Meet the U.S. Attorney

Markenzy Lapointe
United States Attorney

Nominated by President Joseph Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Lapointe leads an office of nearly 500 attorneys and support professionals responsible for investigating and prosecuting federal crimes in South Florida and litigating civil matters in which the U.S. has an interest.

Prior to his appointment, Lapointe was a partner in the Miami office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, where he handled commercial, high exposure product liability, professional malpractice, and criminal investigation matters. He also co-chaired the law firm’s Advancement of Diverse Attorneys Committee, promoting the retention and advancement of attorneys from diverse backgrounds. 

Lapointe began his legal career with the Florida Supreme Court, where he served as a law clerk to the Honorable Harry Lee Anstead from 1999 to 2001. He went on to serve as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida from 2002 to 2006, handling federal criminal matters that ranged from narcotics and firearms crimes to bank and mortgage fraud. Lapointe worked as a litigation associate, and later partner, for the Miami office of Boies Schiller Flexner LLP from 2006 to 2017. After that, he joined Pillsbury as a partner.

Throughout his career, Lapointe has maintained a notable pro bono practice. He received the Legal Aid/Put Something Back Pro Bono Award in Child Advocacy and the Daily Business Review’s Most Effective Lawyer Award for Pro Bono in Family Law.

Lapointe received his law degree from Florida State University College of Law and a degree in finance from Florida State University College of Business. He also attended Miami Dade College.

Lapointe is a U.S. Marine Gulf War veteran and the first Haitian-born American lawyer to serve as U.S. Attorney. He emigrated from Haiti to the U.S. as a teenager, lived in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood, and graduated from Edison High School.