January 13, 2022
Good Morning Britain – Rachel Fiset reacts to developments in Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse case
January 13, 2022 – Good Morning Britain
Rachel Fiset discusses Prince Andrew’s sexual abuse lawsuit after a judge in New York rejected his efforts to dismiss the case brought by Virginia Giuffre. Prince Andrew’s legal team had argued that Giuffre’s 2009 settlement with Epstein protected the duke from her lawsuit.
January 5, 2022
Good Morning Britain – Rachel Fiset on Prince Andrew’s request for sexual assault case dismissal
January 5, 2011 – Good Morning Britian
Criminal defense attorney, Rachel Fiset, discusses Prince Andrew’s lawyers request to dismiss civil sexual assault case after settlement with Epstein is released.
January 3, 2022
Fox News – Rachel Fiset says Alec Baldwin’s interview following ‘Rust’ shooting ‘was a mistake,’ legal experts say: It ‘may backfire’
12/3/2021 – Fox News
Legal experts believe Alec Baldwin should have given his televised interview a second thought before speaking out.
On Thursday night, the actor gave his first sit-down since the Oct. 21 shooting on the set of the Western film “Rust.” The 63-year-old told ABC’s George Stephanopoulos that he did not pull the trigger on a prop gun he was holding on a New Mexico film set when it went off, killing cinematographer Halyna Hutchins.
Authorities have said Baldwin was told the gun was safe to handle but continue to investigate how a live round ended up in the weapon.
Rachel Fiset, the managing partner of Los Angeles-based Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman, told Fox News that while Baldwin felt it was necessary to speak out following the tragedy in a public format, his comments about the active investigation could potentially be used against him
“Alec Baldwin is clearly devastated by the tragic accidental killing of Ms. Hutchins,” she said. “He likely feels compelled to speak publicly as a result, and he is sympathetic at times as it relates to the trauma he is experiencing. He is trying to direct the narrative in a way that shifts blame for this tragedy away from him. [However], it is never a good idea to speak publicly during an active investigation and this case is no different.”
“Any statements made on television during an investigation could result in unintended admissions that could be used against him later at trial or could prejudice the prosecutor against him,” Fiset pointed out. “If statements relating to facts turn out to be disproved, it will hurt his credibility with law enforcement or at trial. His admissions that someone is to be blamed – but not him – could also potentially be used against him later in either a civil or criminal case if it is determined that he had some responsibility for set safety as a major producer of the film.”
During the interview, Baldwin said, “I didn’t pull the trigger. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never.”
At one point, Baldwin broke down in tears as he described Hutchins, 42. Director Joel Souza was also wounded.
In response to a question about how a live round ended up on the set, the star replied, “I have no idea. Someone put a live bullet in a gun, a bullet that wasn’t even supposed to be on the property.”
Former assistant U.S. attorney Neama Rahmani, president and co-founder of Los Angeles-based West Coast Trial Lawyers, called the interview “a mistake.”
“Baldwin says he didn’t pull the trigger, but that doesn’t absolve him from civil and potential criminal liability,” he explained. “Baldwin’s finger should have been nowhere near the hammer or the trigger, even if we are to believe the gun misfired. Nor should Baldwin ever point a firearm at another human being, even if cinematographer Halyna Hutchins told him to and he believed it wasn’t loaded or had blanks.”
“From a legal perspective, Baldwin’s interview was a mistake,” he shared. “His statements can and will be used against him in the civil lawsuits and any potential criminal prosecution. And Baldwin’s attorneys can’t use the interview to help him because his answers are hearsay. At best, the interview was a calculated public relations move that may backfire.”
Investigators have described “some complacency” in how weapons were handled on the “Rust” set. They have said it is too soon to determine whether charges will be filed, amid independent civil lawsuits concerning liability in the fatal shooting.
Los Angeles personal injury attorney Miguel Custodio, the co-founder of Custodio and Dubey LLP, wondered if Baldwin’s interview meant that new updates from the investigation will be announced soon and Baldwin’s team is looking to get ahead.
“Alec Baldwin has made a super risky move by agreeing to this interview, especially because he’s taking an absolute position on how the gun was fired,” he said. “The legal strategy behind this high-profile broadcast was likely done with a lot of thought, including what the potential ramifications could be and how this starts to frame the debate… the timing of this interview leads me to believe we’re going to hear some results of the investigation soon, and they want to get ahead of it – but not too far ahead of it that empathy for Baldwin starts to dissolve.”
