Former Public Defender Commissioner - Johanes Maliza

Johanes Maliza is a partner at Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan and Aronoff.  He represents clients in a broad range of litigation, with deep expertise in commercial litigation and federal criminal law.  His civil practice focuses on representing institutions in litigation in the e-commerce, advertising, health care, education, and tech industries.  As a former assistant federal public defender, he conducts corporate investigations in response to law enforcement requests or internal compliance concerns. His courtroom experience includes representing individuals and companies in trial and appellate courts across the country.  He is a member of the Criminal Justice Act Panel for the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Sixth and Seventh Circuits, as well as for the Northern District of Ohio. Johanes is an adjunct professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago School of Law, where he teaches International Bribery, Federal Criminal Law, and Expert Witnesses.  He has also served as a guest instructor at the University of Chicago School of Law, since 2023.