101 EAST KENNEDY BLVD
SUITE 1200
TAMPA,
FL
33602-5838
813.321.8200
813.223.7961 fax
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Morris “Sandy” Weinberg Jr. has been on the winning side of numerous high-profile cases throughout his 34 years as a federal prosecutor and private practitioner. His achievements include leading a winning defense in one of the largest health care fraud investigations in history, securing the dismissal of charges in one of the only cases brought against a religion, and leading the prosecution in one of the country’s most celebrated tax fraud cases.
A respected white collar defense attorney, Mr. Weinberg has represented clients in health care fraud, government contract fraud, securities fraud, and tax fraud cases. He currently serves as co-chair of the American Bar Association’s White Collar Crime Committee. In addition to his extensive white collar experience, Mr. Weinberg also counsels clients in parallel civil and regulatory matters. His clients have included individuals and corporations in a wide variety of industries, including health care, government contracting, and professional services.
Mr. Weinberg has received numerous industry recognitions. He is listed in The Best Lawyers in America for “Bet-the-Company” Litigation and in 2009 received the Hillsborough County Bar Association’s highest honor for criminal practitioners, the “In the Trenches” Award.
Mr. Weinberg previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted white-collar criminal cases. For this work he received the Director's Award for Superior Performance, as well as an award for outstanding service from the Treasury Department. After his government service, Mr. Weinberg moved to Florida where he was a shareholder with Carlton Fields from 1985 to 1991, and in 1991 opened Zuckerman Spaeder’s Tampa office. He continues to serve as the office’s managing partner.
As a student at Vanderbilt Law School, Mr. Weinberg established the school’s first student legal services program. He has continued to provide pro bono assistance to those in need throughout his career, including through his work on Innocence Project and local legal services cases.
Experience
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Currently represents a former top executive of a major public health care insurance company in connection with an extensive federal criminal investigation into alleged Medicaid fraud.
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Currently represents the lead defendant in one of the largest tax shelter cases ever brought.
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Currently represents an energy company in a state and federal Environmental Protection Agency criminal investigation.
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Successfully defended a client against an arbitration claim related to a multimillion-dollar food service contract for the military in Iraq.
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Successfully defended a medical device manufacturer that was accused in a False Claims Act complaint of providing false billing information to physicians regarding a product’s eligibility for Medicare reimbursement.
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Defended a large Washington, DC communications firm in a $100 million federal legal malpractice claim involving Federal Communications Commission regulations.
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Represented a retired four-star general who was acquitted after a six-and-a-half month federal defense contractor fraud trial.
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Led the defense of a national health care provider in the then-largest health care fraud investigation in the country.
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Represented a church in one of the only criminal cases brought against a religion in the United States. The criminal charges were dismissed and the firm led the church’s seven-year defense against civil wrongful death charges in the companion case.
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Assisted a major nursing and hospital corporation in designing and implementing a defense strategy to combat a nationwide epidemic of civil liability claims.
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Defended defense contractors in criminal fraud investigations and False Claims Act lawsuits, including defense of a Tampa-based private security firm in both a federal criminal investigation and False Claims Act lawsuit.
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Defended numerous national rental car companies in a series of federal and state investigations regarding alleged fraudulent billing practices.
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Represented multiple executives in a series of school milk criminal antitrust investigations in Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana.
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Developed a strategy to defend an automotive tool manufacturer in a distributor class action, as well as in various other distributor actions throughout the United States.
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Won a summary judgment in a federal habeas corpus case securing the release of two men who had wrongfully sat on Florida's death row for nine years—within 12 hours of their scheduled execution.
EDUCATION
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Vanderbilt University Law School,
J.D.,
1975
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Princeton University,
B.A.,
1972, magna cum laude
COURT ADMISSIONS
- U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Middle District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Florida
BAR ADMISSIONS
- Florida
- District of Columbia
- Georgia
MEMBERSHIPS
Co-Chair, White Collar Crime Committee, American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section
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PRACTICES
Related Information
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