President & Managing Shareholder

Michelle Estlund

Overview And Experience

Michelle Estlund

Estlund is the founder and principal attorney of Estlund Law, P.A., located in Miami, Florida. Her practice focuses exclusively on criminal and INTERPOL defense cases, with an emphasis on the exposure of human rights violations and politically motivated and corrupt prosecutions. The majority of the charges faced by her clients are “white collar,” or financial crimes.

She regularly advises international journalists, human rights organizations, and other attorneys on issues related to INTERPOL. Ms. Estlund has successfully represented multiple Red Notice subjects before INTERPOL, as well as having Red Notices modified or corrected. She has also achieved the removal of Yellow Notices for minors who were invalidly listed as missing or kidnapped. She writes extensively about INTERPOL matters on her blog, the Red Notice Law Journal, found at www.rednoticelawjournal.com.

Representative Matters

  • Represented a former President of an Ecuadorian Bank wanted for financial charges in an INTERPOL matter
  • Represented a former CIA operative wanted by INTERPOL in relation to a kidnapping charge originating in a European country
  • Represented a member of the Board of Directors of a Venezuelan financial institution who was sought by INTERPOL and wanted for fraud and embezzlement
  • Represented an attorney and former general counsel for a Latin American country’s national petrol company wanted by INTERPOL for financial crimes
  • Represented a Russian developer wanted by INTERPOL for fraud and embezzlement

Licenses, Awards, and Professional Memberships

Licensed to practice in Florida; Federal District Court for the Southern and Northern Districts of Florida.

Awards/recognitions/professional distinctions:

  • 2021, 2020 and 2019 Best Lawyers
  • 2021: U.S. News- Best Lawyers, White Collar Criminal Defense
  • 2019-2020: President, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Miami Chapter
  • 2018: Rodney Thaxton “Against All Odds” Award, given by the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers. This honor is awarded to a criminal defense attorney who has chosen to represent an especially difficult or unpopular client or cause, and while doing so, epitomizes the heart and spirit of criminal defense, which is the courage to stand apart as the last champion of Liberty.
  • 2018-2019: Vice-president, Florida Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys, Miami Chapter
  • 2015: Legal Elite lawyer, Florida Trend
  • 2013: President’s Award of the Florida Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers-Miami Chapter: awarded for leadership role in statewide litigation to protect indigents’ right to effective counsel.
  • 2013-2021: AVVO rated superb
  • 2013-2021: Top 100 Trial Lawyers
  • 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016: Outstanding and Constructive Service as Contributing author, Dade County Bar Association

Education and Background

J.D., Stetson University College of Law

B.A., Florida State University, majors in Psychology and Criminology

Founder and principal attorney, Estlund Law, P.A., 2006

Assistant Public Defender, Eleventh Judicial Circuit Public Defender’s Office, 1997-2006

Adjunct instructor, Legal Research, Florida International University, 1998-2002.

Legislative intern, Florida House of Representative’s Criminal Justice Committee 1993-1994

Student law clerk, Middle District of Florida, Judge Elizabeth Kovachevich, 1995

Speaking Engagements

  • 2021, Washington, D.C. (Virtual): Heritage Foundation, Ending Interpol Abuse: How the Democratic World Can Fight Transnational Repression
  • 2020, Washington, D.C. (Virtual): American Bar Association, Current Developments in INTERPOL Red Notice Abuse
  • 2019, Washington, D.C., American Bar Association, International Law National Security Committee:
    Red Notices and the INTERPOL Wanted List: Balancing Law Enforcement with Due Process
  • 2019, Miami, Florida: Florida Bar Association, International Law Section: Navigating the Pitfalls of Conducting Business Globally
  • 2018, Washington, D.C., Association of Certified Financial Crime Specialists (ACFCS): Entrepreneurs On The Interpol Wanted List: Balancing Law Enforcement With Due Process
  • 2016, Miami: Dade County Bench and Bar Conference: Your Next Bold Move -Selecting and Sustaining a niche practice
  • 2016, Madrid: GGI Latin American and Iberian Regional Conference: Banking without Borders- INTERPOL’s role in the prosecution of international financial crime
  • 2016, Coral Gables: GGI Extraordinary Practice Group Meeting: Litigation and Dispute Resolution: Banking without Borders- INTERPOL’s role in the prosecution of international financial crime
  • 2012, South Beach: American Immigration Lawyers Association 33rd Annual Immigration Law Update- Government Investigatory Tools: What do they use?- INTERPOL’s databases as tools for suspect location, detention, and extradition
  • 2011, Miami: Florida International University College of Law: Miami In-Service on Immigration Proceedings- Best Practices in Criminal Court for Detention and Mental Health Issues

Expert/Professional Services

Ms. Estlund has provided expert testimony or professional support on INTERPOL matters for the following organizations:

  • Al Jazeera
  • Ankara Anatolia news agency
  • Canadian Broadcasting Corporation
  • Channel 4 Dispatches/U.K.
  • Fair Trials, International
  • Foreign Policy
  • Freie Presse
  • The Guardian
  • The Heritage Foundation
  • I24/News
  • The Miami Herald
  • National Geographic
  • National Public Radio
  • Open Dialog Foundation
  • TCI News Now
  • Thomson Reuters
  • New York Times
  • The Atlantic
  • The Times of London

Ms. Estlund has provided expert testimony in cases such as the following:

  • International criminal proceedings
    • Topic: United States jurisprudence and financial laws and enforcement
    • Topic: INTERPOL proceedings
  • Domestic immigration proceedings
    • Topic: INTERPOL activity and proceedings

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