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David S.
Weinstein

Position
Partner
Office
Miami

David Weinstein is a partner in the Litigation Practice Group and a member of the corporate compliance and white collar defense team. He draws on his prosecutorial experience to help clients avoid, respond to, and defend against law-enforcement investigations and lawsuits.


With more than two decades of experience as a federal and state prosecutor and more than a decade in private practice, David Weinstein advises and represents individuals and companies in a broad range of white collar criminal defense and compliance matters. He understands the priorities of and processes followed by law-enforcement officials, and uses this knowledge to help clients develop, implement, and manage effective compliance programs, conduct internal investigations, determine self-reporting strategies, respond to agency inquiries, and mount a strong defense in jury trials and settlement negotiations.

David began his career in the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office, where he served more than nine years as an assistant state attorney. During this time — and in addition to trying 70 felony jury trials — he served as chief of the Narcotics Section, chief of the Robbery and Career Criminal Section, and deputy chief of the Felony Division.

David spent the next decade at the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, where he served as an assistant US attorney. Among other leadership roles, he was chief of the Public Integrity, National Security and Criminal Civil Rights Section, chief of the Narcotics Section, and deputy chief of the Major Crimes and Narcotics Section. Over the course of his tenure, he tried dozens of jury trials primarily involving multi-defendant, multi-jurisdictional, and international drug conspiracy cases. 

Since returning to private practice in 2009, David has focused on helping clients prevent, avoid, and respond to law enforcement investigations. He has a particular emphasis on the development of strong compliance programs and has experience with the full spectrum of federal and state statutes that regulate business activities in the United States and abroad, including the US False Claims Act and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; matters under the purview of the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), and other financial services regulatory agencies; issues arising out of the conflict between state legalization of medical and recreational cannabis and federal laws classifying marijuana as a controlled substance; and the impact of executive orders issued at the federal and state levels.

In addition to helping clients establish effective compliance programs, David advises on internal investigations and provides ongoing training and regular updates to key executives and personnel on rapidly emerging legal and regulatory issues. He also counsels clients in the context of major transactions, including acquisitions of non-US companies and other foreign business activities. He also focuses on advising clients on how to avoid fraudulent schemes arising out of the COVID-19 pandemic.

When clients are targeted for investigations or lawsuits, David draws on his experience to mount a strong defense at every step. He has successfully represented clients in disputes involving seized assets, dawn raids, allegations of financial fraud and money laundering, and other claims.

David is a sought-after legal analyst and commentator for the media. In addition to authoring numerous articles, he has appeared on international, national, and local news programs on ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, Fox, CNBC, MSNBC, CNN, CTV, BBC World News, SKY News, and other media outlets.

Noteworthy

  • The Best Lawyers in America®, Criminal Defense: White-Collar (listed annually since 2014)
  • Florida Super Lawyers (2013–2016)
  • US Drug Enforcement Administration, Administrator’s Award (2002)
  • Executive Office for United States Attorneys, Director’s Award (1999)

Publications

  • "With Salvadoran Adoption of Bitcoin, Firms Must Navigate Uncharted Waters," Corporate Compliance Insights, December 14, 2021
  • "Fraud, Imposter Scams and Money Mule Schemes Proliferate During COVID-19," Daily Business Review, August 5, 2020
  • "Proactive Counsel in the Era of the Opioid Epidemic," Daily Business Review, August 1, 2019

Presentations

  • The Alex Kennedy Podcast, October 13, 2021
  • "The New Era in the War on Opioids," 2021 Annual Conference of the Florida Medical Group Management Association, June 24, 2021
  • "When the Federal Agents Come Knocking at Your Door," 2021 Annual Conference of the Florida Medical Group Management Association, June 24, 2021
  • "Huddlin’ With The Pros (HWTP)," Sports Talk Radio, Weekly one-hour broadcast
  • "Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement Update: DOJ Continues to Revise its Corporate Enforcement Policy," Miami Finance Forum (MFF) Lunch & Learn, January 16, 2020
  • "FCPA Enforcement Update: What’s Changed and How to Navigate the Rules of the Road," FFTA Lunch & Learn, Miami, Florida, October 23, 2019
  • "Conducting Effective Internal Investigations," Defense Research Institute Cybersecurity and Data Privacy Seminar, Chicago, Illinois, September 6, 2019
  • "What to Do When the Feds Knock on Your Door: Compliance, Response and Prevention," FDCC 14th Annual Corporate Counsel Symposium, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, September 18, 2017
  • "History and Dynamics of Terrorism — Domestic and International," Broward County Crime Commission, Crimes of Hate: The Mental Psychosis Behind Hate Crimes in the United States, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, February 10, 2017
  • "Pulse Nightclub Orlando Attack: A Hate Crime, an Act of Terrorism, or Both?" Broward County Crime Commission, Crimes of Hate: The Mental Psychosis Behind Hate Crimes in the United States, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, February 10, 2017

Memberships

  • Defense Research Institute, Government Enforcement and Corporate Compliance Committee, Chair (2019–present), Vice Chair (2017–2019)
  • Federal Bar Association, South Florida Chapter, Board Member (2013–present), President (2018–2019)
black and white headshot of David S. Weinstein
Miami
201 S Biscayne Blvd
Citi Center, Suite 3000
Miami, FL 33131-4341
D: 305.679.5754
F: 305.679.5838
Emaildweinstein@joneswalker.com

Education

  • University of Miami School of Law
    JD, 1987
  • Binghamton University
    BA, 1984

Bar Admissions

  • Florida

Court Admissions

  • US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
  • US District Court for the Middle District of Florida
  • US District Court for the Northern District of Florida
  • US District Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
  • US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan
  • US District Court for the District of Nebraska

Related Practices

  • Corporate Compliance & White Collar Defense
  • Litigation
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