Atlanta Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer

Although he specializes in federal criminal defense and appellate litigation, Paul will also take on many types of criminal matters in either state or federal court, like white collar crimes, sex and internet crimes, drug cases, SEC enforcement actions and similar situations. In the end, Paul Kish will take on a case if he believes he can help his client.

The first time he stood up to announce, “Paul Kish for the Defense, your Honor”, Paul knew he had found his calling. The first time Paul woke in the morning to the realization that he had just won a client’s case the day before, he knew he had found a career. And the first time he believed that a client had been unjustly prosecuted, convicted or sentenced, Paul knew he would be fighting against such injustice the rest of his career. Paul was an assistant Federal Defender for over 20 years, the last 15 of which he was the First Assistant Attorney, responsible for helping other lawyers as well as handling his own cases. Paul left the Federal Defender to start a law firm in 2006, where he and his partner represented people investigated or prosecuted for various crimes, mostly in federal court. Paul started Kish Law LLC in 2018.

As an Atlanta federal criminal defense lawyer, a large component of Paul’s practice is representing corporations or individuals who are under investigation or actually being prosecuted for what is sometimes called a “white collar” crime. White collar matters encompass a broad array of supposed crimes, ranging from Medicare and healthcare fraud to bribery of a local governmental official. Such cases include crimes on the internet, tax cases, crimes and investigations involving the securities industry, money laundering, and cases where the person accused or under investigation is in a profession such as medicine or accounting. Paul has also represented many other professionals, such as lawyers and others licensed by various governing boards. Paul has extensive experience with this kind of case.

Paul also represents people accused of other crimes and does not shy away from a client just because he or she is accused of something like being involved in drugs or inappropriate sexual contact or internet crimes. To Paul, each case is about the client and his or her family. It does not matter if other lawyers might not accept such a case. To Paul, the only thing that matters is whether he believes that he can help that client. If he can, he considers taking the case. If he cannot help, he tells that to the client. The specific charges are beside the point.

Many of Paul’s clients looking for an Atlanta federal criminal defense lawyer hire him before they are charged with a crime and the matter is merely what we call an “investigation”. Sometimes a corporation will ask Paul to represent one of its employees or executives. These individuals have been told they are under investigation or are a “subject” or “target” of a federal inquiry. A “subject” is someone whose actions are under inquiry by a federal agent or agency, while a “target” is a person who the prosecution is considering charges against. One of the most difficult aspects of representing someone who is under investigation is deciding whether to let the investigators talk with the client. On the one hand, on rare occasions investigators realize they got it wrong after they talk to the person who is being investigated. However, in too many situations the lawyer takes his or her client in to speak with investigators, and the client’s answers only make matters worse. Paul’s 36 years’ experience is what he relies upon when deciding how to help the client under investigation.

Paul Kish has handled all phases and types of criminal cases. Contact him if you think he might help with your situation.

Federal Criminal Defense – most crimes go into the State court system, where the prosecutors, investigators and judges are usually overwhelmed with the crush of street crimes. Federal criminal cases are usually larger, more extensive, and are investigated by federal agents who have significant resources. Furthermore, the federal sentencing scheme is exceedingly complex, and often results in much stiffer punishment. Federal cases are different and require a specialist with experience in such matters.

White Collar Crimes – a “white collar crime” basically means anything that does not involve a crime between two people. It includes fraud, internet crimes, financial crimes, tax matters, and an array of other situations. The major factor that distinguishes white collar crimes is that these matters almost always involve huge quantities of information, documents and data. The complexity means that the defense attorney often needs to hire and rely on outside experts, like accountants, investigators and analysts. White collar crimes require an attorney who specializes in such matters.

Drug Crimes – most major drug crimes are prosecuted in the federal court system, although some are in the state courts also. These cases require an attorney who not only knows the system, the lawyer also needs to be creative and understand the prosecution’s weak points. Often, the best defense is a good offense, as the old saying goes, and drug crimes fit this saying.

Internet Crimes – more and more of our daily activity is over the internet, and the same is true for crimes and the prosecution of such matters. Internet crimes range from fraud to inappropriate sexual conduct or possession of illegal sexual material. The key to defending such cases is to understand how the prosecution started the investigation and whether there are defenses to either how the investigation was handled or whether the person actually did what he or she is accused of doing.

Investigations – criminal investigations often begin when a federal agent tries to speak with a person or someone involved in a corporation or other organization. That person or company needs to immediately turn to an expert, meaning a lawyer who knows the difference between a “target”, a “subject” or a mere “witness.” Guiding the individual or company through this process requires an attorney with years of experience.