Best Lawyers in District of Columbia, United States for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Having spent over a decade as a prosecutor in the criminal and civil divisions of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Michelle Bradford uses her extensive knowledge and skill, coupled with her profound determination and sharp wit, to defend clients in white collar criminal and complex civil litigation matters. Michelle brings considerable value to clients facing complex litigation by thoroughly and efficiently reviewing issues, identifying the heart of a matter and ...
William F. Gould is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. William F., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which William F. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Nathaniel Edmonds serves as the Co-Chair of the firm’s litigation practice in Washington, D.C., which houses over 100 lawyers handling a variety of litigation matters, including internal corporate investigations, white collar criminal defense, anti-corruption compliance, sanctions and export controls, data privacy and cyber security, intellectual property and patent litigation, international arbitration, and antitrust counseling. Mr. Edmonds focuses on global internal investigations, in...
Universally considered to be among the country's premier Supreme Court and appellate advocates, Seth Waxman served as Solicitor General of the United States from 1997 through January 2001. In addition to leading the firm's appellate practice, Mr. Waxman engages in a broad litigation and counseling practice, with particular emphasis on complex challenges involving governments or public policy, intellectual property, regulatory, criminal and commercial issues.
Christopher Cestaro is a partner in the firm's White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice. Mr. Cestaro’s practice focuses on white-collar criminal matters, government enforcement actions, internal corporate investigations, due diligence reviews and compliance counseling. Mr. Cestaro’s unique experience includes more than eight years as a federal prosecutor focused on white-collar cases, three years working as a compliance counsel for a multinational oil services company and ...
Nathan J. Muyskens is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Nathan J., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2026. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Nathan J. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
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...
Neil Eggleston is a litigation partner in the Washington, D.C., office of Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Neil has a distinguished record of public service, and has held a number of senior government roles. He was White House Counsel to President Obama from 2014 to 2017, and advised the president on all legal and constitutional issues across a broad spectrum of domestic and foreign policy matters. Neil’s practice focuses on enforcement defense including at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)...
Biz is a leader in the field of criminal defense and internal investigations focusing on white-collar defense and health care cases. Biz regularly represents clients in congressional and criminal fraud investigations as well as qui tam, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), False Claims Act (FCA), civil RICO, and employment litigation. She has counseled clients — including boards, audit committees, and management — on the development and implementation of internal compliance and e...
Derek Adams is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar and Qui Tam Law. Derek, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2023. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Derek is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Pleasant S. Brodnax III is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Pleasant S., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2020. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Pleasant S. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Joseph L. Barloon is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar and Financial Services Regulation Law. Joseph L., 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 Joseph L. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Criminal defense lawyer and civil litigator Michael Battle is focused on white collar criminal matters. Having previously served as a prosecutor and judge himself, Michael understands their perspectives and designs compelling arguments that have the best chance of defending his clients and mitigating their exposure to prosecution. After leaving public service for private practice, Michael has counseled numerous clients on cases involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), healthcare fr...
Abbe David Lowell is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Abbe David, who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2006. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Abbe David is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Justin V. Shur is a top attorney recognized by Best Lawyers in the practice area(s) of Criminal Defense: White-Collar. Justin V., who practices law in Washington, District of Columbia, has been recognized since 2018. This recognition is based on an exhaustive peer-review survey, reflecting the high esteem in which Justin V. is held by other top lawyers in the same geographic and legal practice area.
Kobie is a trial lawyer with over twenty-five years of experience. He has litigated cases in federal and state courts across the United States and in the military commissions at Guantanamo Bay. He represents clients in high-stakes criminal investigations, civil litigation, internal investigations, and trials. Kobie also teaches trial lawyering to lawyers nationwide. He began his career in the Attorney General’s Honors Program, serving as a civil rights prosecutor. There, he specialized ...
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.