A federal criminal defense firm is only as strong as the people who do its work. Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C., is a deliberately small, focused team built around federal criminal defense, appeals, and post-conviction relief — the technically demanding work that decides cases after the indictment, after the verdict, and after the first appeal. Our principal attorney leads every matter; a seasoned paralegal and operations team supports the briefs, motions, and petitions that follow. This page introduces each member of that team and the combined capability they bring to a federal case.
If you are facing a federal investigation or charge, or are considering an appeal or post-conviction motion, we offer a paid, one-hour initial consultation to review the matter and the options.
What This Page Covers
Elizabeth Franklin-Best — Principal Attorney
Elizabeth Franklin-Best is our principal attorney. Over more than two decades of federal criminal defense and appellate practice, she has earned admission to the U.S. Supreme Court (2011), twelve of the thirteen U.S. Courts of Appeals, and seven U.S. District Courts, and she is a member of the South Carolina and New York state bars. She carries two national recognitions in 2026: a Best Lawyers in America listing in Appellate Practice and a Chambers USA ranking for Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations. Earlier in her career she was named South Carolina Public Defender of the Year. The author of Reversing Your Criminal Conviction, she leads our federal trial, appellate, and post-conviction work and has appeared at every level of the federal system, from the U.S. district courts to the courts of appeals and the certiorari stage at the Supreme Court.
She earned her J.D. from the University of Wyoming College of Law and also holds a master’s degree in philosophy — a background in rigorous, structured reasoning that shapes the way she reads a record and builds an argument. Over her career she has handled more than 330 federal proceedings, including over 100 federal appeals, and a number of those matters have produced published opinions that now sit in the federal and state reporters. Beyond the courtroom, she is the author of Reversing Your Criminal Conviction, a practitioner-facing guide to the federal appeal and post-conviction process, a frequent continuing-legal-education speaker on appellate brief-writing and federal post-conviction procedure, and an active member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the American Bar Association’s White Collar Crime Committee, and the Women’s White Collar Defense Association. A fuller account of her admissions, recognition, and representative matters appears on her attorney profile.
Christopher Zoukis — Managing Director
Christopher Zoukis, JD, MBA, is our Managing Director and a nationally recognized authority on the federal prison system — Bureau of Prisons designation, sentence computation, prison discipline, the First Step Act, and reentry. He is the author of the Federal Prison Handbook, Directory of Federal Prisons, Prison Education Guide, and College for Convicts, with the Federal Criminal Defendant’s Handbook forthcoming. He chairs the Board of the Human Rights Defense Center and is regularly quoted by outlets including CNN, The Washington Post, Bloomberg Law, and the Associated Press on federal prison policy. Christopher leads the firm’s strategic direction and operations.
LaDonna Falvey — Lead Paralegal and Firm Administrator
LaDonna Falvey is our Lead Paralegal and Firm Administrator. She brings more than 15 years of award-winning investigative journalism, along with formal paralegal training — a rare combination of research discipline and document-intensive rigor that suits the demands of federal appellate and post-conviction work. Under attorney supervision, she supports our appellate briefs, post-conviction motions, and compassionate release petitions, and manages the systems and schedules that keep complex federal matters organized and on time. She is a paralegal and administrator, not an attorney, and does not provide legal advice.
Kimberly Zoukis — Operations Manager
Kimberly Zoukis is our Operations Manager. She oversees client care, intake, and day-to-day firm operations, and has been with the firm and its predecessors since 2019, giving her a deep, practical familiarity with how the practice serves its clients. She holds a Certificate in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. Often the first point of contact for people who reach out to the firm, she is part of our operations team, not an attorney, and does not provide legal advice.
How the Team Works Together
A small firm is a deliberate choice, not a limitation. Because the team is intentionally compact, the people who first evaluate a matter are the same people who carry it through to a brief, a motion, or an oral argument — there is no handoff to junior staff you never meet. Every federal case begins with a detailed review by our principal attorney, who sets the strategy and remains responsible for the legal work from start to finish.
From there, the work moves through a disciplined, records-first process. Kimberly Zoukis manages intake and client care, so a new matter is organized and understood from the first call. LaDonna Falvey, working under attorney supervision, assembles and cross-checks the record that a federal appeal or post-conviction motion depends on — transcripts, filings, and exhibits — and keeps each matter on its deadlines. Christopher Zoukis contributes the firm’s strategic direction and its distinctive command of the federal prison system, informing sentencing, designation, and post-conviction strategy. Elizabeth Franklin-Best drafts and argues the briefs and petitions. The result is that each matter receives senior attention at every stage, supported by a team built specifically for the demands of federal appellate and post-conviction practice.
Our Record in the Federal Courts
The team’s work is anchored by the courtroom record of our principal attorney. Over more than two decades, Elizabeth Franklin-Best has appeared in more than 330 federal proceedings, including over 100 federal appeals, with representations in twelve of the thirteen federal courts of appeals and at the certiorari stage of the U.S. Supreme Court. Her practice is concentrated in the Fourth Circuit and her home district, the District of South Carolina, and it reaches nationwide through pro hac vice admission, from Montana to Florida.
That experience is reflected in published decisions. Elizabeth Franklin-Best served as appellate counsel in United States v. Slager, 912 F.3d 224 (4th Cir. 2019), a federal sentencing appeal — the kind of record-intensive appellate matter that defines our practice. We describe these representations as evidence of experience and authority, not as a prediction about any individual case: past results do not guarantee a particular outcome, and every federal matter turns on its own facts, record, and law.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who leads Elizabeth Franklin-Best, P.C.?
Our firm is led by principal attorney Elizabeth Franklin-Best, who has practiced federal criminal defense and appellate law for more than two decades and is admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court and twelve of the thirteen U.S. Courts of Appeals. Her white-collar work is ranked by Chambers USA in its 2026 guide for Litigation: White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations.
Who will handle my federal case?
Federal trial, appellate, and post-conviction matters are led by our principal attorney, Elizabeth Franklin-Best, with support from our paralegal and operations team. The specific staffing of a matter is discussed during the initial consultation.
How do I get in touch with the team?
The best first step is to schedule a paid, one-hour initial consultation through our booking page. You can also reach us through our Contact page.
Does the firm handle federal appeals and post-conviction cases nationwide?
Yes. Federal criminal law is national, and our practice is built around federal appeals and post-conviction relief. Our principal attorney, Elizabeth Franklin-Best, is admitted to twelve of the thirteen U.S. Courts of Appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court and appears in district courts across the country through pro hac vice admission. She has handled more than 100 federal appeals in circuits nationwide.
Talk With a Federal Criminal Defense Lawyer
If you are facing a federal investigation or charge — or are considering an appeal or post-conviction motion — we offer a paid, one-hour initial consultation to review the matter and the path forward.