Criminal Asset Forfeiture Lawyer

Asset Forfeiture Attorney

Serving Clients Across the U.S. and Around the World

“An expert in asset forfeiture in the state” — The New York Times

“National expert on state and federal forfeiture laws.” — The Kansas City Star

When attorneys across the country need counsel for difficult forfeiture cases, they turn to Steven L. Kessler. Mr. Kessler has been protecting the assets of clients from government overreach on the federal, state, and local levels for more than three decades.

An experienced litigator and nationally recognized authority in the field, Mr. Kessler is equally comfortable when defending a complex federal Ponzi scheme case in West Virginia, securing the return of marital assets in a mini-Madoff litigation in New York, protecting tens of millions of dollars of client assets in Texas or seeking the return of funds seized at Salt Lake City International Airport. Whether working with local counsel or directly retained by clients, Mr. Kessler and his firm provide the finest representation possible.

Mr. Kessler has written two successful treatises on asset forfeiture. His three-volume treatise on the subject is routinely cited in courts throughout the country. Because of this, he is the go-to choice as a referral from other attorneys as well as from satisfied clients. His background in criminal and civil litigation along with his impressive understanding of asset forfeiture has put him front and center in the media and across the legal arena worldwide in this complex field of law.

Contact Steven L. Kessler to book a confidential consultation with our New York asset forfeiture attorney at (888) 708-6009 for advice and guidance about your case.

Steven L. Kessler

When attorneys across the country need counsel for difficult forfeiture cases, they turn to Steven L. Kessler. Mr. Kessler has been protecting the assets of clients from government overreach on the federal, state and local levels for more than three decades. Whether working with local counsel or directly retained by the client, Mr. Kessler and his firm provide the finest representation possible.

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Featured in the Media

Attorney Kessler is regularly quoted by media of both general and legal circulation for his expertise in the subject of asset forfeiture.

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Resources

News and Articles

Books

Notable Cases

Turn to the Prominent Resource for Asset Forfeiture Cases

Steven L. Kessler’s seminal treatises on asset forfeiture have been the definitive resource for attorneys and courts for decades.

Civil and Criminal Forfeiture: Federal and State Practice (Thomson Reuters) was first published in 1993 and has been updated annually for 30 years.

New York Criminal and Civil Forfeitures (LexisNexis) has been updated annually since 1996.

Steven L. Kessler has authored scores of articles on asset forfeiture and has been quoted in the media:

Steven L. Kessler was quoted in an article by The Washington Post regarding the cost to the American taxpayers of seizure practices utilized by the government.
Steven L. Kessler’s Article in The Champion: Taking the Profit Out of Crime Published in February of 2023.
Steven L. Kessler’s article discussing the recent revisions to New York’s primary civil forfeiture statute was published in the New York Law Journal. Originally published on September 26, 2019. New York’s Major Revisions to the Civil Forfeiture Laws by Steven L. Kessler, Sept. 26, 2019, New York Law Journal.
Steven L. Kessler’s article discussing the United States Supreme Court’s recent decisions regarding criminal forfeiture was published in The Champion. Originally published on February 10, 2018. Applying the Brakes on a Runaway Train: Forfeiture and Recent Supreme Court Developments by Steven L. Kessler, The Champion (Jan/Feb 2018 issue), National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
Mr. Kessler’s article on the Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform Act of 2000.
Mr. Kessler was quoted in an article by Newsday regarding a federal lawsuit in Suffolk County on seized vehicles.
The Wall Street Journal’s article on forfeiture related to the prosecution of Paul Manafort, “In Brooklyn, Neighbors Cast Cool Eye over Manafort’s Townhouse” referenced Mr. Kessler.

Awards & Associations

Put Your Case in the Hands of a Leading Asset Forfeiture Attorney in New York

Because of his achievements, Mr. Kessler has earned the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by Marquis Who’s Who. His biography appears in Who’s Who in American Law, International Who’s Who in Business Law, and similar publications.

He has earned recognition from top legal industry rating groups, such as the highest rating of AV Preeminent® by the prestigious Martindale Hubbell®, being listed as a Super Lawyer, and being named as a New York Top Rated Lawyer every year since 2012.

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