Sowmya Bharathi is a first-chair trial attorney with extensive and broad federal court experience. She has tried 24 federal cases to jury verdict, many of which involved cutting edge matters of statutory interpretation and constitutional issues, as well as myriad experts. Sowmya tried an intricate multi-week bank and wire fraud case, defending a former pharmaceutical CEO against allegations by the FDIC and shareholders of a fraud exceeding $140 million. She served as second chair on three potential death penalty cases, conducting nuanced and far-ranging investigations and presenting to the Attorney General’s Capital Section – work that contributed to obtaining agreed settlements in high-profile and emotionally-charged cases. She also tried and litigated matters involving media disclosures and the First Amendment. She has conducted sensitive internal investigations, preparing and guiding high-level corporate executives through governmental agency interviews.

Through strategic planning and aggressive pretrial litigation, Sowmya has won several court-ordered dismissals of charges mid-trial, as well as government dismissals of six indicted cases pretrial. Dismissed matters included a national security case and a case that raised novel Second Amendment arguments.

Sowmya’s range of experiences assisted her in securing clemency for individuals during both President Obama’s and President Trump’s terms.

Sowmya is an experienced appellate advocate. She has written over 20 federal appeals, including an en banc matter, and has argued before the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals. She has secured wins in the Eleventh Circuit, including a case that she litigated starting from a bench trial through authoring the appellate briefing that triggered a reversal on the papers. Most recently, she argued before Florida’s First District Court of Appeals and secured a major appellate win for a national insurance carrier.

Sowmya previously worked at a mid-sized AmLaw firm in Chicago, where she defended corporate clients against contractual disputes, employment discrimination claims, wrongful death cases, and overtime and wage disputes. Having established her reputation as a seasoned trial and appellate attorney, Sowmya is routinely called upon by the courts and national programs to speak and train on trial presentation and other federal court issues.