Joel Hirschhorn Attorney At Law

A sophisticated and methodical litigator, Joel Hirschhorn has tried nearly 400 jury trials to verdict over the span of his venerable career. Known for his preemptive prowess, Joel brings a well-worn patina of wisdom and grit to high-profile investigations and has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America for more than 30 consecutive years. He defends public and private corporations, C-suite executives, public and elected officials, notable entertainers, professional athletes, and individuals in exceedingly sensitive Federal and State criminal matters and is frequently sought after by top-tier national and regional media for his analysis of controversial cases making daily headlines.

Joel is as comfortable in the courtroom as he is at the negotiating table. Known for his for his strategic confidence and formidable cross examination skills, he is well respected in prosecutorial circles and has decades of trial experience in criminal and civil white collar defense covering a broad scope, including commercial fraud, mortgage, securities, and banking fraud, health care fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, RICO and FCPA violations, as well as pandemic-related fraud involving the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. He has handled violent and non-violent crimes, narcotics, and related offenses. He also argues numerous Federal and State appeals in courts throughout the United States and before both the Supreme Court of Florida and the Supreme Court of the United States.

Joel is well-versed in the delicate endeavor of minimizing reputational damage and negotiating resolutions. He works with clients to assuage the personal and professional overwhelm that often accompanies criminal investigations. He is acutely aware of the need for direct communication and swift action for clients accused of alleged criminal misconduct, seeking to avoid prosecution, or already embroiled in an indictment. He employs a patient yet dogged pursuit of the way forward for clients, piecing the puzzle together fact by fact, document by document. Joel has facilitated numerous life changing legal outcomes throughout his career and clients appreciate his courage and strength of heart on their behalf, feeling the impact of his intervention for years following resolution. 

• Notable Work
  • United States v. True Nature Seafood. Corporate Plea.
  • United States v. Sun Jewelry, Inc. Corporate Plea.
  • United States v. Antonio Rodriguez. Dismissed.
  • United States v. Daniel Huffman. Pre-trial Diversion Program. Dismissed.
  • State of Florida v. Bricklod. Fraud conviction reversed based on improper admission of hearsay testimony.
  • State of Florida v. Chandler. Watershed United States Supreme Court decision in which cameras in the courtroom were opposed over the defendant's objection.
  • State of Florida v. Silva. Changed the method of selecting juries in Florida State Courts.
  • United States v. Ehrling. The conviction of the former president of a $1.3 billion publicly traded company, reversed on the grounds that no crime was committed. The indictment charged that General Development Corporation had engaged in massive fraud in connection with its sales, marketing, and financing practices. The trial lasted nine months.
  • United States v. Hastings. Organized and prepared the complex defense of, and for, a sitting federal judge who was indicted for, and acquitted of, bribery.
• Recognition
  • Best Lawyers in America, 1983-2023
    • Criminal Defense: General Practice
    • Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • Florida Super Lawyers, 2006-2022
  • Florida Trend, Legal Elite, 2005, 2008-2011, 2015, 2021
  • South Florida Legal Guide, Top Lawyers, 2013-2018, 2020-2022
  • Who's Who Legal Guide, Business Crime Defence, 2019
  • Litigation Counsel of America, Senior Fellow
• Insights
  • "As Nasty As We Wanna Be: Porn, Hip-Hop, and the First Amendment," Dade County Bar Association, February 3, 2021
  • COVID-19 Conversations Webinar Series-COVID-19 and Its Effects on White Collar Crime, June 30, 2020
  • Litigation Counsel of America Renaissance Symposium XV, New York, New York, December 6, 2019
  • "Trends in Criminal Law," Spellman-Hoeveler Inns of Court’s Bench & Bar Conference, Miami, Florida, March 1, 2019
  • "Bluff, Bluster, Badger, Beg & Barrister: Pursuing Favorable Outcomes in White-Collar Defense When the Deck is Stacked," Best Lawyers, Summer 2019
• Media

   

  • "Trump Flag Bearer Gets First Capitol Riot Prison Sentence (3)," Bloomberg Law, July 19, 2021
  • "Top Florida Litigation Of 2021: Midyear Report," Law360, July 19, 2021
  • "Attorney spearheading proposed group home in Grant County says program will nurture at-risk youth," Telegraph Herald, June 4, 2021
  • Why the Capitol Riot Inquiries Leave Room for a Broader Commission," The New York Times, May 25, 2021
  • "Palm Beach County Resident Who Evaded Taxes, Splurged on Lake Worth Beach Manse, Sentenced," The Real Deal, May 17, 2021
  • Defense Options Limited for Lakeland Woman Accused in Jan. 6 Riot, The Ledger, April 2021
  • QAnon-Backer Becomes Yoga-Lover for Lawyers Defending Rioters, Bloomberg, January 2021
  • US Opens Criminal Probe Into Assault on Capitol, VOA, January 2021
  • Justice Department appears to be rewarding Trump allies, punishing enemies, legal experts say, Reuters, July 2020
  • Florida justices rewrite rules to scrap high court’s liberal legacy, FloridaBulldog.org, June 2020
  • South Florida Litigators Raise Concerns Over Courts' Long-Term Adoption of Zoom, Daily Business Review, May 2020
  • Exclusive: U.S. Coronavirus Stimulus Went to Some Healthcare Providers Facing Criminal Inquiries, Reuters, May 2020
  • Florida Businessman Pleads Guilty To $7.7M Tax Fraud, Law360, April 2020
  • Businessman With Secret Accounts Splurged on Lake Worth Beach Real Estate, Daily Business Review, April 2020
  • COVID-19 Couldn't Stop This Case: Inside South Florida's Last Federal Jury Trial, Daily Business Review, March 2020
  • Would Jeffrey Epstein's Accusers Have Fared Better After #MeToo Movement?, Daily Business Review, August 2019

  
  
• Affiliations
  • American Bar Association, 1967-present
  • American Board of Criminal Lawyers, 1992-present
    • President 2003
  • Dade County Bar Association, 1967-present
  • First Amendment Lawyers Association, Founder (President, 1973)
  • Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, 1981-present
  • International Academy of Trial Lawyers Fellow, 2003
  • International Who’s Who of Business Crime Lawyers, 2022
  • Litigation Counsel of America, 2009
    • Order of Centurions, Barrister
    • Order of Certus, Advocate
  • National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers 1975-present
    • Board Member, 1981-1985
  • Wisconsin Law Foundation, Life Fellow
• Credentials
  • J.D., University of Wisconsin Law School, 1967
  • B.A., University of Connecticut, 1964
• Admissions
  • Florida
  • Wisconsin
  • U.S. Courts of Appeals (all circuits except District of Columbia)
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • 44 Federal District Courts (39 of which as pro hac vice)