Law FirmNeufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP
200 Varick Street, Suite 800, New York, New York, 10014
Fighting tirelessly to obtain justice for the wrongfully convicted and mistreated.
Neufeld Scheck Brustin Hoffmann & Freudenberger, LLP (NSBHF) is widely regarded as the preeminent civil rights firm in the United States for exonerations and systemic police accountability. Founded by the pioneers of the Innocence Project, the firm specializes in dismantling cases where government misconduct has led to catastrophic injustice.
NSBHF operates on a high-resource, low-volume model, investing heavily in forensic experts, private investigators, and data analysts to prove that convictions resulted from suppressed evidence, coerced confessions, and fabricated police reports. Their advocacy extends beyond the courtroom, with partners frequently consulted on legislative reform and credited with exposing systemic pattern and practice failures within major police departments.
NSBHF is arguably the most prestigious wrongful conviction firm in the United States. Founded by the creators of the Innocence Project — Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck — the firm essentially invented the legal framework used to sue the government for decades of wrongful imprisonment. They do not take a high volume of cases; instead, they embed deep into a few "unwinnable" cases, often using DNA evidence and forensic science to prove innocence and then dismantling the police department's official story in civil court.
The firm is famous for uncovering systemic corruption within crime labs and police internal affairs units. Their work has forced cities to adopt mandatory videotaped interrogations and independent audits of forensic departments. They are the only firm with a dedicated social worker on staff to help exonerees transition back to society, reflecting their human-first approach to civil rights.
Notable Results
- $41.65 Million — Jury verdict for a teen coerced into a false confession
- $20.5 Million — Largest wrongful conviction settlement in Mississippi history
- $8 Million (2024) — Settlement acknowledging shocking errors and investigative bias
- $2.2 Million — First-ever loss-of-life damages award in New Jersey for an unarmed man
- $25 Million settlement against the City of Inglewood for Maurice Hastings, a man who spent 38 years wrongfully imprisoned.
- $25 Million+ in total settlements for Coley v. Simi Valley, for a California man wrongfully imprisoned for nearly four decades.
- $18.5 Million verdict in Deskovic v. Peekskill for a man wrongfully convicted of murder and rape at age 16.
- Dozens of seven-figure and eight-figure civil rights settlements involving DNA exonerations, evidence planting, and police brutality across the United States.
Key Characteristics
- The Innocence Connection — born out of the Innocence Project, the firm takes DNA exonerations and turns them into massive civil rights lawsuits to ensure \innocence\\ results in financial accountability
- Resource Supremacy — operates on a \boutique\\ model with \big law\\ resources, committing millions per case and hiring the world's leading experts in DNA, forensic science, and police procedure
- Impact Litigation — they don't just sue for the individual; they aim for structural reform, with lawsuits that force cities to implement new training protocols and oversight boards
- DNA Litigation Pioneers: Founded by Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, the lawyers who revolutionized the use of DNA evidence in the American legal system.
- Selective Powerhouse: Accepts a very small number of cases to ensure each client receives the full financial and intellectual weight of the firm's resources.
- Systemic Focus: Experts in identifying and litigating Brady violations — the withholding of evidence by police and prosecutors.
- Institutional disruptors specializing in wrongful convictions and fatal police violence.
- Partners frequently consulted on legislative reform.