Los Angeles criminal appeals attorney Matthew Barhoma agreed, stating that Baldwin is “saving face” and “fighting for his career.”
“Whoever comes out first with the narrative can control the narrative the most and here you see Baldwin really trying to distance himself from blame,” he said. “… He says that somebody will face the consequences in civil court and he’s absolutely right about that. He is going to be jointly and severally liable and it might be him to pay the price. In other words, if it’s determined Baldwin is less liable than other defendants, but he’s in a position to pay the judgment and the others aren’t, Baldwin could be on the hook for just about the whole amount. It will also depend on how much the production’s insurance policy will cover.”
Despite Baldwin facing backlash on social media following the sit-down, veteran Los Angeles criminal defense attorney Lara Yeretsian, who has represented Michael Jackson and Scott Peterson among other clients, said the actor came across as “very genuine, honest and natural.”
“He did not seem to hold back or to be hiding anything,” she pointed out. “He answered the tough questions, including the toughest question of why he didn’t check the gun. He has done several things in this interview that I thought really helped him. He had solid answers and reasonable explanations on tough questions, he spoke extremely highly of the deceased, Halyna Hutchins, he was appropriately emotional without overdoing it and he was earnest in his desire that law enforcement finds out how the live bullet made it on the set.”
Hutchins, who has been described as a gifted filmmaker among her peers, is survived by her husband and their son.
You can read the entire Fox News article at https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/alec-baldwin-interview-rust-shooting-mistake-legal-experts
December 2, 2021
NewsNation Prime – Rachel Fiset cautions against speaking publicly during an active investigation
December 2, 2021 – NewsNation Prime
Alec Baldwin said he feels incredible sadness and regret over the shooting that killed a cinematographer on a New Mexico film set, but not guilt.
“Someone is responsible for what happened, and I can’t say who that is, but it’s not me,” Baldwin said in an ABC interview with George Stephanopoulos that aired Thursday night, the first time the actor has spoken in depth on screen about the Oct. 21 shooting on the set of the western “Rust.” “Honest to God, if I felt I was responsible, I might have killed myself.”
Baldwin said it is essential for investigators to find out who put the bullet in the gun he fired, which was supposed to be empty, that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza.
“There’s only one question to be resolved, and that’s where did the live round come from?” Baldwin said.
Baldwin said in a clip from the interview released a day earlier that “I didn’t pull the trigger. I would never point a gun at anyone and pull the trigger at them. Never.”
He said it was Hutchins herself who asked him to point the gun just off camera and toward her armpit before it went off.
Baldwin said at Hutchins’ direction, he pulled the hammer back.
“I let go of the hammer and ‘bang,’ the gun goes off,” he said.
…
Rachel Fiset says, “I think that Alex Baldwin is clearly devastated by the event that’s happened… When you are in an active criminal investigation… your words can absolutely come back to bite you!”
Watch the entire clip at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vep0vVlU7N8
November 28, 2021
Forbes – Rachel Fiset on why employees don’t trust HR staff and what can be done about it
November 28, 2021 –
Some crisis situations burst on the scene and are in plain view for the world to see. Others can simmer for months or years out of sight, out of mind and under the radar of corporate executives.
The lack of trust that employees have in their company’s HR staff is an example of a simmering internal crisis that can boil over and scald the image, reputation and credibility of organizations and their leaders.
‘A Natural Distrust’
Rachel Fiset is the managing partner of law firm Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman. She said, ‘’Employees have traditionally had a natural distrust for human resources because the department generally prioritizes the company over the employee.
‘’Human resources will often field complaints by employees — but the actual response to the complaints may look like the company is only working to ensure its own legal compliance in a given situation and not to improve the employee’s working conditions,’’ she noted.
Read or listen to the entire article here: https://www.forbes.com/sites/edwardsegal/2021/11/28/why-employees-dont-trust-hr-staff-and-what-can-be-done-about-it/?sh=145f48bc179f
November 24, 2021
How Will Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner’s Brands be impacted by Astroworld tragedy? Experts weigh in.
Kylie Jenner returned to social media for the first time since she was criticized for her handling of the Astroworld tragedy while partner Travis Scott remains out of the public eye. It has been less than three weeks since the rapper performed during the deadly concert that killed 10 people and injured hundreds of others.
