Why Hire Gonzalez & Waddington for Military Cases in Germany (Instead of a Germany-Based Military Attorney) – 2026 Edition
Your Freedom Demands More Than a “Local” Germany-Based Military Attorney
When your freedom, career, and future are on the line in Germany, you need the most experienced, battle-tested, and uncompromised civilian military defense team available. That is exactly why service members in Germany—and around the world—turn to Gonzalez & Waddington, Attorneys at Law, rather than relying solely on local military attorneys in Germany.
Since 2006, our military defense firm has tried court-martial cases, as civilian defense lawyers, throughout Germany—Grafenwöhr, Vilseck, Kaiserslautern, Wiesbaden, Stuttgart, Ansbach, Ramstein, Spangdahlem, Hohenfels, and across Europe. We know the courts, the rules, the system, the judges, and the investigative agencies.
But here is the difference: we are NOT part of that system. We do not socialize with local prosecutors, CID agents, or JAG offices. We do not rely on personal relationships to “fit in.” We do not have family members working for the government. We are entirely independent—feared and respected because we answer to our client, not to the military system.
When your life is on the line, you do NOT want a defense lawyer who shares office space, friendships, or social circles with the same prosecutors and military investigators trying to imprison you.
Important Conflict-of-Interest Questions to Ask Germany-Based Military Law Firms
Before hiring any Germany-based military law firm, ask direct questions about conflicts of interest.
- Ask if the attorney is married to anyone working in the SJA offices in Germany.
- Ask if the attorney is dating anyone in the SJA offices or the prosecution community.
- Ask if the attorney is close friends with anyone in the SJA, prosecution, or military justice system in Germany.
- Ask if anyone at the firm has similar relationships with CID, OSI, or NCIS personnel.
- Ask if any attorney or staff member is married to someone working for CID, OSI, or NCIS
- Ask if any attorney or staff member is dating or close friends with CID, OSI, or NCIS personnel, especially those based in Germany.
12 Advantages of Hiring Gonzalez & Waddington Instead of a Germany-Based Military Lawyer
1. Years of Proven Courtroom Success in Germany—But We Are Not Part of the US Military System
We’ve tried cases in Germany for many years without being absorbed into the local prosecution, military, or CID culture. We know the system intimately, but we are not part of the social structure surrounding the local SJAs, judges, prosecutors, and CID/OSI investigators. That independence is priceless. When we get hired, we prepare, fight like hell, and leave. We are not trying to be buddy-buddy with the local JAG prosecutors, CID, OSI, or the command.
2. Zero Personal or Romantic Relationships With CID, OSI, Prosecutors, or Any Government Personnel
Some local lawyers become overly familiar with the local military justice community. Some are literally dating, married to, or close personal friends with the same JAG prosecutors, CID agents, and OSI investigators working hard to put you in prison. We do not have romantic relationships, drinking buddies, or shared social circles with anyone on the government payroll, especially not Germany-based JAG prosecutors, CID agents, or OSI agents. Our only loyalty is to you.
3. We Teach, Write, and Train Other Civilian Criminal Defense & Military Lawyers Worldwide
Our attorneys write leading books, teach at national criminal defense conferences, create military justice training programs, and train JAGs and civilian attorneys globally. Germany-based attorneys rarely match this level of professional influence or scholarship.
4. Strong Defense Requires Distance—Not Familiarity With Local Prosecutors
If your Germany-based military defense lawyer is too embedded in the US military legal environment in Germany, prosecution teams become “colleagues,” not adversaries. CID and OSI investigators become close friends, lovers, or family members. We are outsiders, which means we can fight harder and without restraint.
5. A National-Level Team Approach—Not a One-Lawyer Shop
We bring a full team to your case, including:
- Defense investigators
- Digital-forensics consultants
- Sex-crimes and forensic psychology experts
- Administrative-law and mitigation specialists
Some Germany-based lawyers often operate alone or rely heavily on TDS/ADC to do critical work.
6. Travel Costs Are Meaningless Compared to Your Freedom
Some Germany-based military defense lawyers say hiring U.S. counsel costs too much. What they don’t mention is that many of them travel nonstop to Korea, Japan, the U.S., Italy, the Middle East, and other regions for cases. Travel is routine in this field. The real cost isn’t a plane ticket. It’s losing your freedom, rank, career, and retirement. Travel is nothing compared to securing the strongest defense you can get.
7. We Do NOT Rely on Cozy Relationships for “Deals”—We Build Winning Cases
Some local attorneys survive through familiarity and compromise. We survive through results. We don’t need approval or social acceptance from Germany’s prosecution offices—giving us total strategic freedom.
8. We Never Delegate Your Case to TDS/ADC
Some Germany-based lawyers rely heavily on detailed military counsel or quietly hand off major parts of your case to “of-counsel” subcontractors. That’s a serious warning sign. When a firm outsources the core work—interviews, investigations, motions, cross-examinations—you’re essentially paying for one lawyer while another, often less qualified, lawyer does the heavy lifting. Fees get split, accountability becomes blurred, and you’re left with a diluted defense.
We do everything ourselves and do not farm out the work to subcontractors. We conduct our own investigations, strategy sessions, trials, and cross-examinations. We never use “of-counsel” subcontractor lawyers to run your case behind the scenes. When you hire Gonzalez & Waddington, you get Michael Waddington and Alexandra Gonzalez-Waddington as your defense team from start to finish. With us, you get full-service representation, not a split-defense model.
