Kaplan Marino, PC

Aiding clients in trouble for more than 30 years, the husband-and-wife team of Richard D. Kaplan and Nina Marino have presented to and litigated on behalf of their white-collar clients against the U.S. Department of Justice, attorney general's offices, district attorneys' offices, Interpol and other authorities.

The firm's attorneys - there are five, including partner Jennifer A. Lieser, who was elevated in 2021 - also manage the court of public opinion with the same effort they put into their defense strategies. "Teamwork and collaboration are our hallmarks as we get the best results for clients," Marino said. Added Kaplan: ""Our best results are those no one knows about."

Kaplan and Marino met in court in the early 1990s. He was in the gallery. "I was taking a winning verdict," Marino said. "I was impressed," Kaplan added. Both had done criminal defense work. "He and I realized we needed to open a firm together dedicated to white-collar clients," Marino said. The firm opened its doors in 1997. "We are defense lawyers," Kaplan said. "In 30-plus years, no one here has ever prosecuted anyone."

The team's ability to conduct deeply probing investigations is often the key to a successful resolution. "We have such an extensive Rolodex of specialists and experts," Marino said.

The firm moved from Beverly Hills last year to a renovated West Hollywood home. "It's very secure, very private and very exclusive, and clients love it," Marino said. In a complex international case, Marino and colleagues represent a wealthy former Chinese official who was living in Sweden when he was accused by the Chinese government of fraud and money laundering offenses. After lengthy proceedings following the extradition to the U.S. of the man and his wife, Marino, Kaplan and Lieser demonstrated to federal prosecutors the litigation risks involved due to difficulties with Chinese witnesses. The man was released from custody after pleading guilty to a single charge. He will be allowed to retain about half his $30 million fortune and will be guaranteed safe passage back to Sweden. U.S. v. Qiao, 2:14-cr-00384 (C.D. Cal., filed July 2, 2014).

"He was the subject of an international manhunt before he was found in Sweden," Kaplan said. "We are currently liquidating his assets. The Chinese government still has an Interpol red notice in place on him, so the fact that our government will protect his travel is a very cool result."

Kaplan pointed to another matter, this one kept well under the radar, as an example of how some cases are best dealt with quietly. "We have a producer whose actress girlfriend made domestic violence allegations, and her publicity machine took after him strongly," he said. The Kaplan Marino team presented its defense to the district attorney's office, which dropped felony charges. They then disposed of misdemeanor charges at the city attorney's office. "The city attorney referred the matter to an office hearing, where things will be resolved without the filing of charges. We got it all expedited, and our client can get his life back together."

Lieser recently resolved a workers' compensation case involving claims of a half-million-dollar fraud. "We presented the government with weaknesses in its case and the entire matter was dismissed. And we were able to keep a low profile throughout while getting a great result."