During a national financial crisis, Mr. Mesereau was hired as lead trial counsel to defend the highest-grossing real estate agent in the country. His client, Joe Babajian, had sold homes to many celebrities, including Beyonce, Janet Jackson, David Beckham, Nicholas Cage, Bruce Willis, Barbara Streisand, Lee Iacocca, Warren Beatty and others. Mr. Babajian was facing 21 felony counts of conspiracy, money laundering, bank fraud, loan fraud, and mortgage fraud in the United States District Court, Central District of California (Los Angeles). Mr. Mesereau conducted jury selection and cross examined every major prosecution witness, including the alleged co conspirators, the alleged victim-lender (Lehman Brothers) and the prosecution expert on claimed financial losses by Lehman Brothers. Following Mr. Mesereau’s closing argument, the jury acquitted Mr. Babajian on 13 felony counts and hung on the remaining 8 counts. Mr. Babajian was not convicted on a single felony count. After the trial, the lead federal prosecutor called Mr. Mesereau the “best trial lawyer I have ever seen.” See articles: Babajian Acquitted of Mortgage Fraud in Federal Court and Lawyer Who Saved Jackson in 2005 Does it Again.
Postscript: The government agreed to dismiss the eight hung felony counts in return for a misdemeanor and no jail time.
