Anna has handled a wide range of complex matters, and her practice includes defending individuals and businesses against accusations of mail and wire fraud, tax fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, health care fraud, sexual assault, extortion, immigration-related offenses, and other serious crimes. She has tried multiple federal criminal cases, and consistently achieves favorable results for her clients. For individuals who are being investigated but not charged, she creates pathways through the process to avoid charges entirely. When clients are prosecuted criminally, Anna develops innovative and cutting-edge legal arguments that consistently result in positive outcomes, including charges being dismissed altogether and, where unavoidable, reduced charges and favorable sentencing outcomes. Anna has particular expertise with respect to restitution and forfeiture, and has repeatedly succeeded in drastically reducing the financial impact of her client’s criminal convictions. She also represents individuals and entities in sensitive regulatory and internal investigations, as well as in complex commercial disputes.

Anna has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers since 2021. She also maintains an active pro bono and indigent defense practice. A former federal defender, she was selected to serve on the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Southern District of New York.

Experience

• Defending Sean Combs. As a member of Sean Combs’ all-star criminal defense team, Anna helped secure acquittals of the most serious charges of sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy. Anna cross-examined the government’s star witness, Cassie Ventura, whose testimony “was ultimately not persuasive to the jurors who were asked to consider whether Mr. Combs had coerced Ms. Ventura . . . into the extended sex sessions with male escorts that he called ‘freak-offs,’” as reported by the New York Times. Her cross-examination was praised as “being very strategic and precise” while “respecting the emotional weight of Cassie’s testimony.” [Wall Street Journal] For this achievement, Anna, along with the rest of the defense team, was named to Law360’s list of “Legal Lions of the Week”. According to Law360, this was after “a Manhattan federal jury on Wednesday cleared Sean “Diddy” Combs on prosecutors’ top racketeering and sex-trafficking charges, which could have sent him to prison for decades. The jury of eight men and four women convicted Combs on charges of transporting two former girlfriends for prostitution, following deliberations over three days in a trial that generated headlines around the world.”
• Secured full acquittal in the Southern District of New York. Anna and partner Justine Harris were appointed pursuant to the Criminal Justice Act to defend an indigent client against the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm. They scored an early victory in the case, persuading the judge to suppress statements obtained in violation of Miranda v. Arizona. At trial, Anna and Justine conducted vigorous cross-examinations of the government’s law enforcement and forensic expert witnesses, and the jury returned a not guilty verdict after less than two hours of deliberation.
• Avoiding immigration consequences. When immigration consequences are a concern, Anna creates pathways to avoid deportation. She represented a non-citizen charged with cyberstalking and extortion and succeeded in negotiating to have charges dropped to non-deportable offense, resulting in the client’s successful VAWA petition and path to citizenship. For another client, Anna secured a path to U.S. citizenship and dismissal of federal charges.
• Persuading judges when it matters most. Anna frequently convinces judges to impose probation or other non-prison sentences by changing the narrative at sentencing. She obtained a sentence of home detention and probation for an individual facing sentencing for a $9 million tax fraud scheme. For a client facing sentencing for importing synthetic cannabinoids, she convinced the government to reduce the charge to a petty offense misdemeanor and secured a probationary sentence.
• Mitigating financial consequences. Anna’s in-depth knowledge of restitution and forfeiture regularly results in dramatic reduction of financial consequences. In connection with her representation of a soccer leader in the FIFA corruption scandal, Anna successfully fought back against the government’s attempt to collect sizable restitution. She also successfully opposed the government’s request for over $13 million in restitution and forfeiture from a doctor in a health care fraud case in the Southern District of New York.
• Winning on appeal. Anna has won appellate reversals in the Courts of Appeals for the Second and Ninth Circuits. Her success stems from deep intellectual engagement and ability to navigate complex legal issues.

Other notable work includes:

• Represented private equity fund’s chief compliance officer in wire fraud prosecution related to alleged ponzi scheme.
• Represented professional accused of sexual misconduct.
• Represented former law enforcement officer charged in federal court; successfully advocated for probationary sentence.
• Represented executive in cross-border SEC enforcement action.
• Represented litigation finance company in connection with a dispute with a claimant; obtained an arbitration award (and confirmation of such award) in the full amount of recovery sought, plus legal fees and interest.
• Represented investment advisers in FINRA matters.

Recognitions

Rising Star in Criminal Defense: White Collar, Thomson Reuters’ Super Lawyers (2021-2024)