July 2008
Robert J. Spagnoletti was sworn in as the 37th president of the D.C. Bar at its Annual Business Meeting and Awards Dinner on June 26 at the Hyatt Regency Washington on Capitol Hill.

Read the article: D.C. Bar Inaugurates Spagnoletti, Bestows Honors at Annual Dinner

View photos: D.C. Bar Inauguration

May 2008
Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. is the 2008 recipient of the prestigious Syracuse University Chancellor’s Citation for Law, which is awarded to an African American or Latino alumni under the age of 40 in recognition of their career and civic achievements.

April 2008
After a seven-week jury trial in federal court in Washington, D.C., David Schertler, Habib Ilahi and Jasmin Mize obtained a complete acquittal for their client, a former executive of PurchasePro.com, with respect to charges of violations of the securities laws brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This civil trial was related to earlier criminal charges brought against the same client by the Department of Justice, all of which were dismissed.

March 2008
David Schertler has been named by Super Lawyers magazine as one of the top attorneys in Washington, DC for 2008. Only five percent of the lawyers in the Washington, D.C. area are named by Super Lawyers.

February 2008
Raleigh, North Carolina: After a month-long jury trial in the Eastern District of North Carolina, David Schertler, Habib Ilahi and Claire Clark were successful in obtaining a complete acquittal on all 15 counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and fraud charges brought against a Washington, D.C. securities lawyer, who, if convicted, faced over 20 years under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. Two other codefendants were convicted in the case and the Government had secured guilty pleas from three other codefendants, who cooperated with the Government at trial.

January 2008
Vincent H. Cohen, Jr., Robert Spagnoletti and Habib Ilahi successfully defended an entity affiliated with a leading business development company (BDC) in the U.S. that invests private debt and equity capital in middle market businesses nationwide, by securing a dismissal of all claims in an action filed under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia

December 2007
Vincent H. Cohen, Jr. and Claire Morris Clark were victorious in protecting a family’s substantial inheritance against a claim made in Arlington County, Virginia, by an alleged ‘long lost’ sibling for a portion of the decedent’s estate. After a comprehensive cross examination of the plaintiff and his witnesses, the Honorable Judge Benjamin Kendrick summarily granted counsel’s motion to dismiss the case in full.

December 2007
Out of an estimated 80,000 lawyers around the DC area, Washingtonian magazine names David Schertler one of the top 30 lawyers in Washington.

Read the article: Big Guns: Washington's Top 30 Lawyers

December 2007
Danny Onorato recognized as one of the top one percent of criminal defense lawyers in Washington by Washingtonian magazine.

Read the article: Big Guns: Washington's Top 800 Lawyers

December 2007
Danny Onorato and Veronica Jennings obtained an acquittal for client charged in Federal Theft case in Maryland.

September 2007
David Schertler named by the Washington Post as one of the Washington D.C. area's best lawyers in both non-white collar and white collar criminal defense.

August 2007
Washington, D.C.: After a two-week jury trial, David Schertler won the acquittal of a Washington, D.C. Homicide Detective charged with witness tampering and obstruction of justice in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia before the Honorable Colleen Kollar-Kotelly.

July 2007
Michael Starr obtains dismissal of all charges in firearms case following mistrial.

June 2007
Partner David Schertler and Schertler & Onorato listed in Washington Post Business section as one of THE white collar defense lawyers businesses call when targeted by government investigations.

June 2007
Chambers and Partners, a recognized publisher in the legal profession, annually ranks firms and attorneys considered leaders in their field. Chambers recently released its 2007 rankings:

Schertler & Onorato ranked #2 amongst all DC firms practicing White Collar Crime and Government Investigations Litigation.

Chambers also individually awarded Partner David Schertler a #3 ranking for attorneys practicing White Collar Crime and Government Investigations Litigation in Washington DC. Of Schertler, Chambers states:

David Schertler is a star in the white-collar crime arena. Sources point out that he 'maintains excellent relations with adversaries and colleagues, and is smart and reasonable.

June 2007
David Schertler nominated to the American College of Trial Lawyers. Schertler to be officially inducted in October 2007.

June 2007
Danny Onorato and David Schertler obtain probationary sentence for construction executive in high profile public corruption case.

June 2007
Bob Spagnoletti elected President-Elect of the DC Bar

June 2007
Danny Onorato obtains acquittal of correctional officer charged with assault.

May 2007
Michael Starr named 2007 faculty member at Harvard Law School Trial Advocacy Workshop.

May 2007
Mark Schamel and Peter Taylor successfully appeal client's assault conviction leading to dismissal of all charges.

April 2007
Mark Schamel persuades court to vacate client's fraud conviction leading to dismissal of all charges.

April 2007
Michael Starr obtains acquittal of teacher accused of sexual abuse.

March 2007
Robert J. Spagnoletti nominated as a candidate for President of the District of Columbia Bar.

March 2007
David Schertler, Danny Onorato, and Habib Ilahi secure a dismissal of all criminal counts against their client in high-profile securities fraud prosecution in the Eastern District of Virginia.

February 2007
Danny Onorato and Michael Starr obtain dismissal of felony weapons charges for client accused of carrying a firearm at an airport.

February 2007
Danny Onorato obtains dismissal of federal criminal case in Eastern District of Virginia.

January 2007
Alexandria, Va.: After a jury trial in the Alexandria City Circuit Court, David Schertler obtains complete acquittal of client wrongly accused of committing fraud against the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

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