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News

Feb. 18, 2025

Former US attorney Estrada returns to Munger, Tolles & Olson

Estrada, known for prosecuting high-profile cases involving corruption, fraud, and fentanyl-related deaths, brings his extensive trial experience and leadership back to the firm.

E. Martin Estrada

E. Martin Estrada, who served as U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California from 2022 to 2025, has rejoined Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP as a partner, the firm announced Tuesday.

Brad Brian, chairman of Munger, Tolles & Olson, called Estrada a generational lawyer and a born leader and said the firm is ecstatic that he chose to return.

"We've always been known for hiring people with great credentials, but we also look for people with life experiences that create lawyers who take responsibility, make decisions, and work effectively with others," Brian said. "He has the ability to gain the confidence of people working above him, around him, judges, opposing counsel, and juries. It's a competitive world out there, but we are really confident in how well-positioned we are over the next 20 years."

As U.S. attorney, Estrada led a team of nearly 600 attorneys and staff in the nation's largest judicial district, overseeing several high-profile cases including the prosecution of those involved in actor Matthew Perry's death and the conviction of Shohei Ohtani's translator for stealing $16 million from the baseball star.

"One of the key reasons I decided to come back to Munger Tolles is the remarkable talent that the firm has at all levels. We have many lawyers who've done remarkable work throughout the history of the firm, and we also have a group of lawyers of my vintage and more junior to me that are really hitting it out of the park, handling some of the biggest matters in the country," Estrada said. "Whether that's, multidistrict litigation involving social media companies, fire litigation, massive tort litigation or investigations for major clients. There's really an amazing group of attorneys here which I'm very proud to be joining and helping to lead in order to ensure the continued success of the firm."

Estrada's tenure at the U.S. Attorney's Office saw major initiatives, including the Corporate Crime and Securities Fraud Strike Force and the Vulnerable Communities Task Force. He also spearheaded criminal justice reforms, launching one of the first federal conviction integrity committees and expanding diversion programs for low-level offenders.

In Los Angeles, Estrada emphasized that his office's mission centered on victims, urging staff to seek justice for those harmed in their community.

Under his leadership, the office became a national leader in prosecuting fentanyl-related deaths, handling over 80 cases. Its civil rights division secured record-breaking redlining settlements for the DOJ, while efforts to combat violent crime and gun violence advanced through partnerships with local law enforcement.

"When I came in as U.S. Attorney, we were coming out of a pandemic, and lawyers in the office hadn't gotten the same experience as prior generations. I put emphasis on training -- I would personally conduct the first training for all new hires, teaching them about being an assistant United States attorney and being a trial lawyer," Estrada said. "I emphasized training for new people but also continuing education for all our lawyers. That's something I intend to continue in my practice at Munger Tolles."

Estrada also prosecuted former trial lawyer Thomas V. Girardi for stealing clients' money, and former Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and Orange County Supervisor Andrew Do on corruption charges. Ridley-Thomas was convicted at trial in March 2023, Do pleaded guilty last October and Girardi was convicted at trial last August. Girardi is now undergoing a mental health evaluation before being sent to prison.

"Federal cases often don't move that quickly through investigation, trial, and conviction, but that moved pretty swiftly," Estrada said of the Girardi case.

Estrada said he tried to leverage his private sector experience to enhance government operations and foster public-private partnerships, organizing key summits on power grid security--bringing together California utilities and U.S. attorneys--and semiconductor technology, which united industry leaders, universities, and government stakeholders.

Prior to his appointment as U.S. Attorney, Estrada was a partner at Munger Tolles from 2014 to 2022 and previously served as deputy chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Section of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.

Estrada resigned from his position as U.S. attorney shortly before Donald J. Trump's second presidential inauguration.

"I love being a lawyer. Ron Olson once referred to lawyers as 'street intellectuals' -- we are people who can understand complex issues and explain them to jurors," Estrada noted. "Our approach isn't to stand on a soapbox and berate jurors into adopting our position. We want to persuade people by engaging with them. That desire to engage with people really goes to my passion for being a trial lawyer."

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Douglas Saunders Sr.

Law firm business and community news
douglas_saunders@dailyjournal.com

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