Spertus, Landes & Josephs, LLP

Spertus, Landes & Josephs, LLP client Carlos Martinez was acquitted today of all charges in the latest trial stemming from the FIFA bribery case charged in the Eastern District of New York. SLJ lawyers Sam Josephs, Payton L., and Kirsi Luther represented Mr. Martinez along with Steven McCool and Julia Coleman of McCool Law PLLC. After an eight-week trial in Brooklyn, Mr. Martinez was acquitted of all charges. The Firm congratulates Mr. Martinez for this well-deserved verdict, and applauds the trial team for this hard-fought win securing justice for Mr. Martinez and his family. 

The Daily Journal has recognized James Spertus as one of the “Top White Collar Lawyers of 2024.” With over three decades of trial experience, Spertus has earned a reputation for integrity, diligence, and a remarkable ability to navigate complex legal challenges. Read more about the award on our website below:

On November 25, 2024, the firm secured a probationary sentence for our client on charges stemming from a multi-state investigation of patient brokering in the drug addiction recovery industry. Our client operated two addiction recovery centers in the Los Angeles area. The government charged her with conspiring to violate the Travel Act (18 U.S.C. § 1952(a)(1) & (3)), alleging that she had paid a marketing company to refer patients to her facilities. Although our client faced a possible prison term of five years, with an advisory guideline range of 24-30 months, the firm convinced the court to impose a sentence of probation.

Spertus, Landes & Josephs, LLP is thrilled to announce that it has once again earned regional and national rankings by Best Lawyers’ Best Law Firms Report.

We are excited to welcome Mario Nguyen as Senior Associate at Spertus, Landes & Josephs, LLP. Mario is a highly skilled litigator and investigator with extensive experience in federal court trials and complex investigations involving significant financial stakes. His background includes serving as a Trial Attorney at the United States Department of Justice, clerking for a federal judge, and working at a major global law firm in criminal defense and investigations. We look forward to the expertise and insight Mario brings to our team. Welcome aboard, Mario! Learn more about Mario on our website below.

Nine Spertus Lawyers Recognized by Best Lawyers Spertus, Landes & Josephs, LLP is proud to announce that Best Lawyers® has recognized firm lawyers James Spertus, Sam Josephs, Tony Brown, Anthony Pacheco, Ryan Dunn, and Hans Allhoff as top attorneys in their fields. Best Lawyers® has also recognized attorneys Lindsey Hay, Kirsi Luther, and Payton Lyon by including them on its “Ones to Watch” list.

Chambers and Partners recognized Spertus, Landes & Josephs, LLP as a leading firm in Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations in the 2024 Chambers USA Guide. Chambers ranked Managing Partner James Spertus as a leading lawyer in the same category. This is the third year in a row that the Firm has received this prestigious ranking, and the sixth year in a row for Mr. Spertus. Partner Anthony Pacheco, who joined the Firm in January of this year, has also been individually ranked in this category for the fourth consecutive year. Read more about the award on our website below:

We are proud to announce that Maybelline Mena-Hadyka has joined Spertus, Landes & Josephs, LLP as Counsel. Maybelline Mena-Hadyka is a civil and white-collar litigator with extensive experience guiding clients through intricate internal investigations and navigating inquiries from regulatory and enforcement bodies. She has handled a broad spectrum of matters, including defending against and investigating allegations spanning sexual misconduct, race and gender discrimination, marketing practices, antitrust violations, public corruption, and fraud and embezzlement. You can read more about Maybelline on our website below. Welcome, Maybelline! We’re so excited you're joining us.

Spertus, Landes & Josephs, LLP is pleased to announce that Maura Riley has joined the Firm as a Senior Associate. Maura Riley is a litigator with a proven track record in high-stakes criminal and civil proceedings. She specializes in representing companies and individuals in matters involving the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the California Attorney General’s Office, and other government agencies. She has defended clients in a variety of federal and state matters alleging health care fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, honest services fraud, FCPA violations, False Claims Act violations, securities fraud, money laundering, anti-kickback allegations, export violations, and bribery. She has led internal investigations on behalf of medical entities, financial groups, and government contractors, among others. Maura received her law degree from the University of Texas School of Law, where she was an Articles Editor for the Texas Law Review. She earned her Bachelor of Arts with honors in English Language and Literature from Dartmouth College.

We are proud to announce that Anthony Pacheco has joined the firm as Partner. Mr. Pacheco is a leading member of the Los Angeles legal community, who brings over three decades of experience with him to serve the firm and its clients. He is well known for his impeccable judgment and problem-solving skills in civil and criminal venues alike. With Mr. Pacheco’s partnership, the firm proudly adds another seasoned trial lawyer to its ranks. In his 36-year career, Mr. Pacheco has handled over 100 internal investigations and managed sensitive public relations issues in criminal, quasi-criminal, civil, regulatory, administrative, and parallel proceedings. He has been ranked in Chambers USA as one of the top lawyers in California in the White Collar Crimes & Investigations category. He has also been consistently identified by his peers as one of the Best Lawyers in America in the field of White Collar Criminal Defense each year since 2009 and as a Southern California Super Lawyer since 2007. The Los Angeles Business Journal named Mr. Pacheco to its “Leaders of Influence: Litigators and Trial Lawyers” list in 2021 and 2022 and recognized him as a Top Minority Attorney in 2020 and 2023. Read more about Anthony on our website below. Welcome, Anthony! We’re so excited you’re joining us.