By Emmanuel Bobby
When deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro faces trial in New York, he will be represented by a seasoned defense attorney well known for handling high-profile cases that sit at the crossroads of law and global politics.
Maduro has hired Barry J. Pollack, a partner at the New York–based boutique law firm Harris St. Laurent & Weschler LLP. Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, are facing multiple charges, including conspiracy to engage in narco-terrorism. Both pleaded not guilty at their initial court appearance on Monday, where Pollack stood beside the former Venezuelan leader.
Pollack is perhaps best known for his long-running representation of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange. For more than a decade, Pollack guided Assange’s U.S. legal strategy and played a key role in securing a 2024 plea agreement that ultimately led to Assange’s release from prison.
Under that deal, Assange pleaded guilty to a single count of violating the Espionage Act related to the publication of classified military and diplomatic materials. Prosecutors had accused him of conspiring to unlawfully obtain and disseminate national defense information, arguing that the disclosures endangered U.S. national security.
Andy Birrell, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers—a group Pollack previously led—said Pollack’s experience with controversial international defendants makes him well suited for the Maduro case.
“High-profile cases always come with challenges, but Barry is a veteran,” Birrell said. “He’s done this before.”
Pollack did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Briefly speaking to reporters after Maduro’s arraignment, he said, “I think what President Maduro said in court speaks for itself.” Speaking through a translator, Maduro proclaimed his innocence, claimed he had been “kidnapped,” and insisted he remains Venezuela’s legitimate president.
In an interview published earlier this year by the legal outlet Lawdragon, Pollack reflected on what he finds most meaningful about his work, emphasizing the personal connections he builds with clients during moments of crisis.
“Typically, when I meet with a client, they are facing what may be the worst crisis they have ever faced,” Pollack said. “By the end, it’s no longer a stranger I’m helping through a terrible chapter of their life. It’s someone I’ve come to know and respect.”
It is unclear what specifically led Maduro to select Pollack, a graduate of Indiana University and Georgetown University Law Center. Flores is represented separately by Mark Donnelly, a former Houston prosecutor.
Birrell said Pollack is selective about his work and guided by personal conviction. “He doesn’t take on cases he doesn’t believe are right for him,” Birrell said. “Whatever his criteria are, I think President Maduro will benefit from them.”
Colleagues describe Pollack as meticulous, understated and highly credible in the courtroom. Birrell said Pollack has a rare ability to clearly explain complex legal issues and earn the trust of juries.
“He absolutely exudes credibility,” Birrell said. “People see him as someone genuinely searching for the truth, and that earns respect.”
C. Melissa Owen, president-elect of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, echoed that view, praising Pollack’s communication skills.
“He has an Ivy League intellect paired with Midwestern sensibilities,” Owen said, “which allows him to connect effectively with the American public.”
Pollack has practiced law for more than three decades, building a reputation as a formidable trial lawyer. Legal industry guide Chambers USA has described him as a “thorough and deep-thinking lawyer” who “lives, breathes and sleeps trials.”
Before the Maduro case, Assange’s prosecution was Pollack’s most prominent matter on the global stage. WikiLeaks claimed responsibility for publishing classified U.S. military documents and videos related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, including footage of a 2007 Apache helicopter attack in Baghdad that killed civilians—revelations that sparked international controversy and embarrassed U.S. officials.
After Assange’s release, Pollack argued that the case should never have been brought under the Espionage Act, framing it as a critical free speech issue.
“He has suffered tremendously in his fight for freedom of the press and the public’s right to know,” Pollack said at the time.
Pollack has also secured notable victories in other major cases. He won a complete acquittal for former Enron accountant Michael Krautz, one of the few defendants cleared in the prosecutions that followed the company’s collapse. In another case, Pollack helped overturn the wrongful conviction of Martin Tankleff, who spent 17 years in prison for the murder of his parents before all charges were dismissed.
“I think he brings the skills of a lifetime of representation to this case,” Owen said. “That makes him exceptionally well prepared to defend someone facing charges of this magnitude.”
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