Complex Federal Litigation

Multi-Defendant & International Cases

Coordination at scale

Complex federal litigation involves challenges that single-defendant cases never face. Coordinating defense strategy across multiple defendants with potentially conflicting interests. Managing discovery that spans years and terabytes. Navigating international evidence rules, extradition treaties, and multi-jurisdictional investigations.

John Kirby's experience in this area is unique among private defense counsel:

• Co-wrote the 2003 Arellano Felix cartel indictment — one of the most significant federal prosecutions of that era
• Represented former Homeland Security agents in complex federal cases
• Served as counsel for high-ranking Mexican political figures in U.S. federal matters
• Lectured on corruption and money laundering for the Mexican Federal Tax Administration (SAT)

Strategic Defense Management

Structure, patience, precision

Complex cases reward organization and punish disarray. The defense team must process enormous volumes of discovery, identify the government's theory of the case, and build a coherent counter-narrative that holds up across every phase of litigation.

• Discovery management — terabytes of documents, classified materials, foreign-language evidence
• Multi-party coordination — joint defense agreements, conflicting interest waivers, unified motion practice
• Expert development — forensic accounting, data analytics, international law, industry-specific expertise
• Sentencing strategy — cooperation credit, role adjustments, downward departures in complex multi-defendant sentencings

John Kirby began his career at Covington & Burling in Washington D.C., handling high-profile and multimillion-dollar cases. That foundation in complex litigation has informed every case he has handled since.