Winning Defense Team - Federal Criminal Defense Consultant for White Collar Defendants and Attorneys

FEDERAL CRIMINAL DEFENSE TEAM FORMATION

Printer / PDF Version: Federal Criminal Defense Legal Team Formation

As a White Collar Defendant myself, I learned the hard way the importance of a Criminal Defense Team. Particularly in White Collar Criminal Cases, it is very important to assemble an Experienced Criminal Defense Team that specializes in Federal Criminal Law, the Federal Legal System, White Collar Criminal Defense and White Collar Crimes. DO NOT hire any attorneys who do not specialize exclusively in Federal Law.

Depending on your resources, the complexity and scope of your case, a capable White Collar Defense Team can comprise of:

ü Expert Federal Criminal Defense Attorney

ü Local Federal Criminal Defense Attorney

ü Accountant

ü Legal Consultant / Mitigation Specialist / Sentencing Consultant

ü Jury Consultant

ü Public Relations Consultant

ü Private Investigator

ü Financial / White Collar Expert

ü Post-Conviction Federal Criminal Attorney

This looks like a lot of people, but now Expert Federal Criminal Law Firms have large contingency of the above mentioned specialists and consultants. I have found through my experience that higher priced, qualified expert Attorneys and Consultants will actually save you money in the long run. As an example FCDC has expertise in Legal Consulting (Criminal, Biz Law and Civil Litigation), Mitigation, Variances, Departures, Trial Strategies, Defense Strategies, The Federal Legal System, Incarceration and Post-Incarceration, along with extensive White Collar Expertise (please see the About Us and Services Sections for more information).

This article will summarize the importance of the before mentioned Defense Team Members. For more information on Criminal Defense Team Formation for White Collar Defendants, please refer to Chapter Three, Defense Strategies, of the FCDC Legal Book: The Federal White Collar Criminal Defense Guide

Ø [Federal Criminal Defense Attorneys]: Hire attorneys who specialize in Federal Criminal Defense. Attorneys who practice both State & Federal Criminal Law are too busy running all over the State defending State Level Cases, and they don’t have the expertise of a Federal Law Specialist. At a minimum, you will need two Attorneys: a local Federal Criminal Defense Attorney and an expert Federal Criminal Defense Attorney.

Ideally, the Expert Attorney will recommend a local attorney he or she is comfortable working with (i.e. is up to snuff for the case at hand). The Local Attorney has the ties, relationships and connections to the Key participants in your case’s Federal District (i.e. Probation Officers, U.S. Attorneys, FBI, IRS – also has knowledge and experience with your District’s Pre-Trial & Trial Judges). The Expert Attorney helps the Local Attorney from a superior Defense, and the Expert can be located anywhere in the country. The skill level of an Expert Federal Defense Attorney is unrivaled and can’t be matched by a typical, local Criminal Defense Attorney. Particularly in White Collar Cases, you need an Expert Attorney to assist and formulate Strategy.

Ø [Accounting Firm]: Since a lot of White Collar cases often involve financial information, accounting, securities and loads of complexity, the inclusion of a CPA or CPA / Attorney is a must. As a Financier who was charged with Wire Fraud, Money Laundering and Tax Evasion, I understand how complex White Collar Cases can be and the need for Financial / Accounting Experts (please see My Story for more details on my background and legal saga).

Ø [Expert Consultants]: Expert White Collar and Legal Consultants can really make an important difference in the quality and success of your Legal Defense. Many Expert Law Firms have some of these Expert Consultants in-house, and many work independently for Criminal Defense Firms, as in the case of FCDC. There are Legal Consultants, and then there are Expert Legal Consultants. Let me use FCDC as an example to show the difference.

FCDC’s areas of expertise are (all under one roof):

§ White Collar Expertise:

· Financier

· Private Equity, Institutional & Commercial Finance

· Financial & Estate Planning

· Securities & Insurance Products

· Residential & Commercial Mortgage Products

· Private Investment

· Business Planning, Marketing Planning & Strategic Planning

· Financial Statements

· Global / International Business Expertise

· Expertise in a Wide Spectrum of Industries (See My Story for more details).

