Practice Area

Former Government Trial Professionals

Connect with people who have actually picked juries, examined witnesses, and tried cases.

Litigation & Trial

Courtroom Experience Is the Scarce Commodity

Most civil cases settle and most criminal cases plead, so people who have genuinely tried cases to verdict are rarer every year. Below: the prosecutors, agency trial attorneys, and judges who did.

Members in this practice area

Litigation & Trial

Showing 1–10 of 153

Ranked by relevance to Litigation & Trial from verified member profiles.

Stephen J. Obermeier

Verified3 years of government experience

Litigation and Appellate Practice at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryStephen J. Obermeier served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia, specializing in civil litigation, criminal law, and appellate litigation. His current roles in commercial litigation, appellate litigation, and investigations suit him for complex legal challenges.

Current

Partner, Litigation and Appellate Practice Wiley Rein LLP

Civil LitigationHearings and Appeals

Former Government

Assistant United States AttorneyU.S. Attorney’s Office

Civil LitigationFederal Government

Practice Areas

Sectors

Washington, District of ColumbiaView Profile →

Kevin B. Muhlendorf

Verified15 years of government experience

Securities Enforcement and White Collar Defense

AI SummaryFormer Assistant Chief in DOJ Fraud Section and Senior Counsel at SEC, specializing in securities fraud and anti-corruption, now leading internal investigations and advising on white collar crime. Served as Acting Inspector General for WMATA, overseeing audits and investigations.

Current

PartnerWiley Rein LLP

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)Civil Litigation

Former Government

Acting Inspector GeneralWashington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA)

Auditing

Practice Areas

Sectors

WashingtonView Profile →

Vanessa Singh Johannes

Verified10 years of government experience

Trial Lawyer | Government & Internal Investigations

AI SummaryVanessa Singh Johannes served as an AUSA for the Southern District of Florida for a decade, specializing in complex criminal and civil matters. Her experience in federal jury trials and investigations suits her for roles in complex litigation and compliance.

Current

PartnerFoley & Lardner LLP

Prosecutor

Former Government

AUSAU.S. Attorney’s Office

Prosecutor

Practice Areas

Sectors

MiamiView Profile →

David W. Simon

Verified2 years of government experience

Strategic counsel to boards and senior management

AI SummaryServed as law clerk for U.S. District Court; specializes in corporate compliance, investigations, and defense against government enforcement actions.

Current

Adjunct ProfessorUniversity of Wisconsin Law School

ProfessorEducation

Former Government

Law ClerkU.S. District Court

Law ClerkCivil Litigation

Practice Areas

Sectors

Milwaukee, WisconsinView Profile →

Mark A. Racanelli

Verified5 years of government experience

Global Co-Chair WhiteCollar Defense and Corp. Investigation

AI SummaryMark Racanelli served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for five years, specializing in white collar crime and criminal law. His experience in litigation, corporate investigations, and regulatory enforcement suits him for roles in white collar crime, corporate law, and securities law.

Current

PartnerO'Melveny & Myers LLP

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)Civil Litigation

Former Government

Assistant US AttorneyU.S. Attorney’s Office

White Collar CrimeLegal

Practice Areas

Sectors

New York, New YorkView Profile →

Lisa M. Noller

Verified10 years of government experience

Investigation, Litigation, Criminal & Civil Law, Appeals

AI SummaryLisa Noller served as an assistant U.S. attorney in Chicago, specializing in civil and criminal prosecutions. Her expertise in healthcare litigation and white-collar defense suits her for roles in complex fraud and regulatory matters.

Current

Litigation Department ChairFoley & Lardner LLP

Civil LitigationLegal

Former Government

Deputy ChiefU.S. Attorney’s Office

Civil LitigationFederal Government

Practice Areas

Sectors

Chicago, IllinoisView Profile →

Lukman Azeez

Verified2 years of government experience

Litigation Partner at Wiley Rein LLP

AI SummaryLukman Azeez served as a law clerk for the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and is a Litigation Partner at Wiley Rein LLP, specializing in commercial disputes, constitutional law, and appellate litigation.

Current

Litigation PartnerWiley Rein LLP

Civil LitigationTechnology

Former Government

Law Clerk Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit

Law Clerk

Practice Areas

Sectors

Washington D.C.View Profile →

Kimberly D. Jaimez

Verified7 years of government experience

Partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

AI SummaryServed nearly seven years as an Assistant US Attorney in the Major Frauds Section, specializing in healthcare fraud and complex financial crimes. Experienced in corporate investigations, white collar defense, and regulatory enforcement, adept at navigating complex civil litigation and False Claims Act matters.

