Georgina
Wakefield

Georgina Wakefield is an accomplished trial lawyer who has represented hundreds of clients in federal court during her decade-plus career.

Georgina joined the firm after serving as the Trial Unit Chief at the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, where, in addition to handling her own trial cases, she oversaw the work of over 30 federal public defenders.

Georgina is experienced in handling a variety of fraud cases, including wire fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, mail fraud, health care fraud and securities fraud, as well as public corruption and bribery offenses, violations of import and export laws, and other regulatory offenses. She has achieved complete acquittals in more than half of the cases she has tried to a jury or judge and secured dismissals in over 50 cases after pre-trial negotiations and/or litigation. She has also prevailed in and argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

At the Federal Public Defender’s Office, Georgina led several district-wide litigation efforts. For example, she oversaw litigation strategy for challenging illegal stops on the I-5 by a specialized LASD unit, resulting in the dismissal of 13 cases. She submitted Public Records Act requests for the unit’s traffic stop data and wrote and filed a motion to dismiss based on selective enforcement and prosecution. The cases received LA Times coverage, and the unit eventually was suspended. Georgina also developed litigation strategy challenging whether the federal Controlled Substances Act and California drug statutes criminalize the same type of conduct. After deftly cross-examining a government expert chemist, a Brady violation was uncovered that resulted in dismissal of several cases across the district.

Prior to joining the Federal Public Defender’s Office, Georgina served as a law clerk to Presiding Justice Norman L. Epstein in the California Court of Appeal for the Second District. As an appellate law clerk, she conducted legal research and helped draft opinions in a variety of civil and criminal appeals.

Outside of her practice, Georgina is actively involved in organizations that are committed to upholding the rule of law and promoting the professional development of attorneys. She is active in several bar associations, including the Judicial Appointments Committee of the Los Angeles County Bar Association. She is frequently invited to speak at national conferences and trainings, particularly on issues related to expert witnesses and testimony.