Ilana Haramati

Partner
P: (646) 860-3130
Practice Area: Criminal Defense & Government Investigations

Ilana Haramati represents individuals and companies in high-stakes criminal matters and regulatory proceedings.

Ilana is an experienced White Collar attorney, known for her aggressive advocacy and strategic defense.  Ilana routinely obtains favorable results on behalf of her clients in a wide range of criminal matters and investigations, including securities matters, insider trading, bank fraud, wire fraud, healthcare fraud, tax fraud, mortgage fraud, bribery, and money laundering.

Ilana also maintains an active pro bono practice, representing indigent defendants facing criminal charges in federal court through her appointment to the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the Eastern District of New York.

Education

J.D., New York University School of Law

B.A., Summa Cum Laude, New York University

 

Admissions

New York

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

Israel

Prior Experience

Prior to joining MSF, Ilana practiced at a large international law firm, focusing on criminal defense and appeals.  Previously, Ilana served as a judicial law clerk to the Honorable Eric L. Clay of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

Representative Matters

Ilana’s representative matters include:

Healthcare Fraud Defense:

  • Ilana has successfully defended healthcare professionals, including medical doctors and pharmacists with busy healthcare practices serving hundreds or thousands of patients, against charges of multi-million dollars of federal healthcare fraud.
  • In one recent representative matter, Ilana and the MSF team defended a doctor charged with ten counts of federal healthcare fraud and related criminal allegations, who faced a decades-long prison sentence. Following substantial litigation and negotiation with prosecutors, the most serious healthcare fraud charges were ultimately dropped. The prosecutors also sought approximately $7 million in criminal forfeiture from the doctor.  The United States District Court in Manhattan ruled in favor of the defense after evidentiary hearings and extensive litigation, in a pathbreaking decision holding that the government failed to prove any forfeiture, and declining to order any monetary forfeiture penalty from the medical doctor.
  • In another recent matter, Ilana represented a pharmacist with a busy practice facing a U.S. Department of Justice related to allegations of improper kickbacks. Based on Ilana’s advocacy, the federal government closed the investigation without bringing criminal or civil charges.

Federal Bank Fraud Defense:

  • Ilana has successfully defended clients against federal bank fraud charges involving multi-million-dollar businesses in areas as disparate as staffing agencies, technology, and commodities export.
  • Ilana has secured acquittals at trial on bank fraud and bank fraud conspiracy charges, in federal court.
  • In one recent representative, matter Ilana represented the founder of a successful human resources firm acquired by a private equity fund that raised charges of fraud years after the acquisition.

Money Laundering Defense:

  • Ilana has represented clients facing decades in federal prison for money laundering charges. Our clients included the owner of a multi-million dollar New York-based construction business, a general contractor with contracts to build and upgrade some of New York City’s recent high-profile construction projections, and entrepreneurs who started successful small startup businesses.
  • Ilana has secured acquittals at trial on money laundering conspiracy charges.
  • In one recent representative matter, Ilana obtained probationary sentences for clients facing years in prison for federal money laundering charges.

Public Corruption Defense:

  • Ilana has successfully represented public officials, and union officers in criminal investigations and prosecutions.
  • In one recent representative matter, Ilana obtained a probationary sentence for a union official indicted in federal court on charges of bribery, who faced years of federal prison.

Federal Criminal Tax Defense:

  • Ilana has represented owners of construction businesses, contractors, and developers who were investigated for violations of payroll tax fraud and evasion.
  • In one recent representative matter, Ilana and the MSF team recently defended an elected public official charged with significant tax evasion based on allegations of intentionally inflated deductions on federal and state tax returns, and obtained a favorable plea settlement resulting in only a misdemeanor offense and limited criminal forfeiture.

Securities Fraud and Insider Trading Defense:

  • Ilana has successfully represented employees of public companies, and executive officers of public companies, on federal felony charges of insider trading and other federal securities law violations.
  • Ilana’s representations included defending charges at jury trials; litigating administrative and federal court proceedings brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”); and responding to confidential investigations by multiple United States Attorney’s Offices.
Knowledge Library
  • Overview
  • Education & Admissions
  • Prior Experience
  • Representative Matters
  • Knowledge Library