in representation for clients under investigation for alleged false statements, bribery, and campaign finance violations. Since entering private practice at Kaiser Law, Jon has worked with clients in all phases of federal criminal cases, including thr...
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.