Experience
Albert Y. Dayan is recognized as a leading criminal defense attorney, exceptionally skilled in handling complex criminal matters. As demonstrated in the “Notable Cases & Results” link on this web site, he has achieved, in the field of criminal defense, an unmatched record in pre-trial dismissals of indicted state and federal cases and acquittals after trial.
Mr. Dayan has successfully represented politicians, professionals and others from diverse walks of life, indicted on various multi-million dollar white-collar criminal charges, where he secured extraordinary results in dismissing significant indictments. From 2010 to the present alone, Mr. Dayan has litigated several federal criminal cases totaling a billion dollars in alleged loss. And, a number of his represented high-profile criminal cases were the subjects of various testimonies in the United States Senate and at United States Congressional hearings. Currently, he is the defense attorney on two unrelated federal indictments, where in both, the N.Y. prosecutors allege “fraud scheme was largest of its kind in history” (See, New York Times October 13, 2010, February 29, 2012 and Insurance Law Journal May 15, 2013)
Mr. Dayan was the attorney for a candidate in a Democratic Primary for New York City Council accused of serious felonies, which charges were ultimately dismissed. And, he is currently the defense attorney in connection with an indictment charging bribery and public corruption involving a New York State Assemblyman, pending in United States federal court for the Southern District of New York. (See, New York Times, April 4th 2013).
Adding to his prevailing experience in white-collar criminal cases, Mr. Dayan represented successfully numerous high-profile U.S. and foreign nationals, some alleged to be U. S. and international organized crime figures, prosecuted in the United States on complex criminal charges including Racketeering (R.I.C.O), Enterprise Corruption, Homicide, Drug Trafficking (in some cases exceeding hundreds of kilos in controlled substances), Extortion, Robbery, Burglary, Immigration Fraud, Immigrant Smuggling, Cyber Crimes, Illegal Gambling, Grand Larceny, Gasoline Schemes, Criminal Tax Evasion and other various crimes, where he also secured remarkable results in dismissing significant indicted cases. (Please See, “Notable Cases & Results”)
Mr. Dayan’s numerous successes in dismissing indicted cases are achieved by his inimitable expertise in pre-trial litigation as by his prowess in gaining acquittals after trial. Among many other jury trials listed in the “Notable Cases & Results” link on this web site, Mr. Dayan was state and federal lead trial-counsel on major trials involving complex subjects such as multi-million dollar bank fraud, mortgage fraud and healthcare fraud. He was also trial-counsel on an eight-week federal trial, charging stockbrokers with Securities Fraud and Money Laundering, where he secured for his client the extraordinary result of an acquittal on all the Money Laundering counts and on the substantive count of Securities Fraud. Mr. Dayan was trial-counsel on another major federal trial charging four businessmen, from the New York’s diamond district, with Money Laundering and possession of highly valued stolen jewelry, where, yet again, he was able to secure for his client an acquittal on all the Money Laundering counts and a “Hung Jury” on the one remaining minor-count.
He was federal trial-counsel for an Iranian national who soon after 9/11 was accused of financing terrorism by allegedly laundering vast amounts of drug proceeds and transferring the proceeds to Iran. Mr. Dayan was trial-counsel in a highly publicized federal trial in the Southern District of Miami, charging an international businessman with alleged ties to an international organized crime-syndicate with extortion and related serious charges. He obtained, the extraordinary result of a “Hung-Jury” after three different federal trials charging defendants with extortion, bribery, public corruption and possession of large amounts of U.S. counterfeit currency.
In 2012, after a highly contested trial in federal court in New York, Mr. Dayan secured an acquittal on all counts after trial for a reputed U.S. organized crime figure. Mr. Dayan also secured an acquittal after trial on all counts for a father and son who were indicted for bribery of public officials. Mr. Dayan has won acquittals in all his murder and attempted murder trials. In 2013, Mr. Dayan secured an acquittal on all counts after trial for an ex-member of Russian Military Special Forces Unit, accused in U.S. of Grand Larceny and assault with severe bodily injury.
In addition to his enviable trial experience, in 2010, Mr. Dayan secured a reversal of a criminal conviction from 1999. And in 2013, Mr. Dayan obtained a reversal of a major felony drug conviction from 2001. (These appellate clients were represented by other attorneys at the time of their original convictions).
Mr. Dayan is currently at the forefront of the fast developing and emerging body of law on United States extraterritorial criminal jurisdiction and extradition. He is the trial and appellate counsel for alleged international arms dealer Viktor A. Bout, extradited to the U.S. from Thailand who is claimed to be the subject of a book and Hollywood film, The Lord of War. (Please See, 60 Minutes CBS NEWS November 21st, 2010) Mr. Dayan was also the defense attorney - in a renowned U.S. criminal case involving two defendants detained in Canada on an extradition warrant from the United States on an indictment from New York – where he secured an extraordinary result by dismissing the U.S. indictment and terminating the extradition proceedings prior to defendants’ extradition to U.S. for prosecution.
He successfully defended another client targeted in a well-known United States Federal Grand Jury investigation into the mysterious disappearance of a prominent U.S. citizen in international waters aboard a luxury cruise line; which investigation prompted a United States Congressional hearing in Washington, D.C. and ultimately resulted in the federal grand jury voting not to prosecute his client (Please See, CBS 48 HOURS documentary, May 11TH 2013).
Mr. Dayan has litigated criminal matters involving United States, Russia, China, Germany, Poland, Latvia, Albania, Central Asia, Africa, Canada, Thailand and Israel. In United States, he has litigated cases in Washington, D.C., Florida, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, New Jersey, Connecticut, South Carolina, and New York.
Mr. Dayan has been interviewed and cited on the subject of United States criminal law in a number of media outlets including ABC News, CBS News, FOX News, New York Times, Washington Post, Walt Street Journal, BBC News, N.Y. Channel 1 News, RTV News, Russia Channel 1 News, New York Post, CNN, Al Jazeera News, Vanity Fair, RIA Novosti, LA Times, Seattle Times, New York Daily News, Martindale News, World Bank News, Abrams Report, Business Week, Newsday, Mafia Today, Wall Street Journal, World News, ARAB Times, US News, News Week, New York Magazine, The Federal Crimes Watch Daily, Bloomberg, Brooklyn Daily, USA Today, Forbes, Kommersant, International Tribute, and many other publications and broadcast media worldwide.