Defense of Public Officials and Public Figures

The nature of democracy and our 24 hour media culture places public officials, figures and celebrities constantly in the public's eye. When allegations of public or political corruption surface, a reputation can quickly be destroyed. If not handled effectively, so can the official's career. At the law office of Gillen, Withers & Lake, LLC, our attorneys provide knowledgeable, confidential advice and experienced representation to political and public officials and employees, and high profile public figures, facing criminal investigations and charges. Our attorneys are skilled at not only handling the allegations, but in effectively handling the intense public and media attention in such cases.  We understand the impact negative publicity charges can have on a client’s image and will do our best to protect that interest.

Our attorneys have successfully defended clients accused of public corruption offenses. In U.S. v. B.D. (Southern District of Georgia, 2003), Mr. Withers’ client, a former government employee, was found not guilty of bid rigging charges following a two-and-a-half week trial.  Mr. Gillen obtained a not guilty verdict for a Federal agent in U.S. v. L.M. (Northern District of Georgia 1996) and won the dismissal of all charges against a State legislator in State of Georgia v. V.S. (Fulton County, Georgia 2002).

Gillen Withers & Lake, LLC's experience and skill in handling proceedings involving public officials and figures stems from the experience of Mr. Gillen and Mr. Withers as Federal prosecutors. Mr. Gillen prosecuted former Congressman Pat Swindall and Mr. Withers has prosecuted a former Congressman for bank fraud. This inside experience into corruption cases gives our firm insight into how the prosecution handles such high profile cases. We put this experience to effective use in our defense of public officials and public figures.