Practice/Organization Description
NiaLena is a passionate advocate who doesn't take no for an answer and who gives personal attention to all clients. As a strong believer in Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken," many of her courtroom successes in criminal defense have come in matters that others considered hopeless.
NiaLena concentrates her law practice in federal and state criminal defense. Throughout the years, NiaLena has achieved successful results in difficult cases including but not limited to federal drug trafficking, federal firearms violations, sex crimes, death penalty homicides, RICO/racketeering, PCRA, federal habeas, federal grand jury investigations, fraud, money laundering, white collar crime, and federal sentencing downward departures. Her federal practice extends to multiple jurisdictions throughout the United States.
Early in her career, NiaLena was the youngest and only female attorney to defend a reputed organized crime figure in the nearly five-month federal RICO prosecution of United States v. Joseph Merlino. The jury acquitted her client, Frank Gambino, of attempted murder and racketeering charges, and her closing argument was subsequently selected among nationwide submissions and spotlighted as featured defense advocate by Center for Criminal Justice Advocacy in Houston.
She has since become lead counsel in numerous serious multi-defendant criminal cases and was recently a member of the defense trial team representing Senator Vincent Fumo, long regarded as the most powerful politician in Philadelphia, in his five-month high-profile trial in federal court. At trial, NiaLena was the co-author of an emergency motion that made headline news in various local and national forums, including The New York Times and ABC News, regarding the request to halt the jury deliberations based upon the novel legal issue of social networking on Internet sites such as Facebook and Twitter by a juror during the Senator’s political corruption trial.
Recently retained to represent a Washington D.C. senior executive of a Fortune 500 financial company who is facing criminal charges, NiaLena has been described by the Philadelphia Daily News as a "deliberate," "sincere," "extremely thorough," and "tireless advocate" with "courtroom poise" who "allows no legal issue to escape her attention" and by award-winning journalist and author George Anastasia in The Last Gangster as "no-nonsense."
After being recognized by her peers and featured by Philadelphia Magazine and also Law & Politics Magazine as a "Pennsylvania Rising Star Super Lawyer" in the field of Criminal Defense in both 2005 and 2006, NiaLena is the only female lawyer in private practice in Philadelphia recognized by her peers in 2008 and again more recently in 2009 as a "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in "Criminal Defense" and featured by Philadelphia Magazine and also Law & Politics Magazine. As a "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer," NiaLena's profile was also included among the "Influential Philadelphia Area Lawyers" profiled in "The Power Fifty" November 2009 edition of the Philadelphia Magazine.
NiaLena has achieved the highest professional rating (AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated) by Martindale-Hubbell every year from 2003 to 2010 as well as a Superb rating (10.0 out of 10) by Avvo.com in 2009 and 2010. Moreover, NiaLena has been recognized as a Preeminent Lawyer in America by Martindale-Hubbell® in 2010. A frequent guest speaker at The Wharton School, NiaLena credits much of her success to her beloved mentor and former law partner, F. Emmett Fitzpatrick.
To read more about NiaLena's criminal law practice, please visit her website at www.nialenacaravasos.com.
Bar Admissions
(1) US Supreme Court
(2) 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals
(3) US District Court for the Eastern District of PA
(4) Pennsylvania Bar
(5) Massachusetts Bar
Education
Boston University School of Law (Juris Doctor, May 1993) -- Honors: (1) Commencement Award (BNA Law Student Award); (2) American Jurisprudence Award (Criminal Trial Practice); (3) Edward F. Hennessey Scholar; (4) Commencement Speaker to the Faculty
The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (Bachelor of Science degree in Economics; May 1988; graduated cum laude; dual major in Multinational Management and Marketing)
Professional Associations & Memberships
(1) Federal Criminal Bar for the Eastern District of PA
(2) Philadelphia Criminal Justice Section
(3) Pennsylvania Bar Association
(4) Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (PACDL)
(5) National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)
Honors and Awards
Recognized as a Preeminent Lawyer in America by Martindale-Hubbell® in 2010
AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated; Martindale-Hubbell; 2010
AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated; Martindale-Hubbell; 2009
Profiled among "Influential Philadelphia Area Lawyers"; SuperLawyers, Philadelphia Magazine; 2009
Recognized by Peers as “Pennsylvania Super Lawyer” in Criminal Defense; Philadelphia Magazine; Law & Politics Magazine; 2009
AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated; Martindale-Hubbell; 2008
Recognized by Peers as "Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense; Philadelphia Magazine; Law & Politics Magazine; 2008
AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated; Martindale-Hubbell; 2007
AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated; Martindale-Hubbell; 2006
Recognized by Peers as "Pennsylvania Rising Star Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense; Philadelphia Magazine; Law & Politics Magazine; 2006
AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated; Martindale-Hubbell; 2005
Recognized by Peers as "Pennsylvania Rising Star Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense; Philadelphia Magazine; Law & Politics Magazine; 2005
AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated; Martindale-Hubbell; 2004
Spoltlight: Closing Argument in U.S. v. Merlino; Center For Criminal Justice Advocacy; 2003
AV® Preeminent™ 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated; Martindale-Hubbell; 2003
Superb rating (10.0 out of 10) by Avvo.com in 2010
Superb rating (10.0 out of 10) by Avvo.com in 2009
Who's Who In American Law
