Manuel Leo Batista

Prior to private practice, Mr. Batista served the New York City Police Department for over twenty-seven years, rising from Police Cadet to Deputy Inspector through six promotions. He commanded narcotics investigations, internal affairs units, school safety task forces, and transit operations across all five boroughs.

From 2015 to 2021, he served as a Senior Assistant District Attorney at the Kings County District Attorney's Office (Brooklyn), leading grand jury presentations, long-term narcotics conspiracy investigations, eavesdropping warrant applications, and serving on the Giglio compliance team.

From 2022 to 2025, Mr. Batista served as a Program Manager with the U.S. Department of State's International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Section (INL) at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala City, managing a budget exceeding $10 million and overseeing anti-corruption, trafficking, and forensic science initiatives. He holds an Active Secret Security Clearance.

Mr. Batista holds a Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law-Newark, a Master of Arts from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and completed the Columbia Business School Police Management Institute at West Point. Fluent in Spanish, he operates a full-service law firm licensed in NY, NJ, and PA, with offices in New York, New Jersey, and Florida, serving clients in criminal defense, estate planning, immigration, and matrimonial law.

A Dominican immigrant raised in Washington Heights and Staten Island, Mr. Batista brings a personal understanding of the immigrant experience to every client he serves.