Meet Scott Engelhard

With 26 years as a criminal defense attorney, and a great education, I have a breadth and depth of skills and experience which apply to every one of the cases I take on. My knowledge and experience in each are of criminal law, in Federal and State Courts, as well as both trials and appeals, allows me to bring to bear on every case I handle the most thoughtful, creative, and determined defense possible.

Criminal Attorney Seattle, Scott J. Engelhard:

Education:

• UCLA School of Law, Graduated in 1983.

• Pomona College, Graduated in 1979, BA in Cultural Anthropology.

Professional Highlights:

• Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers: Positions Held:

• Elected Treasurer for 3 years

• Vice-President for 1 year

• President for 2004-2005. (proudly nominated and voted by my peers)

• Member of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) since 1987.

• Member of Washington State Bar since 1984.

• Member of Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (WACDL) since 1987.

• AV rating by Martindale-Hubbell.

Criminal Lawyer Seattle, Scott J. Engelhard

Professional Experience

Public Defender Association in Seattle through June 1986. I handled dozens of criminal trials, felonies and misdemeanors. Staff Attorney at Washington Appellate Defender Association from July, 1986 through Jan. 1988. I handled felony appeals and argued numerous cases before the Washington Supreme Court and the Washington Court of Appeals. Many homicide cases, including aggravated first degree murder cases.

Senior Associate at Preston, Gates & Ellis (now known as KLM Gates) from 1988 thru early1990. Preston, Gates & Ellis was one of the largest private firms in Seattle. There I handled the represented the Pennwalt Corporation in what at the time was the largest criminal environmental prosecution in the Federal District Court for the Western District of Washington.

From Jan. 1990 until April 1996, I joined law firm that came to be known as Finegold, Zulauf and Engelhard (FZ&E) in Seattle. The entire firm specialized in criminal defense.

Since 1996, I have been had my own law office focused on providing  the highest possible quality of criminal defense to my clients.

Case Highlights

I handled a wide variety of large, white collar criminal cases. For example, I represented Columbia Sportswear, Inc. (1992-1993) when they were indicted in Federal District Court in Oregon with various counts of Customs Fraud. Also, I represented Tyson Seafoods, Inc. (a subsidiary of Tyson Foods, Inc.) in a Federal Court case charged in Seattle for Death on the High Seas (essentially, manslaughter) and various criminal licensing regulation violations related to the sinking of a large factory trawler fishing vessel in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska. I also represented the head of quality control for an aerospace parts manufacturer who was charged in Federal Court with falsification of quality testing records for airplane parts. I also represented a manufacturer of chemicals and nutrients for the aquaculture industry (fish farms and aquariums) investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in another state with illegal sale of polluting and carcinogenic chemicals, and convinced them not to file charges.

I represented the head of the maintenance department for Alaska Airlines during a NTSB and criminal investigation into the fatal crash of one of their planes in 2000. Eventually, no charges were filed. Also, I represented numerous executives at BP Oil for a federal investigation into possible criminal regulatory violations for waste disposal practices at their oil drilling sites on the north slope of Alaska.

I also represented many people charged with various types of fraud in both Federal Court and State Court, as well as drug crimes and crimes of violence – including domestic violence cases. In King County Superior Court, I represented a man (along with his cousin) charged with attempted murder in the first degree. The case went to jury trial and my client was found not guilty on all counts.

In 2002, I was retained to represent a lead accountant for an investment organization known as Anderson Ark and Associates. My client and 9 others were charged in Federal Court in Seattle with the largest case of tax fraud in U.S. history. The trial occurred in 2004, lasting 2 months. Seven defendants were found guilty. The lead defendant was sentenced to 20 years in prison and ordered to pay over $63 million in restitution. However, as to my client the jury was unable to reach a verdict and a mistrial was declared. Following the mistrial, I negotiated a resolution for her that resulted in 24 months in a camp facility and ZERO restitution. I have also represented people charged with tax fraud in Federal Court in South Carolina and Alaska. I recently represented a client in North Carolina who was under investigation for tax fraud for millions of dollars in overseas investments, and I convinced the Department of Justice to decline prosecution (no charges filed).

I have also represented many clients in both state court and federal court charged with identity theft and bank fraud. I have represented clients charged in Federal Court with mortgage fraud and securities fraud. I have represented dozens of people charged with domestic violence. My last jury trial on a domestic violence case was an acquittal in Auburn Municipal Court in 2007 – City of Auburn v. Lott.