Barry Pollack Exposed: The Attorney Behind Maduro's Defence and a String of Game-Changing Victories

An elite American lawyer with a reputation for overturning monumental legal battles now stands at the centre of one of the most geopolitically charged trials of the decade. Barry J Pollack, the Washington, D.C.-based defence attorney currently representing ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in a federal narco-terrorism prosecution in Manhattan, has carved a rare niche in U.S. legal history by winning some of the nation's most daunting and politically sensitive cases.

Pollack's selection by Maduro, a figure indicted by the US Department of Justice on accusations including cocaine trafficking, money laundering, and narco-terrorism, signals an aggressive legal strategy that will test centuries-old doctrines of sovereign immunity and international law.

A History of High-Stakes Victories

Pollack's legal résumé reads like a catalogue of high-profile American courtroom dramas. With a Juris Doctorate from the Georgetown University Law Center, he serves as a partner at Harris, St. Laurent & Wechsler.

Among his most notable victories is the complete acquittal of a former Enron executive, one of only two such acquittals secured in the wave of prosecutions following the energy giant's collapse.

Pollack's courtroom victories also extend to civil liberties and wrongful conviction litigation. He led the legal team that secured a reversal and dismissal of all charges for Martin Tankleff, a man who spent 17 years in prison for a double homicide he did not commit.

His broad practice encompasses grand jury proceedings, trials, sentencing, appeals, and independent counsel investigations across allegations ranging from false statements and fraud to securities and government contracting disputes.

The Man Who Freed Julian Assange

Pollack's role in the legal saga of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange elevated his profile beyond the US legal establishment into global public discourse. Long serving as Assange's U.S. counsel, Pollack negotiated a monumental plea agreement in 2024 that allowed Assange to plead guilty to a single count under the Espionage Act, receive credit for time served, and depart custody, a resolution that closed more than a decade of international litigation.

In archived interviews and press appearances from that case, Pollack argued that the US prosecution of Assange threatened to set a dangerous precedent for journalism and free speech.

The Assange case required Pollack to navigate uncharted legal terrain: defending a non-US citizen against espionage charges for publishing classified information, and ultimately securing his client's freedom without additional incarceration.

Pollack's deft handling of this case, where he characterised Assange's actions as part of a journalistic enterprise and highlighted the broader constitutional stakes, showcased his ability to frame legal arguments that resonate beyond the courtroom.

Maduro's Defence Set Against A Legal And Political Maelstrom

The stakes in Maduro's case dwarf even the Assange saga. Captured in a U.S. military operation in Caracas in January 2026 and flown to New York to face federal indictments, Maduro pleaded not guilty in the Southern District of New York, asserting his status as a sovereign leader and challenging the legality of his capture.

Pollack, acting as lead counsel, has already signalled that the defence will transcend factual disputes over narcotics trafficking to raise questions about sovereign immunity and the extraterritorial jurisdiction of US courts, issues that could reshape the constitutional and diplomatic contours of the case.

Legal filings in the US court docket confirm Pollack's formal notice of appearance on Maduro's behalf, a procedural milestone officially entrenching him as counsel in what has become a seminal legal confrontation.

Observers note that Pollack's selection is not merely strategic but symbolic: Maduro and his team have entrusted one of the nation's most formidable courtroom tacticians with a case that pits a deposed head of state against the full force of American legal authority.

A Career Defined By High-Profile Legal Gambits

Pollack's decades-long involvement in high-impact litigation reflects a rare mix of legal acumen and narrative shrewdness. His approach in cases such as Enron, the Tankleff exoneration, and the Assange plea negotiations demonstrates a consistent pattern: defying prosecutorial expectations and reframing ostensibly lost causes into defensible, often victorious outcomes.

In taking on Maduro's defence, Pollack now stands at the intersection of law and global politics, where legal strategy carries ramifications not only for his client but for international norms governing state sovereignty and legal jurisdiction.

Barry J Pollack is not merely a defence attorney. In cases that frequently blur the line between legal procedure and international power politics, he has become one of the most consequential litigators of his generation.

A verdict in Maduro's case, whenever it is delivered, will not only echo through courtrooms but through capitals around the world, testing the limits of American legal reach and the enduring force of criminal defence in the modern era.