Barry H. Berke is a nationally renowned trial lawyer who is routinely recognized as one of the leading white collar criminal defense attorneys in the country. He represents individuals and corporations in sensitive and high-profile trials, investigations, complex litigation and internal investigations.
Barry served as chief impeachment counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives in the Senate impeachment trial of the former president of the United States. During the trial, Barry served as lead counsel and helped the House managers prepare and present a case that was widely recognized for its precisely choreographed and persuasive presentment of the factual evidence and constitutional arguments. He previously served as special counsel to the House Judiciary Committee in connection with the investigation and impeachment, helping to build the investigative framework and developing and drafting the articles of impeachment. Barry played a prominent public-facing role in the House hearings, where he gave the opening statement for the committee and questioned key witnesses. The Washington Post named him “Distinguished Person of the Week” for his cross-examination of the president’s former campaign manager, which Slate described as “a cross-examination that should be mandatory viewing for every law student in the history of time.”
Barry is widely recognized for creativity as a trial lawyer and strategist, his ability to connect with and persuade juries, and his skills in protecting his clients. His recent notable representations include securing the acquittal of a Deutsche Bank investment professional, and the deferred prosecution of another, in a criminal case that the government described as its largest tax shelter prosecution; successfully representing former SAC Capital Fund Advisors fund manager Michael Steinberg in a prominent insider-trading case that was ultimately dropped by U.S. prosecutors; and successfully representing the mayor of New York City, Bill de Blasio, in connection with federal and local investigations.
A fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, Barry is co-author of the textbook The Practice of Federal Criminal Law: Prosecution and Defense, published by Thomson/West’s American Casebook Series. He has taught courses on criminal law and professional responsibility at New York University School of Law, and lectures frequently on criminal justice, trial and other issues at a variety of other law schools, bar associations and forums. Barry is chairman of the board of directors of the Coalition for the Homeless and is a member and former chairman (2014 – 2016) of the board of directors of the Federal Defenders of New York Inc.
Prior to joining Kramer Levin, Barry was a trial lawyer with the federal defenders office for the Southern District of New York. During that time, he defended individuals accused of a wide range of federal offenses, serving as lead counsel in numerous jury trials and achieving favorable verdicts in a large majority of those cases.
Updated Aug 2023
