A Nationally Recognized Civil and Criminal Forfeiture Law Firm
The federal and state governments are seizing more property, and more valuable property, for forfeiture than ever before. Many of these seizures are legally questionable, but getting the seized property back for its owners requires specialized knowledge of this area of the law.
At David B. Smith, PLLC, our lawyers have years of experience handling complex forfeiture matters. Attorney David B. Smith is considered the foremost expert on forfeiture law and practice in the United States and is the author of the leading two-volume treatise, Prosecution and Defense of Forfeiture Cases (2023), published by Matthew Bender.
At the Department of Justice, Mr. Smith was the first deputy chief of the Asset Forfeiture Office, Criminal Division, responsible for supervising all federal forfeiture litigation. Since 1990, he has served as chair of the Forfeiture Committee of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL), participating in cutting-edge litigation and legislative activities.
Helping Clients Regain Property Seized By the Government
Based in Alexandria, Virginia, our firm litigates criminal and civil forfeiture cases nationwide. We also provide assistance to other attorneys who defend forfeiture cases and are not familiar with this arcane legal specialty, as well as attorneys facing forfeiture of their legal fees.
We use a number of strategies to help clients regain their property, including petitions for remission and mitigation of forfeiture penalties and motions for return of seized property.
Mr. Smith’s national reputation in the area of forfeiture law, backed by our extensive track record of success in these matters, puts us in a strong position to defend clients facing the seizure of substantial amounts of their property. Contact us today to discuss how we can assist you or your client.
Mr. Smith was interviewed on C-Span Washington Journal in April 2015 regarding forfeiture abuse and reform. He discusses the various types of forfeiture, lack of government oversight, and several announced DoJ policy changes. See interview here.