A former federal prosecutor and Chief of the Criminal Division for the Middle District of Tennessee, Brent Hannafan brings more than 30 jury trials of experience to white-collar criminal defense and high-stakes litigation. His career spans federal prosecution, complex civil litigation, and civil rights work—giving him the ability to see cases from both sides of the courtroom.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Brent tried more than 20 federal criminal jury trials and received the Department of Justice Director's Award for his prosecution of a large-scale drug trafficking organization. As Criminal Chief from 2017 to 2023, he oversaw all federal criminal investigations and prosecutions in the district, advising trial teams on matters involving health care fraud, public corruption, drug trafficking, RICO, civil rights violations, and terrorism. He knows how federal prosecutors think because he trained them—serving as an instructor at the DOJ's National Advocacy Center for 13 years.
Before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office, Brent worked as a litigation associate at international law firms in New York and Chicago. After leaving government service, he was a Partner and Co-Chair of the Trial Practice Group at a national plaintiffs' firm, representing clients in employment discrimination, civil rights, and complex civil matters. As lead trial counsel in Graham Chase Robinson's case against the actor Robert De Niro, he secured a $1.2 million jury verdict.
Key Qualifications
- Former federal prosecutor and Criminal Division Chief for the Middle District of Tennessee
- Tried more than 30 jury trials across criminal and civil matters
- DOJ Director's Award recipient; trained federal prosecutors at DOJ National Advocacy Center (2010–2023)
Education
- J.D., Washington University School of Law
- B.A., Vanderbilt University
Bar Admissions
- Tennessee
- New York
- U.S. Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Featured Case Studies
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