Scott, 30, has been named in multiple lawsuits totaling more than $3 billion dollars and they continue to pile up. But what exactly is the rapper on the hook for? One legal expert says the case will “come down to what he knew regarding safety issues, when he knew the issues and what he did about them.”
“If Scott actively disregarded known risks to his concertgoers either before the show or during it, he could be on the hook for negligence, at the least, and the millions of dollars in damages that could result from the suits,” attorney Rachel Fiset, managing partner of Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman, tells Yahoo Entertainment. “Incidents at Scott’s prior concerts will be a factor in plaintiffs’ claims that Travis Scott should have done more to alleviate the risks at his show, but the investigations into what happened to cause the horrific tragedy at Astroworld is still ongoing and Scott’s knowledge appears to be yet unknown.”
Read the entire article here.
November 24, 2021
CBS Los Angeles – Rachel Fiset Breaks Down The Verdicts In Trial Against Men Convicted Of Killing Ahmaud Arbery
November 24, 2021 – CBS Los Angeles
Pat Harvey and Jeff Vaughn speak with Criminal Defense Attorney Rachel Fiset about the specific list of charges against the men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery. Watch the entire interview at CBS Los Angeles
November 19, 2021
Spectrum News – Rachel Fiset on Jury Deliberation in Rittenhouse Trial
November 19, 2021
Rachel Fiset on Spectrum News discussing Rittenhouse trial hours before he was found not-guilty. Watch the news clip here.
November 19, 2021
Spectrum News – Rachel Fiset comments on Rittenhouse verdict
November 19, 2021 – Spectrum News
Rachel Fiset discusses Rittenhouse verdict. Watch the segment at https://youtu.be/DoSYHhCNzi4.
November 19, 2021
BBC News – Rachel Fiset on the Rittenhouse verdict
November 19, 2021 – BBC News
Rachel Fiset reacts to the acquittal of Kyle Rittenhouse.
November 13, 2021
Spectrum News – Rachel Fiset on “Rust” Lawsuits
November 13, 2021 – Spectrum News
Rachel Fiset on Spectrum news discussing lawsuits filed in connection with shooting on “Rust” production. Watch the interview here.
November 13, 2021
Bloomberg Law – Rachel Fiset discusses Possible Criminal Charges in Deadly Houston Concert
Rachel Fiset, managing partner of Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman, discusses the potential criminal and civil legal actions from the deadly Travis Scott concert. Listen to the interview here
November 12, 2021
Court TV Live- Rachel Fiset discusses the trial of Ahmaud Arbery
November 12, 2021 – Court TV Live
Rachel Fiset comments as the State of Georgia lays out its case against the three men accused of killing Ahmaud Arbery. Watch the story here.
November 9, 2021
Reuters – Rachel Fiset discusses mounting lawsuits after deadly crush at Travis Scott concert
Lawsuits mount after deadly crush at Travis Scott concert
November 9, 2011 – Reuters
Partner, Rachel Fiset, and Houston litigators discuss where liability may fall in the aftermath of Friday’s tragedy at Scott’s Astroworld Festival, where 8 people died and hundreds more were injured. Watch the interview here.
November 9, 2021
Fox Business – Rachel Fiset discusses Potential Liability and Financial Implications in the Travis Scott Concert Deaths
Travis Scott’s Astroworld: Experts talk potential financial implications for rapper, Live Nation
November 8, 2021 – Fox Business
At the Houston, Texas performance, eight people died in what authorities are calling a “mass casualty incident,” which saw more injured after a crowd surge while Scott was on stage. Scott has been forward about his intention to pay for funeral costs for those who died, but questions remain about what other financial liabilities he could face, as well as event promoter Live Nation.
“The venue could absolutely be on the hook for the most money if what is shown is negligence in securing and managing the venue without other willful or major contributing factors,” Rachel Fiset, managing partner of Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman who is not involved in the case, told FOX Business. “A lot will depend on the police investigation and what facts come out regarding any type of intentional acts by Scott, or anyone else.”
She added that if it’s found that Scott was acting “intentionally” to prompt the surge or if he’s found to have “committed a felony relating to security breaches and encouraging the crowd,” he would likely be the most responsible party under Texas law.
