Professional Experience:

Ellen C. Brotman is a partner in the firm's litigation department. She concentrates her practice on government investigations and white collar criminal defense and representation of attorneys before the Disciplinary Board of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Ms. Brotman has defended a wide variety of criminal cases, including political and public corruption, corporate securities fraud, tax fraud, money laundering, currency structuring and other white collar crimes involving complex trial, sentencing and appellate issues.

Prior to joining Montgomery McCracken, Ms. Brotman was a partner at Carroll & Brotman for four years, where she concentrated her practice on criminal defense in federal courts and represented professionals in state disciplinary proceedings.

From 1995 to 1998, as an assistant federal defender with the Defender Association of Philadelphia, she provided criminal defense for indigent clients in federal court at trial and appellate levels. Before coming to Philadelphia, Ms. Brotman served as a law clerk to Hon. Lee P. Gagliardi, United States District Judge, Southern District of New York. 

Professional Associations:

Ms. Brotman is a member of the board of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, where she serves on the Continuing Legal Education and Amicus Committees. Currently, she is a panelist for the Criminal Justice Act, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. She also holds membership with the New York, Pennsylvania, and Federal Bar Associations.  She is on the Executive Committee of the Federal Bar Association's Criminal Law Committee and Women's Criminal Defense Sub-committee. 

Professional Recognition:

Ms. Brotman is recognized in The Best Lawyers in America® 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 editions in the category of Criminal Defense.  She is included among the firm's 2008, 2009, 2010 Pennsylvania Super Lawyers for her work in the White Collar Criminal Defense area of practice.

Community Associations:

Ms. Brotman serves on the board of the People's Emergency Center, a non-profit agency that assists homeless women, teen girls and their children in Pennsylvania achieve financial independence through a holistic approach of education, housing, and community support. She is also a member of Congregation Or Shalom.

Publications and Presentations:

Ms. Brotman co-authors a monthly article on the subject of professional conduct which appears in The Legal Intelligencer. Her article "How to Get Clients to Eat Their Spinach" was published in the Summer 2009 edition of Litigation Magazine. Ms. Brotman speaks frequently on the subjects of criminal defense and professional responsibility related matters and has been a course planner and faculty member of "For the Experienced," a Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Advanced Fall Seminar, since 2003.  Her most recent presentations include:

• "Easing the Pain: Theories and Themes in White Collar Sentencing," presenter, New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (2009);
• "Deconstruction: A Frontal Assault of the Guidelines," presenter, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (2009);
• "Representing Employees in Internal and Grand Jury Investigations," panelist, ABA's Young Lawyers' Division of the White Collar Crime Committee (2009);
• "Defending White Collar Cases - The Ultimate Heavyweight Fight," faculty member, Pennsylvania Bar Institute (2009);
• "Self-Disclosure and the Ethical Duties of a Health Lawyer," workshop presenter, Pennsylvania Bar Institute/Health Law Institute (2009);
• "Ethics Hour", Auto Law Update, faculty member, Pennsylvania Bar Institute (2008);
• "Cushioning the Blow: Practical Tips for Sentencing," faculty member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, Advanced Criminal Law Seminar (2008);
• "Recent Trends in Mitigation of Discipline," Pennsylvania Disciplinary Board Hearing Committee Retreat (2008, 2007, 2006);
• "Anatomy of a Healthcare Fraud," course planner and moderator, Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers' (PACDL) For the Experienced (2007);
• "Brave New World or Groundhog Day: Third Circuit Sentencing Decisions Since Rita v. U.S.," The Federal Bar Association Criminal Law Committee, Philadelphia Chapter (2007);
• "The McNulty Memorandum: "A Meaningful Change or the Status Quo Under a New Name?," panelist, Mid-Atlantic Regional Committee and the Philadelphia Young Lawyers Division of the ABA White Collar Crime Committee (2007);
• "Collateral Consequences of Criminal Convictions," Joint Annual Meeting of the Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and the Public Defenders' Association (2007).

Admitted to Practice:

Ms. Brotman is admitted to practice in United States Court of Appeals for the Second and Third Circuits, United States Tax Court, United States District Court for the Northern District of New York; United States District Court for the Eastern and Middle Districts of Pennsylvania, United States District Court for Washington, D.C., and the states of New York and Pennsylvania.

Education:

Ms. Brotman received a J.D. degree from Albany Law School at Union University in 1987 where she served as note and comment editor of the Albany Law Review.  She received a B.A. degree magna cum laude in Political Science from the University of Albany in 1980.