Bernard Panetta is Special Counsel at the firm with forty-four years of litigation experience in federal trial and appellate courts. Mr. Panetta supports the firm's federal trial and appellate practice. Mr. Panetta was an Assistant United States Attorney in Washington, D.C. from 1973 to 1979 where he tried over 100 cases including some of the most challenging First Degree Murder and Rape cases and a Trial Attorney in the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section at the Department of Justice from 1979 to 1983 where he prosecuted public officials, organized crime figures and international drug traffickers. Thereafter, he has been in private practice where his principle areas of practice include bank fraud, bribery, government contract fraud, high profile narcotics cases, money laundering, public corruption, RICO, tax evasion, civil forfeiture and Compliance Advise to Banks, Corporations and individuals. Mr. Panetta has extensive Appellate experience having argued over two dozen cases before Federal Circuit Courts of Appeals and the United States Supreme Court.