§ Legal Consulting Expertise:

· White Collar Defendant, Felon, Inmate

· Plea Agreement Negotiation

· Trial Strategies & Risk Assessment

· Post-Conviction

· Fraud, Money Laundering, Tax, Securities, Finance and more (See About Us for more details).

· Federal Criminal Law, Code & Sentencing Guidelines

· Federal Institutions: Probation, US Attorney’s Office, FBI, IRS, SEC, Federal Courts, BOP, US Marshalls, etc.

· Federal Criminal Law Process & Procedure

· Criminal Defense Strategies

· Alternative Sentencing Solutions

· Sentence Mitigation

· Pre-Sentence Reports

· Defense Team Formation

· Federal Incarceration

· RDAP (Time off)

· Incarceration / Inmate Planning

· Family Planning for Incarceration

· Business Continuation Strategies

· Public Relations

· Inmate Advocacy

· Medical & Mental Health Planning for BOP Designation

· Case Review

· Appeals, Writ & Petition Strategies

· Post-Incarceration Planning & Services

· Expert Consultant / Specialist Referrals

§ Education:

· BA Political Science & Business

· Paralegal Degree

ü Advanced Studies / Graduate Certificate in Criminal Law & Procedure, Business Law and Civil Litigation

· Securities & Insurance Certifications

· Advanced Entrepreneur Studies

· Advanced Management Studies

· Advanced Marketing Studies

· Advanced Business Planning Studies

· Advanced Strategic Planning Studies

Ok, so that was a little bit of self advertising, but my point is, there are highly skilled Expert Consultants who can add substantial value and expertise to your Legal Defense Team.

[Other Types of Expert Consultants]:

v Mitigation Specialists: i.e. Social Workers, Psychologists, Psychiatrists Criminal Justice Specialists, Former Probation Officers, Former BOP Staff, Former FBI / IRS / SEC Agents and so forth. These mitigators are often accessible via Expert Law Firms.

v Sentencing Consultants: Experts in Federal Sentencing Guidelines, PSR Interviews & Negotiations, Plea Agreement Negotiations, Alternative Sentences and PO / Judicial / AUSA Strategies.

v Jury Consultants: Jury consulting is more art than science so experience is a must!

v Professional / Expert Consultants: Financial, Securities, Fraud, Tax, etc. These White Collar Consultants can be a tremendous asset in a Criminal Defense Team, particularly if you are proceeding with Trial.

v Public Relations: Federal White Collar Cases are highly visible in the Press. Solid Public Relations advice is essential.

Ø Post Conviction Federal Criminal Defense Law Firm:

Due to the propensity of Federal Criminal Cases going to the Sentencing Stage in the Federal Legal Process, Post-Conviction Specialist Attorneys have really grown in importance. Moreover, Post-Conviction Experts are being brought into the Legal Process much earlier than the Sentencing Stage to provide helpful Defense Strategies in the Pre-Trial Stages.

Conclusion

Getting a solid White Collar Criminal Defense Team in place is critical toward achieving a successful Defense Strategy. In White Collar Defense, you need a team of Experts. While Experts can be pricey, in the long run, they will save you money, as well as, give you a fighting chance in the harsh Federal Legal System. This realization comes straight from my experience as a White Collar Defendant. For more information on the extensive White Collar Expertise FCDC offers, please consult our Services Section.

This article on White Collar Criminal Defense Team Formation is written by FCDC’s Chief Legal Consultant who has first-hand, real-world knowledge and experience in Federal Criminal Law and the Federal Criminal Legal System, as well as, extensive White Collar Expertise.

FCDC’s Legal Guide, The Federal White Collar Criminal Defense Guide, has extensive information on Building a Criminal Defense Team for White Collar Defendants. FCDC also offers Criminal Defense Team Formation Services.

Disclaimer: Federal Criminal Defense Consulting, LLC (FCDC) is a Legal Consulting Firm and does not act in the capacity of an Attorney. Ask an Attorney for Legal Advice regarding your situation.