Lecturer Bios
Benjamin Brafman, Esq.
Benjamin Brafman is the principal of Brafman & Associates, P.C. law firm located in Manhattan. Mr. Brafman’s firm specializes in criminal law with an emphasis on White Collar criminal defense.
Mr. Brafman, a former Assistant District Attorney in the New York County District Attorney’s Office, has been in private practice since 1980. Mr. Brafman is a Fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers and was selected by New York Magazine as the “Best Criminal Defense Lawyer in New York.” He is also the recipient of the “first” ever Clarence Darrow Award for Distinguished Practitioner by the New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Mr. Brafman has represented a wide range of high-profile celebrities, business leaders, lawyers and professionals in major criminal cases throughout the country including most recently the NY Giants superstar Plaxico Burress and former IMF Chief Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
Alex Spiro, Esq.
Alex Spiro is a partner based in Quinn Emanuel's New York office. Mr. Spiro is a graduate of Harvard Law School. As a Manhattan prosecutor, among other cases, Mr. Spiro helped indict and convict Rodney Alcala, the “Dating Game” serial killer, for two New York murders in the 1970s, and, convicted, at trial, serial murderer Travis Woods. He also worked with the Conviction Integrity Unit investigating potential wrongful convictions. He is one of the few attorneys who has both prosecuted and defended police officers.
Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Spiro worked with Benjamin Brafman as a trial attorney. Alex is an experienced trial lawyer, well known for handling high profile cases for famous clients. His practice area focuses largely on "white collar" crime. In addition, Mr. Spiro represented students in Title IX proceedings.
Mr. Spiro has, as lead counsel, tried over 50 cases to verdict ranging from misdemeanors to murders. He has also handled an array of complex investigations that include various companies and corporations and has high profile death cases.
Mr. Spiro has also served on the faculty of Harvard’s Trial Advocacy Program for the past 6 years and is chairman of the board of Harvard's criminal justice initiative - the fair punishment project. As an attorney, Mr. Spiro has lectured on a variety of subjects including trial practice, corporate privilege evidence and criminal law. Mr. Spiro is a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and has received several other academic and professional citations, including the Albert Imlah writing award and the ACC Northeast Ethics Lawyering award. He also sits on several company boards – both private and public.
Prior to becoming a lawyer, Mr. Spiro studied bio-psychology and worked at Harvard’s Psychiatric Facility, McLean Hospital. In his 5 plus years at McLean, Mr. Spiro supervised departments of an adolescent treatment facility and ran a program for children with Autism and Asperger’s syndrome.
