Fred Hafetz

Biography

Frederick P. Hafetz has repeatedly been recognized as one of New York City's top criminal defense attorneys. Chambers USA calls him "a tenacious and dogged advocate" who "should be on any list."

Fred specializes in white collar criminal practice, representing individuals and corporations who are under investigation for or charged with criminal activity involving a wide variety of industries and areas.  A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Fred has tried more than 70 jury trials to verdict in state and federal court – many of which resulted in acquittal, dismissal of all charges, or reversal on appeal.  His financial and securities experience includes the successful representation of executives of major accounting firms, executives of investment banking firms, a specialist on the New York Stock Exchange, a high-level executive of a major insurance company, executives of pharmaceutical corporations, and clients in numerous other complex securities and financial investigations. He also has significant experience in corporate internal investigations, both representing individuals in connection with those investigations and conducting investigations on behalf of the corporation.

Fred also counsels attorneys on ethical issues and represents attorneys before the Departmental Disciplinary Committee. He is a recognized expert in this area and has served as a member of the Departmental Disciplinary Committee, Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Judicial Department.

Before entering private practice, Fred served as the Chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. He also worked as a special attorney in the Organized Crime Strike Force of the Justice Department and as special counsel to a House of Representatives investigative committee on crime. Fred began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.

Fred has been recognized by New York Super Lawyers as one of the top white collar defense lawyers in New York every year since 2006, as well as in numerous other publications such as Chambers USA, Chambers and Partners, Best Lawyers in America, New York Magazine’s Best Lawyers, and Who’s Who Legal.   Fred has been honored by his peers for his outstanding work on behalf of criminal defendants, earning the NY Criminal Bar Association’s award for outstanding practitioner (2010), the New York Council of Defense Lawyers’ Award for NYC’s outstanding defense lawyer of the year (2003), and the Outstanding Practitioner Award from the Criminal Justice Section of the NY State Bar Association (1992, 1993).

Fred has written extensively in business crime publications.  He recently published an article in Federal Sentencing Reporter.  He is a frequent panelist on white collar criminal programs and has taught in trial advocacy programs at Harvard Law School and many of the New York law schools.  He chairs the "'Giants' of the Criminal Trial Bar" program at the NYC Association of the Bar.

Education

  • University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D.

  • Princeton University, B.A.

Admissions

  • New York State

  • United States District Court, Southern District of New York and Eastern District of New York

  • Supreme Court of the United States

Memberships