Criminal Litigation
Defense and private prosecution in complex criminal cases, from the preliminary investigation through the oral trial and appeals before the highest courts.
- Mendoza
- Own offices in the city of Mendoza
- Provincial and federal
- We litigate in both jurisdictions and across the country
- Inter-American
- Cases before the IACHR and United Nations committees
- Immediate reply
- Urgent matters on WhatsApp outside office hours
A criminal case is won or lost long before trial. It is decided in the first statement, in which evidence is requested in time, and in which motion is filed at the right moment. That is why we step in from the first hour, whether it is an arrest, a search of your home or a summons to testify.
On video
Josué Ignacio Varela, from the Criminal Litigation team
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See the profile on InstagramWhat we handle
The concrete scope of this area
- Defense of individuals charged in provincial and federal courts
- Representation of victims and private prosecution
- Urgent action in arrests and search operations
- Charging hearings, pre-trial detention and oral trial
- Cassation and constitutional appeals
- Alternative resolutions to criminal conflict, when trial is best avoided
- Support to fellow criminal lawyers on litigation strategy and drafting of appeals
What comes next
What happens after you write to us
- Step 1
First consultation
We listen to the case and say plainly what can and cannot be done. If there is no case, we say so.
- Step 2
Strategy
We define the plan, the timeline and the cost before starting. No surprises afterwards.
- Step 3
Follow up
One lawyer responsible for the case, with a name and a direct line, for as long as it runs.
When to get in touch
If you have been summoned to testify, your home has been searched or there is a complaint against you, that is the moment to call, not after the questioning.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us before the first meeting
What should I do if I have been summoned to testify in a criminal case?
- Get a lawyer before the hearing, not after it. Testifying is a right and not an obligation: you may refuse, and that refusal cannot be used against you. What you do say is on the record and shapes every step that follows. In Mendoza we take urgent summonses over WhatsApp, including outside office hours.
What should I do if my home has been searched?
- Ask to see the judicial warrant and keep a copy of the record the officers draw up, listing everything seized. Do not sign anything you have not read. Call a lawyer there and then rather than the next day, because challenges to the validity of a search run on short deadlines and are lost by waiting.
How long does a criminal case take in Mendoza?
- It depends on the jurisdiction and the complexity. A straightforward case resolved by plea agreement can close in months. A complex federal case with several defendants and expert evidence runs for years. What we can set out from the first meeting are the deadlines at each stage and what can be done to avoid losing time at any of them.
Do I need a lawyer if I am the victim rather than the accused?
- If you want a say in the investigation, yes. The prosecution runs the case, but appearing as a private prosecutor lets you offer evidence, request measures and appeal in your own right. Without that standing you depend on whatever the prosecutor decides, with no way to challenge it.
How much does a first consultation with a criminal lawyer cost?
- The first consultation carries a fee, and a deliberately low one: it is set at around a tenth of a jus, the unit used to measure legal fees in this province, and we tell you the current amount when the appointment is arranged. We listen to the case and say plainly what can and cannot be done; if there is no case, we say so. Fees for the work that follows, along with the plan and the timeline, are agreed in writing before we start, not along the way.