Read more at: https://www.foxbusiness.com/lifestyle/travis-scott-astroword-experts-financial-implications-live-nation
November 5, 2021
Yahoo News – Rachel Fiset comments on Alec Baldwin’s Video
November 5, 2021 – Yahoo News
“‘Rust’ Shooting: Alec Baldwin is ‘hurting himself in unimaginable ways,’ says crisis PR expert”
It’s been two weeks since Halyna Hutchins was killed on the set of Rust, and there are still questions about how such a tragedy occurred. Alec Baldwin, star and producer of the Western indie film, fired a gun during rehearsal that contained a live round. The actor initially issued a statement saying that he had “no words to convey my shock and sadness” about the accident. Baldwin’s remarks about the tragedy have been sparse, but telling, since Oct. 21, the day of the events.
According to crisis and PR expert Eric Schiffer, Baldwin “broke the essential rules of managing a crisis: don’t do any further damage.”
…One legal expert agrees that Baldwin is not helping himself by “trying to control the narrative of this case.”
“While it is very difficult to sit back while involved in an active investigation, he would be best served to stop speaking directly about it and stop reposting,” says white collar criminal defense attorney Rachel Fiset, managing partner of LA-based law firm Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman. “It does not help his case and it makes any helpful message he reposts look biased towards him or planned, which makes potentially helpful information less credible to law enforcement.”
Read the entire article here.
November 1, 2021
CBS Mornings – Rachel Fiset reacts to Alec Baldwin’s comments on death of Halyna Hutchins
November 1, 2021 – CBS Mornings
Rachel Fiset reacts to Alec Baldwin’s on-camera appearance where he speaks for the first time on the deadly shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, calling it a “one-in-a-trillion” event. He said he is in close contact with her husband and nine-year-old son.
October 28, 2021
BBC World News – Rachel Fiset discusses potential for criminal charges against Alec Baldwin
October 27, 2021 – Rachel Fiset weighs in on the potential for criminal charges against Alec Baldwin. “I don’t think Alec Baldwin will have charges brought against him in his capacity as the shooter. I think there are no facts to suggest that he had any intent to kill Ms. Hutchins, or that he thought the gun was loaded in any way. What could happen, which could implicate Alec Baldwin, is that it be shown that there were so many safety protocols breached on the set… that it rises to the level of criminal negligence. Watch the BBC World News story here.
October 27, 2021
Newsy – Rachel Fiset discusses the investigation of the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins
October 27, 2021 – Rachel Fiset talks with Newsy regarding the investigation of the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins. Watch the entire story here.
October 27, 2021
CNN Newsroom – Rachel Fiset discusses potential criminal charges for the fatal shooting on the set of “Rust”
October 27, 2021 – CNN Newsroom
The Santa Fe County district attorney said on Tuesday that she was not ruling out criminal charges in last week’s fatal shooting on a film set. Rachel Fiset weighs in on the D.A.’s statement and potential for criminal charges. Watch the entire story here.
October 27, 2021
NewsNation Prime – Rachel Fiset on Possible Criminal Charges in Deadly ‘Rust’ Movie Shooting
October 27, 2021- News Nation Prime
Investigators said Wednesday that there was “some complacency” in how weapons were handled on the movie set where Alec Baldwin accidentally shot and killed a cinematographer and wounded another person, but it’s too soon to determine whether charges will be filed.
Rachel Fiset joins NewsNation Prime to discuss what charges could be filed.
October 26, 2021
Good Morning Britain – Rachel Fiset discusses Prince Andrew’s sexual assualt lawsuit
October 26, 2021 – Good Morning Britian
A U.S. district judge on Monday ruled that Prince Andrew, Duke of York, must make himself available for questioning by July 14, 2022 in a civil lawsuit brought against him by an alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein. Rachel Fiset, managing partner of Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman, discusses what this means for the Prince. Watch the story here.
October 26, 2021
Fox News – Rachel Fiset weighs in on charges Alec Baldwin and ‘Rust’ crew members could face over accidental shooting
October 26, 2021 – Fox News
The death of Halyna Hutchins on the set of “Rust” may have been an accident, but it’s possible those involved with the incident could still face civil or legal ramifications.
Following the release of a search warrant executed by the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office, detectives uncovered that there were three key people who handled the firearm that eventually went off and resulted in the death of Hutchins.
