Vanessa Singh Johannes

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

ABOUT VANESSA SINGH JOHANNES

There are trial lawyers by \"title\" and trial lawyers by practice; I take pride in being the latter. For 18+ years, I have sought to find justice and balance through the law and effective case resolutions. For the first ~5 years of my career, I worked at Kirkland & Ellis LLP in NYC, where I prepared cases and second-chaired the \"best-of-the-best\" in \"bet-the-company\" trials. That experience reiterated what I always knew to be true: I belong in a courtroom. It\'s part of the reason I fell in love with the law and is where I feel most at home. Fittingly, my career path then led me to the place where I got to do just that, while growing leaps and bounds as a lawyer and person: the U.S. Attorney\'s Office for the Southern District of Florida. As an immigrant and Miamian, every single day I was honored to represent the country and community who shaped me, and fight for victims when they needed a fighter the most. For 10 years, I handled a wide array of cases as an AUSA, from money laundering and fraud to espionage and civil rights. The most passionate cases stemmed from human, sex, and arms trafficking, child exploitation, and violent crimes cases, as I served in the elite Special Prosecutions unit for 8 years and was the District\'s Project Safe Childhood Coordinator for 2 years. I tried dozens of cases as an AUSA, found my voice in a courtroom, and gave a voice to countless victims of brutal crimes, fraud, and corruption. Though serving my community as an AUSA remains a career highlight, in 2021, I chose to return to the private sector, first joining Carlton Fields as a trial and investigations attorney and the firm’s managing SH in Miami. In 2025, I transitioned to Foley & Lardner as a partner, where I represent individuals and companies as they navigate the justice system, formulate corporate compliance programs, and conduct internal investigations as a part of healthy corporate hygiene or in response to a government inquiry. Though my \"client\" has changed over the years, one thing remains true: I fight hard, advocate effectively, and remain steadfastly committed to getting the \"right\" result. In addition to lawyering, I give back to my community through civic/non-profit orgs, and spend time with my large extended family and 3 children.