Trial Law · Miami, FL

Michelen.ai

A trial firm, for the digital age.

Federal and state criminal defense with a practice shaped by digital evidence, cybercrime, and the technology that increasingly defines modern prosecutions.

60+
Jury Trials
15
Years Defending
2
Languages / EN · ES
Juan J. Michelen / Former Federal Defender / Southern District of Florida
01 — Approach

A trial practice, not a settlement shop.

Most lawyers who call themselves litigators have never tried a case. The government knows this. It shapes every offer they make.

I've tried over sixty cases to verdict in state and federal court. That experience — and the willingness to take a case all the way — is what changes the calculus for prosecutors, regulators, and opposing counsel.

The second thing that changes the calculus is technology. Modern prosecutions turn on digital forensics, cell site data, device extractions, and increasingly AI-generated or AI-processed evidence. Most defense lawyers don't understand this material. I do. I teach it to other federal defenders.

The combination — a real trial record and a working command of digital evidence — is the foundation of my practice.

Focused on three areas where trial experience matters most.

/ 01
Federal & State
Criminal DefenseTrial-ready representation at every stage
Representation in federal and state criminal matters across every phase — from pre-charge investigation and grand jury practice through trial and appeal. Former Assistant Federal Defender in the Southern District of Florida and the District of Puerto Rico; former Assistant Public Defender in Miami-Dade County.
/ 02
White-Collar
DefenseFraud, investigations, and enforcement matters
Defense of individuals and companies facing federal fraud charges — healthcare fraud, Medicare and Medicaid fraud, bank fraud, wire and mail fraud, money laundering, and securities matters. Internal investigations and responses to regulatory enforcement actions.
/ 03
Digital Evidence
& CybercrimeWhere technology meets criminal law
Defense of cybercrime allegations and cases that turn on digital forensic evidence — cell site location data, device extractions, cloud records, cryptocurrency tracing, and AI-generated or AI-processed material. Faculty at the biannual TECM conference hosted by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts.
03 — About

Background.

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Juan J. Michelen

I'm a trial attorney with broad federal and state court experience, and I've tried over sixty cases to verdict.

I've represented clients facing a range of federal charges — money laundering, healthcare fraud, Medicare fraud, Social Security fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, drug trafficking, matters involving national security, and other federal and state felonies. Through strategic planning and aggressive pretrial litigation, I've won dispositive evidentiary motions, court-ordered dismissals mid-trial, and government dismissals before trial.

My approach is creative and unrelenting. I use cutting-edge technological investigative tools to conduct sophisticated investigations, and I have extensive experience challenging the introduction of digital forensic evidence, interpreting data from devices and applications, analyzing location data, and explaining forensic reports to juries.

Before launching my practice, I served as an Assistant Federal Defender in the Southern District of Florida and the District of Puerto Rico, and before that, as an Assistant Public Defender in Miami-Dade County for more than eleven years — where I maintained a winning trial record.

I also teach. I lead sessions on technological investigative tools and digital forensics at the biannual Techniques in Electronic Case Management conference, hosted by the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts' Defender Services Training Division.

Every client has a story. My job is to make sure it gets told.

04 — Credentials

Education

  • Fordham University School of LawJ.D., 2011
  • Fordham UniversityM.A., Elections & Campaign Management, 2011
  • Florida State UniversityB.A., Communication Studies, cum laude, 2008
  • Florida State UniversityB.A., History, cum laude, 2008

Bar Admissions

  • Florida
  • New York
  • U.S. District Court, S.D. Florida
  • Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals

Teaching

  • Faculty, TECM ConferenceAdministrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Defender Services Training Division

Languages

  • English
  • Spanish

Select matters.

Matter 01
Representative experience to be added.
Matter 02
Representative experience to be added.
Matter 03
Representative experience to be added.
Matter 04
Representative experience to be added.
06 — Contact

Inquiries are handled directly.

For representation, referrals, or press inquiries, reach out by phone or email. Initial consultations are confidential.

Telephone
— — —
Office
Miami, Florida
Firm of Record
The Michelen Trial Firm, PLLC