Ahmed Ghappour Joins Swift & McDonald as Associate Attorney

Seattle-based criminal defense firm hires court-certified expert on U.S. interrogation practices in war on terror, extraordinary rendition and secret detentions

Seattle (PRWEB) April 23, 2010 -- The Seattle-based law firm of Swift & McDonald, which specializes in the criminal defense and cases involving national security issues, today announced that Ahmed Ghappour has joined the firm as an associate.

Ghappour comes to Swift & McDonald from Reprieve UK, a non-profit organization that provides legal services to protect the human rights of prisoners around the world, where he challenged the unlawful detention of more than 40 prisoners in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and participated in litigation regarding extraordinary renditions and secret detentions. Previously, he was an associate in the Menlo Park office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe.

Ghappour was recently certified by a Canadian court as an expert on U.S. interrogation practices in the war on terror, extraordinary renditions, secret detentions and the U.S. courts' response to these matters. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Rutgers University and his law degree from New York University School of Law.

Swift & McDonald was formed in 2008 by Charlie Swift and Catherine McDonald, two seasoned criminal defense attorneys with a combination of more than 25 years of trial experience representing individuals accused of crimes. Since its founding, the firm has experienced steady growth and has expanded its office staff. Earlier this year, the firm relocated to larger office space in downtown Seattle.

"We're delighted that Ahmed has joined our firm because he provides special expertise to our clients with his deep cultural understanding of the unique challenges faced by Muslim Americans, as well as his fluency in the Arabic language," said McDonald.

Swift and McDonald were law school classmates, both graduating from Seattle University in 1994. In 2008, Swift relocated to Seattle and the two of them resigned each of their prior positions in order to launch their criminal defense law partnership.

For more information about Swift & McDonald, please go to www.prolegaldefense.com or call 206.441.3377.

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For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2010/04/prweb3910744.htm