Kamal Ghali is described in Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business as a “brilliant attorney” with a “commanding presence in the courtroom,” a “great legal strategist who anticipates all sides of a case,” “a master of his craft,” and “an excellent trial lawyer” who is “sharp and quick on his feet.” Recognized for his superb trial skills and his “fantastic ability to explain complex legal and technology-related topics” (Chambers), Mr. Ghali is ranked in Best Lawyers in America, Chambers, and Super Lawyers (Georgia) for his business litigation, intellectual property litigation, white collar criminal defense, and cybersecurity litigation work.
Mr. Ghali’s work ranges from litigating a broad range of business disputes to defending against U.S. Department of Justice investigations. He has particular experience litigating fraud, racketeering (RICO), contract, intellectual property, and fiduciary duty claims. He has first-chaired numerous jury trials, successfully litigated arbitrations across the United States, and helped businesses and executives settle contentious, bet-the-company business disputes, including a multi-billion-dollar dispute over the ownership of two nuclear power plant units, a billion-dollar contract arbitration on behalf of a major airline carrier, and numerous corporate ownership and investor lawsuits.
A former lead prosecutor of high-profile white-collar trials and international cybercrime matters (including the widely reported SpyEye prosecution), and a recipient of a U.S. Department of Justice Director’s Award for Superior Performance, Mr. Ghali is also recognized for his “impressive white collar criminal defense practice” and his “particular expertise” in cybercrime investigations (Chambers). As a prosecutor, he led several public corruption and bribery matters, including the successful trial of corporate executives charged with fraudulently obtaining contracts with DeKalb County and the Georgia World Congress Center. He also tried major investment fraud matters including a three-week securities fraud trial arising out of a pump and dump scheme and a five-week trial involving the sale of over $600 million in foreign currency. As a defense lawyer, he has obtained the dismissal of federal criminal charges and quietly obtained numerous declinations of prosecution without any negative media publicity or reputational harm to his clients. He has favorably resolved investigations involving bribery, national security issues, tax matters, cryptocurrency fraud, securities fraud, healthcare fraud, and environmental crime.
An experienced appellate advocate, he has also secured significant appellate victories in complex business disputes, arbitrations, receivership appointments, and white collar matters. He previously served as a judicial law clerk to the Hon. Thomas W. Thrash, Jr., U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia and the Hon. Frank M. Hull, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit. He is former partner at Bondurant, Mixson & Elmore LLP.