Barry H. Helfand

“A prosecutor briefly during the 1960s, he has become one of the most sought-after criminal defense lawyers in the Washington area. His trial appearances attracts large crowds of lawyers and casual observers.” — The Washington Post.

Barry Helfand has made a career out of representing the “famous and infamous.” His victories include exonerations from murder charges, and million dollar civil awards. However, he also can be found in a Maryland or Federal courtroom just about every day of the week representing good people from all walks of life who have found themselves in difficult circumstances. Although licensed in Maryland, the Federal Courts, the Supreme Court and the District of Columbia, Barry Helfand’s skills in the art of trial advocacy and cross-examination often make him a valued attorney in many other jurisdictions across the country.

“Throughout my 40 years of trying thousands of cases, I have found that the unspoken request of any client is to ‘Win, Barry, just win.’ That is where I start when I begin evaluating a new client’s situation. I am not particularly interested how similar cases have been handled the past or ‘the way things have always been done around here.’ Every new case requires a fresh look at the law, how the case was first initiated, why the case is being prosecuted, and the undeniable human tendency of many witnesses who stand against my clients to lie, embellish, and shade the truth to the prosecution’s advantage.”

Barry Helfand has been rated as one of the Top 100 Trial Attorneys in Maryland by the American Trial Lawyers Association in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013. The Washingtonian Magazine named him as one of Washington’s Best Legal Minds for criminal defense in 2013. Also in 2013, the AV Preeminent organization gave Mr. Helfand the highest possible rating in both legal ability and ethical standards. Mr. Helfand also is a professor of trial advocacy at American University’s Washington College of Law in the District of Columbia.

“Some people may think that because some of my client’s cases have been profiled on the Discovery Channel or in national newspapers, that his or her case may be too small for my consideration. In fact, I may get the most satisfaction helping the everyday man, woman or young person who finds themselves the target a criminal prosecution, or who has been terribly harmed by someone else’s carelessness. The traffic ticket that threatens a working mother’s ability to keep her driver’s license is no less important that the felony embezzlement charge lodged against a corporate executive.”

“I know when a person gets arrested, there is an overwhelming feeling that the entire world is against him or her. No part of the initial arrest, processing, and filing of charges is designed to make the defendant feel more comfortable. It is usually not until the client hears my voice in a courtroom that he or she begins to feel like the playing field has been leveled.”

I encourage anyone who has a problem that needs solving — whether it be a personal injury, criminal charged, DUI arrest, or some other dispute — to call my assistant, Kristin King, and arrange a meeting with me to discuss the matter.

To see Mr. Helfand’s AVVO rating, click here.