Current

PartnerPillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

AttorneyCivil Litigation

Former Government

Assistant United States AttorneyU.S. Attorney’s Office

AttorneyHealthcare & Medical

Practice Areas

Sectors

Los Angeles, CaliforniaView Profile →

Anne M. Voigts

Verified13 years of government experience

Head, National Appellate Practice, Pillsbury LLP

AI SummaryFormer clerk for Justice John Paul Stevens and Judge Stephen Reinhardt, and extern for Judge Sonia Sotomayor. Current appellate specialist and litigator, advising on critical motions and complex legal issues.

Current

PartnerPillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

AttorneyAttorney Advisor

Former Government

ExternCourt of Appeals for the Second Circuit

ResearchLegal Assistant

Practice Areas

Sectors

Silicon Valley, CaliforniaView Profile →

Rebecca Mermelstein

Verified13 years of government experience

White collar and finance-related investigations & litigation

AI SummaryRebecca Mermelstein served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for over a decade, specializing in white-collar crime and finance-related investigations, which suits her current role as a partner in white-collar and finance-related investigations and litigation.

Current

PartnerO'Melveny & Myers LLP

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)Civil Litigation

Former Government

Co-ChiefU.S. Attorney’s Office

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)Securities Law

Practice Areas

Sectors

New York, New YorkView Profile →

Use Cases

When People Seek This Expertise

A Case That's Actually Going to Trial

When settlement fails, the difference between litigators and trial lawyers becomes visible fast. People who spent careers in courtrooms bring judgment on trial strategy, order of proof, and cross-examination that motion practice alone never teaches.

Mock Trials & Jury Research

Testing a case before a surrogate jury exposes weaknesses while there's still time to fix them. A former prosecutor or judge as evaluator brings the perspective of someone who has watched hundreds of juries react.

Expert Witness Testimony

An expert's credibility under cross-examination decides whether their opinion survives, and Daubert challenges filter out those who can't defend their methods. Former government experts arrive with credentials opposing counsel struggle to dent.

Settle or Try: Risk Assessment

Valuing a case honestly requires knowing how it will actually play in court. Someone who has picked juries through voir dire and read verdicts for a living gives a settlement number real foundations.

Arbitration & Mediation

Parties choosing a neutral want authority both sides respect. Former judges and senior government litigators serve as arbitrators and mediators whose case management carries courtroom weight.

Appellate Risk & Preservation

Trial wins evaporate when errors aren't preserved, and appellate strategy starts before the verdict. Former appellate lawyers and judicial clerks read trial records the way reviewing courts will.

Backgrounds

Where This Expertise Comes From

US Attorneys' Offices

Federal prosecutors try more cases than almost anyone in the profession, criminal and civil. Former Assistant US Attorneys map to trial strategy, witness examination, and jury judgment.

DOJ Litigating Divisions

The Civil, Antitrust, Tax, and Environment Divisions field career trial attorneys in complex federal litigation. They map to class actions, multidistrict litigation, and disputes involving the government itself.

Former Judges

Federal and state judges presided over the cases others argue about. They map to arbitration, mediation, mock-trial evaluation, and candid assessments of how a bench will read your motion.

State Prosecutors & Attorneys General

District attorneys' offices and state attorney general trial bureaus carry enormous courtroom caseloads. Former state trial lawyers map to jury research, criminal exposure, and state-court strategy.

Military JAG Trial Counsel

Judge advocates prosecute and defend courts-martial from early in their careers. They map to examination craft and trying cases on compressed timelines.

SEC & FTC Trial Units

Agency trial counsel litigate enforcement actions against sophisticated defense teams. They map to expert-heavy financial litigation and administrative proceedings.

Federal Defenders

Public defenders try more federal criminal cases than nearly any private practitioner. Former defenders map to cross-examination and defense-side trial strategy.

Why It Matters

Verdicts Are Earned in the Details

Reading transcripts teaches doctrine; standing up in front of a jury teaches judgment. Browse the ranked professionals above and reach out directly to the courtroom background your matter needs.

FAQs

Working With These Professionals

Why add a former prosecutor or judge to my trial team?

They've stood where your judge and opposing counsel stand. As consultants they pressure-test strategy, evaluate witnesses, and flag what a jury will punish — without disturbing your existing team.

When should I reach out — before or after filing?

The earlier the better — case assessment and settle-or-try judgment pay most before positions harden, and jury research needs runway before trial.

Why choose a former judge as an arbitrator or mediator?

They've managed dockets, ruled on the same disputes, and carry an authority that keeps proceedings disciplined. Parties also tend to accept outcomes from a neutral with a judicial record.

What does a former government expert witness add?

Their experience was earned running the systems in dispute rather than opining about them, which survives cross-examination and Daubert scrutiny better than purely academic credentials.

Can these professionals help without appearing in court?

Yes — much of the work is behind the scenes: case assessment, witness preparation, jury research, deposition and e-discovery strategy, and settlement valuation.

How do I engage someone listed here?

Profiles link directly to each member's contact details — no intermediary, no fee. Pick the courtroom background that fits your dispute.

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