Armorer Hanna Gutierrez Reed placed the prop gun outside of the church set location on a cart with other prop guns due to coronavirus restrictions. The next person to handle it was assistant director Dave Halls, who handed it off to Baldwin, announcing that it was a “cold gun,” a term used to indicate to those on-set that the firearm was not loaded and therefore safe to handle.
“It seems unlikely from what we know that Alec Baldwin either intentionally or recklessly fired a gun thinking he could kill another person,” said white-collar criminal defense attorney Rachel Fiset in a statement to Fox News. “The facts coming out thus far may suggest, however, that there was a lack of adherence to safety protocols on the set and that Ms. Hutchins’ death was caused ‘without due caution and circumspection’ under the New Mexico Penal Code.”
Read the entire Fox News article here.
October 26, 2021
NewsNation Prime – Rachel Fiset on the Potential Legal Fallout for Halyna Hutchins’ Death
October 25, 2021 – NewsNation Now
What kind of charges could come from the tragic death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins? Rachel Fiset, managing partner at Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman LLP, analyzes the facts we have so far, and whether Alec Baldwin could face charges. Watch the entire NewsNation clip here.
October 26, 2021
October 25, 2021
New York Post – Rachel Fiset discusses Alec Baldwin’s Possible Liability in the Tragic on-set Shooting of Halyna Hutchins
October 23, 2021 – “The facts have yet to come out but as to potential criminal charges, they will look to his possible negligence,” Rachel Fiset, a criminal lawyer with the LA firm of Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman, told The Post. “His problems don’t lie in what he did as an actor. It will certainly come out that he thought he was firing a blank. The real issue is his role as a producer and the safety protocols — or lack thereof — on the set. If real negligence is proven, that could result in criminal charges.” You can read the entire article here.
October 25, 2021
USA Today – Rachel Fiset on the Potential Criminal and Civil Liabilities for Alec Baldwin and the Producers of “Rust”
October 23, 2021 – Tragedy struck the film set of “Rust” last week when star Alec Baldwin discharged a prop gun in an accident that left the movie’s cinematographer dead and the director injured. Rachel Fiset discusses this tragic event and the potential criminal and civil legal ramifications. You can read the USAToday article here.
October 23, 2021
Court TV – Rachel Fiset discusses the Brian Laundrie investigation and Robert Durst
October 23, 2021 – Court TV
Rachel Fiset discusses the latest developments in the Brian Laundrie investigation and the new charges against Robert Durst.
October 13, 2021
Trial of Theranos’ Elizabeth Holmes Represents Silicon Valley Gone Wrong – Rachel Fiset Talks with Spectrum News
October 13, 2010 – The much-anticipated trial of Elizabeth Holmes, the founder of blood-testing startup Theranos, began last month. Charged with 12 counts of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud, Elizabeth could face 20 years in prison. Rachel Fiset discusses the significance of this high-profile white-collar case and the potential fallout for Silicon Valley. Click here to watch the full interview.
October 6, 2021
Managing Partner, Rachel Fiset, presenting at the 2021 NAMWOLF Conference
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October 4, 2021
Reuters – Rachel Fiset Discusses Clint Eastwood’s $6.1M Default Judgment
October 4, 2021 – A U.S. district judge’s $6.1 million default judgment in a lawsuit brought by Clint Eastwood against a CBD company is being heralded as a sign that U.S. courts will uphold the rights of celebrities when their images and likenesses are used without authorization to sell products online. Managing Partner, Rachel Fiset, weighs in on why celebs like Client Eastwood fiercely protect their names, image, and likeness. Watch the entire Reuters interview here.
October 4, 2021
Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman Welcomes Yao Mou
October 4, 2021 – Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman LLP is pleased to announce that Yao Mou has joined their litigation team. Yao’s practice focuses on complex commercial litigation, including intellectual property disputes and anti-trust litigation. Yao has successfully defended a variety of national and multinational companies in trade secrets litigation, antitrust investigations, and trademark and patent disputes before the state and federal courts as well as China’s State Administration for Market Regulation. She also specializes in cross-border regulatory and business disputes with particular expertise in Chinese disputes.
