Trials
Knowing how to represent a client in a trial is not something that can be taught in a day, a month, or even a year. Trial skills, instinct, and experience develop from years and years of handling multiple trials. What makes the team at Bozorgi Law so unique is that our attorneys individually have extensive trial experience, and collectively we bring decades of trial experience to each and every representation.
Susan Van Dusen has been defending clients for more than 40 years. Celeste Higgins has been defending for 30 years. Susan Bozorgi has been defending for more than 27 years. Cristina Laramee Souto has 7 years of defense experience.
Being trial ready is the foundation of a strong defense. Being trial ready does not simply mean being prepared for trial. Trial ready means that your defense team has the confidence and willingness to try your case, if necessary. This is critical, whether the opposing party is the United States Government, the State of Florida, or a private individual or entity. It’s easy to champion a winning theory in a conference room, but it is far more challenging when your theory and evidence are tested in a courtroom.
We have the confidence to try a case because we have been trying cases for years. Susan Bozorgi has tried over 75 jury trials. Susan Van Dusen has tried well over 40 complex and lengthy jury trials in 23 different federal courts throughout the country. Celeste Higgins has tried over 100 federal jury trials.
In addition to our experience representing clients at trial in white collar matters and general criminal matters, we also have experience representing clients in civil litigation, such as civil enforcement actions brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission in federal court. We have acted as lead trial counsel or local counsel in civil litigation matters filed in both the local state and federal courts.
Other representative trial matters, some of which are listed in other practice areas, include:
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of individual at trial charged in multi-count Indictment alleging Hobbs Act violations. Two week trial with multiple co-defendants; defendant was acquitted.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of individual at trial charged with cargo theft.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of individual at trial charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute.
Representation in Barcelona, Spain in coordination with Spanish co-counsel of individual who appeared in the United States through closed circuit video system, charged with narcotics offense. One of the first video-conducted trials in Spain. Defendant was acquitted.
Representation in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida at trial of individual charged with First Degree Murder on retrial after being convicted and granted a new trial. Case involved complex evidentiary challenges and issues prior to two week trial. Defendant was acquitted.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of physician indicted in a multi-defendant Health Care Fraud case. Case involved voluminous discovery and was tried with 7 co-defendants over 3 ½ months.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida at trial of individual charged in first ever Flakka prosecution brought by the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Florida; defendant was acquitted.
Representation in the Seventeenth Judicial Circuit of Florida at trial of waste management company in a commercial litigation matter relating to a contract dispute.
Prior to joining Bozorgi Law, some of our lawyers’ representative trial matters included:
Representation in the Middle District of Florida of a defendant charged in a stock fraud Indictment alleging $138 million loss to victim investors; pretrial preparation involved 3+ years of document review preceding 3 month trial.
Representation in the Eastern District of Michigan of a defendant in high-profile public corruption case, charged in 100+ page RICO Indictment, during 8 month trial. Contractor-client was charged with paying kickbacks to mayor in exchange for receiving $86+ million in contracts.
Known as the “Wedtech Case,” this case, prosecuted in the Southern District of New York, required 2 years of pretrial litigation of complex issues arising from the government’s unprecedented expansion of the federal racketeering statute and claim of entitlement to the defendants’ Swiss banking records, in conjunction with the organization and review of 4 million+ discovery documents, in preparation for the ensuing 6 month trial.
Representation of the owner of the Aladdin Hotel, charged with Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud in the District of Nevada, required 2 years pretrial preparation involving 1 million+ documents and 100+ potential government witnesses; the 8 month trial, in which 6000+ government & defense exhibits were admitted in evidence, resulted in the acquittal of all 8 defendants.
Representation of defendant in the first prosecution in the United States of the leader of a foreign country (Turks & Caicos); novel legal questions regarding diplomatic immunity and jurisdictional issues were briefed and litigated prior to the 3 month trial on Travel Act and conspiracy charges.
Representation of the owner of the Tropicana Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, and 4 Minneapolis-St. Paul banks in the District of Minnesota, on charges of Bank Fraud and Tax Evasion arising from a 2 year multi-jurisdictional investigation generating 1 million+ documents and 100+ potential government witnesses; trial of the matter lasted 5 months.
Representation in the Eastern District of Michigan of the country’s leading bankruptcy attorney, charged in 2 Indictments with Bankruptcy Fraud and Obstruction of Justice; pretrial preparation involved analysis of 1 million+ discovery documents and 75+ witnesses prior to 2 trials, each lasting 3 months.
Representation of an attorney-defendant in the Southern District of Florida corruption and racketeering case, known as “Operation Court Broom,” in which the attorney-defendants were charged with paying kickbacks to state court judges in exchange for court appointments; pretrial preparation involved 1+ year of analysis of court files prior to 2 month trial.
Representation of the alleged head of the “Gambino Crime Family” entailed 1½ years of analysis of 500+ hours of video and audio electronic surveillance and 1000+ pages of discovery reports, as preparation for the 4 month trial in the Eastern District of New York on the government’s charges of 14 homicides and violent crimes in aid of racketeering activity.
Representation in a 5 month racketeering trial, in the Eastern District of Missouri, of the defendant alleged to be leader of “the St. Louis Crime Syndicate,” who was responsible for 8 homicides; the prosecution was the result of a 3 year government investigation and 300+ hours of electronic surveillance tapes.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of individual at trial charged in federal extortion where victim was high profile international celebrity with significant media coverage.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of owner/operator of FOREX investment firm at trial charged with $35 million SEC and federal fraud charges.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of individual at trial charged in a $20 million boiler room fraud.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of multiple different individuals at trial charged in tax fraud cases.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of individual at trial charged with fraud involving the tampering with horseraces in para-mutual gambling operations; defendant acquitted of most serious charges.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of multiple different individuals at trial charged with rape on the high seas while working on cruise lines.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of individual at trial charged with Voter Fraud related to the Bush v. Gore case; defendant was acquitted.
Representation in the Southern District of Florida of multiple different individuals at trial charged in health care fraud schemes prosecuted by the Department of Justice.
Other Practice Areas
Securities & Regulatory Matters