NiaLena Caravasos

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ON SUPER LAWYERS COVER IN PHILADELPHIA MAGAZINE & DESCRIBED AS FIERCE

Experience: 31 years

White Collar Crime and Criminal Law

Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, U.S. District Ct, Eastern District of PA and 2 others

Top 100 Trial Lawyers, Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated) and 137 others

Awards 139

Experience 31y

Videos 5

Online & Web 8

Biography Submit listing

A driving cornerstone of NiaLena's success is her passionate advocacy and her belief in traveling "the road less traveled by" made so famous by the poet, Robert Frost. Spotlighted by Super Lawyers in a feature article entitled "Fierce" and honored repeatedly in the "Top 50 Women" and "Top 100" and "Top 100 Philadelphia", NiaLena is the only criminal defense lawyer ever featured on the Super Lawyers cover in Philadelphia Magazine. Differing from most of her colleagues, NiaLena has tremendous compassion and focuses first on her clients as people. She utilizes a unique all-encompassing approach in an effort to help them during their representation because she realizes that clients who have been caught in the crosshairs of a criminal investigation are typically also dealing with a variety of other serious issues that transcend the confines of their specific legal case. Differing again from most other criminal lawyers, NiaLena is a graduate from the renowned Wharton School and also has work experience in the international business world. Consequently, she is also able to identify with many of the challenges facing white collar crime defendants in a manner that her colleagues cannot. Often setting her own course, NiaLena is known for always putting her clients' interests first: that reputation was initially earned when she was the youngest and only female attorney representing a high-ranking organized crime figure in the federal RICO trial of U.S. v. Joseph Merlino and yet did not hesitate to separate her client, Frank Gambino, and go against the old-boys network of other criminal lawyers representing mafia co-defendants. Her client who emerged from the trial victorious through his acquittals of attempted murder and racketeering charges was the beneficiary of NiaLena's individual courage, relentlessness, and strategic creativity. NiaLena was also the youngest and only female attorney representing Senator Vincent Fumo, long regarded as the most powerful politician in PA.

Jurisdictions Admitted to Practice

Massachusetts

Since 1993

Pennsylvania

Since 1994

U.S. District Ct, Eastern District of PA

Since 1997

3rd Circuit

Since 1997

U.S. Supreme Court

Since 1997

Professional Experience

2009 - Current

Law Office Of NiaLena Caravasos, LLC

Owner

Philadelphia Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer

Education

1990 - 1993

Boston University School of Law

J.D. | Law, Juris Doctor

Honors: (1) Commencement Award (BNA Law Student Award); (2) American Jurisprudence Award (Criminal Trial Practice); (3) Edward F. Hennessey Scholar; and (4) Commencement Speaker to the Faculty)

1984 - 1988

University of Pennsylvania

B.S. | Multinational Management and Marketing

Honors: The Wharton School (Graduated cum laude; Bachelor of Science degree in Economics)

Awards

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Top 100 Trial Lawyers

The National Trial Lawyers

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

Client Distinction Award

Martindale-Hubbell

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

Best Attorneys Of America Lifetime Charter Member

Rue Ratings

Selected to become a Fellow

Litigation Counsel of America

10 Best Attorneys in Pennsylvania

American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys

Top 3 Criminal Defense Lawyers in Philadelphia

Three Best Rated®

America's Most Honored Professionals

American Registry

Lifetime Achievement Membership

America’s Top 100 Attorneys®

Lifetime Achievement Membership

America’s Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys®

"Top 100"

Super Lawyers

"Top 100 Philadelphia"

Super Lawyers

"Top 50 Women"