Prior to joining ZFC, Yao was an associate at Crowell & Moring and externed for the Honorable Otis D. Wright II, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. Yao also interned at the antitrust section of the California Attorney General’s Office and the consumer protection section of the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office. At Loyola Law School, Yao was an editor of the Loyola Law Review, and was actively involved in the moot court program where she won the Best Brief Award in the Scott Moot Court Competition and represented Loyola Law School at the ABA’s National Moot Court Competition.
You can read more about Yao Mou at Here
August 19, 2021
“Congress Proposes New Additions to Ease Burden of Overworked Federal Judges”, Southern California Record, August 18, 2021
When Michael Zweiback worked as a prosecutor in the Central District of California, he noticed federal judges worked long hours and juggled an extremely large amount of cases.
“The working conditions of a federal judge are not great,” Zweiback told the Southern California Record. “They’re underpaid when compared to state judges and it’s a very high-pressure job.”
In fact, the number of weighted filings per judgeship for the Central District of California spiked to 691, which is an increase of 10% from 627 a year ago, according to the Central District’s annual report of caseload statistics. That’s compared to the national average of 535 weighted filings per judgeship.
“California’s caseloads, just like everywhere else in the country, have been crushingly high from the immigration cases that are pushed as a priority on the criminal side to the more complicated class action cases that you see filed in California all the time,” Zweiback said. “The complexity of the cases have gone up too and the judges in all of the districts in California certainly need some form of relief.”
The need for relief is being addressed by both the House and the Senate.
Last week, U.S. Senate Democrats introduced a bill that, if approved, would add 77 new district court seats while the House introduced a bill to add 203 new judges, according to media reports.
“The 203 number doesn’t bother me overall because when you spread that over 94 judicial districts, it’s really not a large increase with respect to the overall number of judges that we have in the federal judiciary,” Zweiback said.
Although federal judges enjoy the prestige of being appointed by the U.S. President and confirmed by the Senate, the number who commit to a 20-to-40 year career on the bench has diminished as the gulf between salary and resources widens, according to Zweiback.
“When judges look at the fact that they could go out into the private sector and work as arbitrators or mediators and make two or three times what they earn in the public sector, it becomes a much more difficult decision to remain in government service,” said Zweiback, a former assistant U.S. Attorney who served in Santa Ana, Riverside, and Los Angeles federal courts.
August 19, 2021
The Best Lawyers in America© 2022
Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman is proud to announce that Partner, Michael Zweiback, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2022 in the field of Criminal Defense: White Collar. Michael Zweiback has been recognized for his excellent work since 2016. Learn more about Michael Zweiback here and here.
About Best Lawyers©
Best Lawyers in the oldest and most respected peer review publication in the legal profession. Their lists of outstanding lawyers are compiled by conducting exhaustive peer review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. If the votes for a lawyer are positive enough for recognition in Best Lawyers, that lawyer must maintain those votes in subsequent polls to remain in each edition. Lawyers are not permitted to pay any fee to participate in or be recognized by Best Lawyers. Learn more on the Best Lawyers website here.
June 11, 2021
“Fighting Insider Abuse After Van Buren,” Lawfare, June 11, 2021
“Fighting Insider Abuse After Van Buren,” Lawfare, June 11, 2021
The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Van Buren v. United States on June 3 was a significant victory for civil liberties groups, researchers, the defense bar and others troubled by the broad reading of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) urged by the government. Writing for the majority, Justice Amy Coney Barrett correctly, in our view, struck down the “broad” view of the CFAA in a 6-3 vote. The majority rejected the government’s expansive interpretation of the statute that would have empowered private companies, simply by the way they drafted employee policies or terms of service, to criminalize “a breathtaking amount of commonplace computer activity.” The Van Buren decision established that, going forward, to violate the CFAA, a user must access data from part of a device or network to which the user is not permitted access. This is a far steeper bar than the government’s preferred reading of the CFAA, which would have criminalized “misuse” of data—to which the user had authorized access—under policies dictated by the data owner…
April 27, 2021
Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman Welcomes Seasoned Litigator, Dawn Utsumi
April 29, 2021 – Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman is pleased to announce that Dawn Utsumi has joined their litigation team. Dawn Utsumi has successfully prosecuted and defended high-stakes business disputes across a variety of areas, including business torts, contracts, class actions, securities fraud, trade secrets, insurance, government investigations, and employment matters. Dawn consistently achieves successful outcomes for her clients both before and at trial and has extensive experience in all stages of litigation. Dawn was a key member of a trial team that successfully litigated a four-week federal jury trial in Minnesota in an RMBS-related action, resulting in a $27.8 million verdict for the client. This trial was one of dozens of separate actions that resulted in recoveries of over $1 billion for the Trust. She has also represented various individuals and entities—including a national financial services company, and a luxury hotel chain—in connection with DOJ investigations. Recently, Dawn achieved early dismissal of a class action suit filed in the Northern District of Illinois alleging consumer protection violations. Her national practice includes litigation at the trial and appellate level in both federal and state courts as well as arbitration.
