Elizabeth Geddes has extensive experience investigating complex crimes and litigating in federal and state court. Prior to founding Shihata & Geddes LLP, Liz was a federal prosecutor for more than 15 years, serving in several senior leadership positions, including most recently as Chief of the Civil Rights Section within the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York, where she oversaw the Office's investigations into civil rights violations, hate crime offenses and sex trafficking. Liz also served as a Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, where she helped to manage more than 115 attorneys and oversee all of the Office’s criminal investigations, including large-scale fraud, bribery and corruption cases.

 

Together, Liz and Nadia led the groundbreaking investigation and prosecution of R&B musician Robert Sylvester Kelly, also known as “R Kelly,” who was convicted after a six-week trial in the Eastern District of New York of racketeering and related offenses and sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment. This was the first time Kelly was held criminally accountable for his conduct after decades of allegations and abuse. In addition, Liz personally led numerous investigations involving civil rights violations, racketeering, public corruption, human trafficking, complex fraud and violent crimes, including dozens of unsolved murders, and tried ten cases. She also supervised dozens of criminal trials, and argued multiple appeals before the Second Circuit.  

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Liz won several awards for her work as a federal prosecutor. In 2013, the New York City Bar Association awarded Liz the Henry L. Stimson medal for outstanding prosecution. In 2015, the National Association of Former United States Attorneys awarded her the J. Michael Bradford Memorial Award. In 2019, the New York County Lawyers Association (“NYCLA”) awarded Liz the NYCLA Public Service Award. In 2022, the New York office of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations named Liz as the “Prosecutor of the Year.” Between 2018 and 2021, Liz also served as a member of the Legal Resource Committee within the Organization for Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science.

 

Liz has served as an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law and New York Law School. Liz currently teaches a seminar at New York University School of Law on human trafficking.

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Between 2004 and 2006, Liz served as a law clerk for the Honorable Frederic Block, United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York.