9. You Get the Global Perspective—Not a Germany-Only View
Civilian defense lawyers who limit themselves to one region risk becoming complacent or predictable. Our firm defends cases in:
- Germany
- Across the United States
- Italy
- Japan
- South Korea
- The Middle East
- United States
- Pacific region and beyond
That global experience widens strategic options and keeps our approach aggressive and adaptable.
10. Outside Counsel Sends a Message: “This Service Member Is Fighting Back.”
Command pay attention when a highly respected outside firm enters the case. It changes negotiating positions, trial strategies, and the tone of interactions. Local counsel rarely has that effect.
11. We Don’t Fear the Government—We Fight It
Some local Germany-based military defense attorneys depend on staying friendly with prosecution offices to maintain “access.” We depend on winning. We aggressively cross-examine CID, OSI, prosecutors, and government experts—without hesitation or fear of social consequences.
12. We Are Known Worldwide for Sex-Crime, Violent-Crime, and High-Stakes Defense
No Germany-based firm has our depth of:
- Article 120 (sexual assault) litigation
- Digital-forensics cross-examination
- Witness impeachment and trial psychology
- Trial-advocacy authorship and national teaching
- International military defense experience across multiple theaters
We are brought into the toughest cases when others fail.
10 Additional Reasons to Choose Gonzalez & Waddington Instead of a Germany-Based Attorney
- We’re not restricted by Germany’s small legal circles—no conflicts of interest or social obligations.
- We have zero bias, no local alliances, and no reputational pressure to “go along to get along.”
- We handle the biggest, most complex cases worldwide—not just routine Germany cases.
- Our cross-examination methods are studied by other defense attorneys.
- We’ve authored trial advocacy and sex-crime defense books used by lawyers across the country.
- We bring in outside experts not tied to the Germany legal community.
- We have no fear of confronting CID, OSI, AFOSI, or NCIS agents—you benefit from that independence.
- Our courtroom reputation itself puts pressure on the prosecution.
- We thrive on motions, litigation, and trials—not passive plea bargaining.
- We operate with complete confidentiality—no local gossip, no local entanglements.
Contact Gonzalez & Waddington for Germany-Based Military Defense
If you are facing a court-martial, investigation, or administrative action in Germany, you deserve a defense team that knows the system—but is not controlled by it. We bring years of Germany trial experience, global credibility, and total independence from local prosecution networks.
➤ Contact Gonzalez & Waddington for Elite Military Defense in Germany
Germany Military Defense Lawyers – Frequently Asked Questions
Do you really travel to Germany for every hearing and major event in my case?
Yes. We have been traveling to Germany since 2006 and appear for jury selection, boards, trial, and key meetings.
Are your attorneys socially or romantically connected to local CID, OSI, or prosecutors?
Absolutely not. We have no romantic, social, or family relationships with CID agents, OSI, AFOSI, NCIS, prosecutors, or JAG personnel in Germany or anywhere else. Our loyalty is to you—and only you.
Do you rely on TDS or ADC to investigate and prepare my case?
No. We conduct our own independent investigations, witness interviews, and case preparation. While we coordinate with detailed military counsel when appropriate, we do not outsource core defense work to the free military defense system.
Why is hiring outside counsel better than hiring a Germany-based attorney?
Outside counsel is independent from Germany’s small legal community. We are not socially or professionally tied to the prosecutors trying to convict you. That distance allows us to challenge the system aggressively and without fear of local backlash or social fallout.
Are you still familiar with Germany’s military justice system if you’re not based there full-time?
Yes. We have tried cases in Germany for more than two decades. We know the judges, the local rules, the investigative agencies, and the unique challenges of practicing in EUCOM and USAFE—but we remain outside the local social and political system, which benefits your defense strategy.
Will hiring a U.S.-based lawyer cost more because of travel to Germany?
Travel costs are minor compared to the cost of losing your freedom, rank, and retirement. And many “Germany-based” lawyers travel constantly for cases outside Germany. The real question is whether your defense is strong enough—not whether a plane ticket is involved.
Will the command treat my case differently if I retain outside counsel like Gonzalez & Waddington?
Likely, yes. Retaining a globally recognized defense team signals that you are serious about fighting the case. Commands, prosecutors, and investigators generally treat the case with greater caution and respect when experienced outside counsel is involved.
Do you have any family members who work for the government or law enforcement?
No. We do not have spouses, partners, or relatives working for CID, OSI, JAG, law enforcement, or any prosecution office. There are no divided loyalties in our firm. Our only allegiance is to our clients.
Do you take every case that calls your office?
No. We limit the number of active cases we accept so that each client receives deep, focused, and aggressive representation. High-stakes cases require time and total commitment—we do not dilute our efforts across dozens of trials at once.
What types of cases do you defend in Germany and Europe?
We defend all serious UCMJ cases, including Article 120 (sexual assault), Article 120b (child sexual abuse), Article 118 and 119 (murder and manslaughter), Article 112a (drug crimes), Article 128 and 128b (assault and domestic violence), Article 133 (conduct unbecoming), and Article 134 general misconduct cases. If your case is life-changing or career-ending, we handle it.