Prior to joining ZFC, Dawn was an associate at Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan and clerked for the Honorable Philip S. Gutierrez of the Central District of California.
April 26, 2021
Rachel Fiset Named Among the 2021 Women of Influence- Attorneys by Los Angeles Business Journal
April 26, 2021 — Ms. Fiset, co-founder and managing partner of Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman LLP, is a top litigator representing clients in complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense and government investigations.
Ms. Fiset has been named among the “Women of Influence- Attorneys” of 2021 by the Los Angeles Business Journal. The “Women of Influence- Attorneys” special issue recognizes LA’s top women attorneys. These attorneys were chosen for their exceptional legal skill and achievement across the full spectrum of responsibility, exemplary leadership as evidenced by the highest professional and ethical standards, and for their contributions to the Los Angeles community at large.
This is the second year Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman has been recognized by Los Angeles Business Journal, having been named “Top Boutique Firm” in 2019.
Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman congratulates Rachel Fiset and all of this year’s honorees on being recognized for exemplifying the highest professional and ethical standards throughout their practice.
Read the Women of Influence- Attorneys supplement
August 20, 2020
The Best Lawyers in America© 2021
Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman is proud to announce that Partner, Michael Zweiback, was recently selected by his peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America© 2021 in the field of Criminal Defense: White Collar. Michael Zweiback has been recognized for his excellent work since 2016. Learn more about Michael Zweiback here and here.
About Best Lawyers©
Best Lawyers in the oldest and most respected peer review publication in the legal profession. Their lists of outstanding lawyers are compiled by conducting exhaustive peer review surveys in which tens of thousands of leading lawyers confidentially evaluate their professional peers. If the votes for a lawyer are positive enough for recognition in Best Lawyers, that lawyer must maintain those votes in subsequent polls to remain in each edition. Lawyers are not permitted to pay any fee to participate in or be recognized by Best Lawyers. Learn more on the Best Lawyers website here.
June 8, 2020
Michael Zweiback talks with CBS about President Trump invoking Insurrection Acts and Designating Antifa as a Terrorist Orgnanization
Michael Zweiback, former federal prosecutor and terrorism expert, was featured on CBS Los Angeles following President Trump’s announcement that the U.S. government would designate ‘Antifa’ as a terrorist organization.
President Donald Trump tweeted that, “The United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a Terrorist Organization.” He also threatened to take military action if ongoing demonstrations and protests don’t stop. The law called the Insurrection Act would allow him to send active duty troops to any uprising he sees as ‘threatening the state and its residents’.
However, legal analysts are quick to note that, despite occasional pushes to create one, no current statute gives the U.S. authority to declare domestic groups as terrorist organizations in the same way that it can foreign groups.
Mr. Zweiback, a former federal prosecutor and terrorism expert, told CBS that while the federal government through its federal law enforcement partners can investigate acts of violence, “the act under which he is talking… only applies to international terrorism groups.” Furthermore, Mr. Zweiback added that President Trump “views his power as somewhat limitless.. and gets ahead of what he’s actually able to do.”
To watch the interview, click here.
November 1, 2019
Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman LLP Recognized by U.S. News in 2020 Best Law Firms Rankings
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October 23, 2019
Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman LLP named one of California’s Top Boutique Law Firms for 2019 by editors of the Daily Journal.
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October 23, 2019
Zweiback, Fiset & Coleman LLP
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August 15, 2019
Michael Zweiback Named Among ‘The Best Lawyers in America 2020’
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June 11, 2019
Bribery, Kickback Allegations Detailed in Whistleblower Case Involving Former Baldwin Park Police Chief, City Councilman, City Attorney, and Fontana Public Safety Officer Linked to Inland-Area Water District
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