Super Lawyers

"Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Client Distinction Award

Martindale-Hubbell

Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers

American Society of Legal Advocates

Lifetime Achievement Membership

America’s Top 100 Attorneys®

America's Most Honored Professionals

American Registry

Top 3 Criminal Defense Lawyers in Philadelphia

Three Best Rated®

10 Best Attorneys in Pennsylvania

American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys

Selected to become a Fellow

Litigation Counsel of America

Best Attorneys Of America Lifetime Charter Member

Rue Ratings

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

Top 100 Trial Lawyers

The National Trial Lawyers

Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

Top 50 Women Super Lawyers

Super Lawyers

Lifetime Achievement Membership

America’s Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys®

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Client Distinction Award

Martindale-Hubbell

Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers

American Society of Legal Advocates

Lifetime Achievement Membership

America’s Top 100 Attorneys®

America's Most Honored Professionals

American Registry

Top 3 Criminal Defense Lawyers in Philadelphia

Three Best Rated®

10 Best Attorneys in Pennsylvania

American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys

Selected to become a Fellow

Litigation Counsel of America

Best Attorneys Of America Lifetime Charter Member

Rue Ratings

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

Top 100 Trial Lawyers

The National Trial Lawyers

Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

Lifetime Achievement Membership

America’s Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys®

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Client Distinction Award

Martindale-Hubbell

Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers

American Society of Legal Advocates

Lifetime Achievement Membership

America’s Top 100 Attorneys®

America's Most Honored Professionals

American Registry

Top 3 Criminal Defense Lawyers in Philadelphia

Three Best Rated®

10 Best Attorneys in Pennsylvania

American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys

Best Attorneys Of America Lifetime Charter Member

Rue Ratings

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

Top 100 Trial Lawyers

The National Trial Lawyers

Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

Top 50 Women Super Lawyers

Super Lawyers

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Client Distinction Award

Martindale-Hubbell

Top 100 Trial Lawyers

The National Trial Lawyers

Pennsylvania Super Lawyer in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

"Top 50 Women Super Lawyers"

Super Lawyers

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

Best Attorneys Of America Lifetime Charter Member

Rue Ratings

Selected to become a Fellow

Litigation Counsel of America

Pennsylvania Law Firm Of The Year in Criminal Law

Corporate INTL

Global Awards Winner -- "PA Criminal Defense & White Collar Crime Attorney of the Year"

Corporate INTL

10 Best Attorneys in Pennsylvania

American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys

Top 3 Criminal Defense Lawyers in Philadelphia

Three Best Rated®

"America's Most Honored Professionals"

American Registry

Lifetime Achievement Membership

America’s Top 100 Attorneys®

"Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers"

American Society of Legal Advocates

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Named as a "Top 10" Criminal Defense Attorney in Pennsylvania

The National Academy of Criminal Defense Attorneys

"Criminal Defense Law Firm of the Year in Pennsylvania"

Corporate INTL

Client Distinction Award

Martindale-Hubbell

"Top 100 Trial Lawyers"

The National Trial Lawyers

"Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers"

American Society of Legal Advocates

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

"10 Best" Attorneys in Pennsylvania

American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys

"Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

"Top 50 Women Super Lawyers"

Super Lawyers

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

America's Most Honored Professionals

American Registry

"10 Best" Law Firms in Pennsylvania

American Institute of Criminal Lawyers

"Best Attorneys Of America" Lifetime Charter Member

Rue Ratings

year - NiaLena Caravasos

"Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

"Top 100 Trial Lawyers"

The National Trial Lawyers

"Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers"

American Society of Legal Advocates

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

"Top-Rated Legal Leaders"

Martindale-Hubbell

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

"Best Attorneys Of America" Lifetime Charter Member

Rue Ratings

"10 Best" Attorneys in Pennsylvania

American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys

year - NiaLena Caravasos

"Top 100 Criminal Defense Lawyers"

American Society of Legal Advocates

"Clients' Choice - White Collar Crime"

Avvo

"Clients' Choice - Federal Crime"

Avvo

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

"2013 Top Rated Lawyer in White Collar - Criminal Defense"

American Lawyer Media

"2013 Top Rated Lawyer in White Collar - Criminal Defense"

Martindale-Hubbell

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

"Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

Featured on 2013 "Super Lawyers" Cover in "Philadelphia Magazine"

Super Lawyers

Spotlighted in Feature Article Entitled "Fierce" (PA Super Lawyers, 2013)

Super Lawyers

"Law Award - PA Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year"

Lawyers World

"Top-Rated Legal Leaders"

Martindale-Hubbell

Global Award

M&A International

"Top 100 Trial Lawyers"

The National Trial Lawyers

year - NiaLena Caravasos

"Law Award - PA Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year"

Lawyers World

"Leading Lawyer Award - PA Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year"

Lawyers World

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

"Clients' Choice - Federal Crime"

Avvo

"Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

Global Awards Winner -- "PA Criminal Defense & White Collar Crime Attorney of the Year"

Corporate INTL

"Top Rated Lawyers in Criminal Defense: White Collar"

Corporate Counsel

"Top Rated Lawyers in Criminal Defense: White Collar"

The American Lawyer

"Top 100 Trial Lawyers"

The National Trial Lawyers

"Client Distinction Award"

Martindale-Hubbell

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

year - NiaLena Caravasos

"Top Northeast Lawyer"

Avvo

Global Awards Winner -- "PA Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year"

Corporate INTL

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

"Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

Bar Register of Preeminent Lawyers

Martindale-Hubbell

Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers

Martindale-Hubbell

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

Pennsylvania Law Firm Of The Year in Criminal Law

Corporate Int'l

Pennsylvania Law Firm Of The Year in White Collar Crime

Corporate Int'l

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

Superb rating (10.0 out of 10)

Avvo

"Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

"Pennsylvania Super Lawyer" in Criminal Defense

Super Lawyers

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

year - NiaLena Caravasos

"Pennsylvania Rising Star" in Criminal Defense

Superlawyers

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

year - NiaLena Caravasos

"Pennsylvania Rising Star" in Criminal Defense

Superlawyers

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

year - NiaLena Caravasos

Highest professional rating (AV Preeminent 5.0 out of 5 Peer Review Rated)

Martindale-Hubbell

Closing argument on behalf of Frank Gambino in four-month organized crime racketeering federal criminal trial of United States v. Joseph Merlino was subsequently selected among nationwide submissions and spotlighted as featured defense advocate

Center for Criminal Justice Advocacy

Contacts

Law Office Of NiaLena Caravasos, LLC 1604 Locust Street, 4th floor Philadelphia PA 19103 Telephone: (215) 925-5200

Videos

NiaLena Caravasos Philadelphia PA, Federal Criminal Law Lawyer

http://www.nialenacaravasos.com
Call (215) 925-5200 to learn more about this Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Preeminent™ Rated attorney. NiaLena Caravasos of Law Office Of NiaLena Caravasos, LLC 620 Chestnut Street, Suite 926, Philadelphia, PA, 19106. Practice areas include Federal Criminal Law, White Collar Crime and Criminal Defense.
For more than 130 years, lawyers have relied on the AV® Preeminent™ rating while searching for their own expert attorneys. Now anyone can depend on this important, trusted rating. The Martindale-Hubbell® AV® Preeminent™ rating is the highest possible rating for an attorney for both ethical standards and legal ability. This rating represents the pinnacle of professional excellence. It is achieved only after an attorney has been reviewed and recommended by their peers - members of the bar and the judiciary. NiaLena Caravasos has achieved an AV® Preeminent™ Rating from Martindale-Hubbell®.

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Fumo Federal Corruption Trial (ABC News)

ABC News Coverage of attorney NiaLena Caravasos (member of the Fumo defense trial team) and Senator Vincent Fumo in the federal political corruption trial of United States v. Vincent Fumo et al. For more info, please visit http://nialena.com.

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Merlino / Gambino Federal RICO Trial (NBC News)

NBC News Coverage of attorney NiaLena Caravasos representing Frank Gambino in federal RICO organized crime trial of United States v. Joseph Merlino et al. For more info, please visit http://nialena.com.

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Merlino / Gambino Federal RICO Trial (Fox News)

Fox News Coverage of attorney NiaLena Caravasos representing Frank Gambino in federal RICO organized crime trial of United States v. Joseph Merlino et al. For more info, please visit http://nialena.com.

Likes 2

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Merlino / Gambino Federal RICO Trial (ABC News)

ABC News Coverage of attorney NiaLena Caravasos representing Frank Gambino in federal RICO organized crime trial of United States v. Joseph Merlino et al. For more info, please visit http://nialena.com.