Sean Buckley

Meet Attorney Sean Buckley

Sean Buckley is one of Mississippi’s most sought-after criminal defense attorneys, focusing heavily on complex federal criminal defense, high-stakes state criminal cases, and select serious personal injury matters. Based in Gulfport, Mississippi, he represents clients throughout South Mississippi and across the United States in cases where liberty, reputation, and livelihoods are on the line.

With nearly three decades of experience, Mr. Buckley has built a reputation for taking on difficult, high-exposure cases and delivering results in some of the most challenging legal matters. He focuses a substantial portion of his criminal practice on the highly specialized field of health care fraud defense, where he is among the few lawyers in the United States to have secured full acquittals on all counts in federal health care fraud trials involving alleged fraud losses exceeding $100 million (see summary below under Notable Cases).

Mr. Buckley’s reputation for results has earned him a distinguished list of past clients, including a former United States Congressman, a former United States District Judge, the CEO of a billion-dollar worldwide financial services company, a decorated NASA astronaut, national recording artists, doctors, lawyers, teachers, military service members, and many other individuals from all walks of life.

Mr. Buckley is admitted to the state and federal bars of Mississippi and Texas and holds an AV-Preeminent® rating from Martindale-Hubbell, the nation’s most respected attorney rating system since 1887.

Sean Buckley, federal criminal defense attorney serving Gulfport, Hattiesburg, and South Mississippi.

Professional Recognition and National Authority:

An AV-Preeminent rating signifies the highest level of professional excellence, legal ability, and ethical standards and is awarded to only a small percentage of attorneys nationwide. Mr. Buckley is also recognized by Best Lawyers in America, Mid-South Super Lawyers, and America’s Most Honored Lawyers.

Attorney Sean Buckley has been quoted on issues involving criminal defense and personal injury law by major national media outlets, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, CNN, NBC, CBS, FOX, The Houston Chronicle, The Dallas Morning News, and The Associated Press. In addition, the Law Offices of Sean Buckley, PLLC has been voted Best of Coastal Mississippi (First Place) for the past three years.

Mr. Buckley is a member of the Federal Bar Association, the Bar Association of the Federal Fifth Circuit, the Criminal Defense Section of the Mississippi Bar, and the Mississippi Association for Justice.

National Authority in Federal Criminal Defense:

Mr. Buckley serves annually as Lead Attorney Editor of O’Connor’s Federal Criminal Rules & Codes (Thomson Reuters, 2010–2026), a federal criminal law resource trusted by federal criminal defense attorneys across the United States. In this role, he analyzes, interprets, and updates federal criminal statutes, procedural rules, sentencing provisions, and emerging case law, ensuring the publication reflects the most current and authoritative legal guidance available.

This work places Mr. Buckley at the forefront of federal criminal law developments and provides a level of insight and command of federal practice that few defense attorneys possess. He is the only attorney in Mississippi to hold this distinction.

Education and Professional Background:

Mr. Buckley graduated magna cum laude from Auburn University (BA, Phi Kappa Phi, 1996) and earned his law degree from The University of Texas School of Law (1999). He first gained prominence as a criminal defense attorney in 2004 with the exoneration of John Harvey, a man serving a 40-year prison sentence for a crime he did not commit.

Following the Harvey exoneration, renowned criminal defense attorney Dick DeGuerin recruited Mr. Buckley to join DeGuerin & Dickson, where he served as co-counsel in numerous high-stakes and high-profile cases. Mr. Buckley remained with the firm until 2013, when he opened the Law Offices of Sean Buckley.

During his time at the DeGuerin firm, Mr. Buckley developed a philosophy for winning and a reputation for aggressive, strategic, and creative advocacy in complex criminal cases.

A Strategic and Aggressive Defense:

Sean Buckley approaches every case with careful preparation, strategic thinking, and aggressive advocacy. He understands that criminal charges and investigations can affect every aspect of a client’s life, including career, family, and future.

Whether representing clients in federal criminal cases, serious state charges, or complex litigation, Mr. Buckley is committed to protecting his clients’ legal rights and pursuing the best possible outcome.

Serving Gulfport, Hattiesburg, and all of South Mississippi. Nationwide federal criminal defense cases accepted on a case-by-case basis.

NOTABLE CASES:

Every case is different, and past results do not predict future outcomes in other cases.

Following a 75-day federal jury trial, Mr. Buckley and co-counsel Jim Lavine won a stunning “Not Guilty” jury verdict for their client, Jeffry Cockerell, who was indicted for allegedly participating in a $120 million federal healthcare fraud conspiracy. Following the “Not Guilty” verdict, Mr. Buckley secured an order forcing the federal government to return $3 million they seized from Mr. Cockerell at the time of his arrest.

Mr. Buckley secured the dismissal of all federal charges against his client, Dr. Ed Jacinthe, a physician charged with Healthcare Fraud and Conspiracy. Mr. Buckley successfully demonstrated to prosecutors before trial that Dr. Jacinthe did not commit fraud when he signed orders for services reimbursed by Medicaid, even though the services were later found to be medically unnecessary.

Mr. Buckley served as co-counsel and diplomatic liaison for his client, Larry Davis, a U.S. citizen charged with drug trafficking in the Dominican Republic after U.S. DEA agents and Dominican officials boarded Davis’s boat and found 980 kilos of cocaine stashed inside. After a lengthy trial in the capitol city of Santo Domingo, a panel of Dominican federal judges found Mr. Davis “Not Guilty” and ordered his release.

Mr. Buckley won the pretrial dismissal of federal tax evasion charges for his client, Richard Armaugh. A federal district judge agreed with Mr. Buckley’s argument that Mr. Armaugh’s speedy trial rights were violated when federal agents took 9 years to find him in Ecuador, extradite him to the U.S., and bring him to court to stand trial.

Mr. Buckley won a “Not Guilty” jury verdict for his client, [Name Expunged], who was charged with drug possession after police found baggies of cocaine in her pockets. In a “Hail Mary” pass with no other options, Mr. Buckley successfully pulled off the mythical “borrowed pants defense” by arguing that his client borrowed her shorts from another woman and then wore them without checking the pockets. The jury acquitted based on reasonable doubt.

Mr. Buckley won a “Not Guilty” jury verdict for his client, Jason Palmer, a law enforcement officer charged with Murder in the shooting of a known gang member. While prosecutors alleged that Mr. Palmer killed the alleged victim “execution style” in retaliation for past threats, Mr. Buckley successfully convinced the jury that Mr. Palmer acted in self-defense.

Mr. Buckley successfully exonerated his client, John Michael Harvey, who was serving a 40-year prison sentence for a child sex crime he didn’t commit. Mr. Buckley used the alleged victim’s recantation to prove Mr. Harvey’s innocence, overturn his conviction, and win his release.

Mr. Buckley secured the dismissal of all criminal charges against his client, [Name Expunged], an attorney accused of attempting to strangle his child’s mother (who was a judge). By the time of trial, the alleged victim refused to testify in court and Mr. Buckley successfully suppressed her prior recorded statement to police – leaving prosecutors with no evidence.

Mr. Buckley won the dismissal of Domestic Violence charges against his client, a U.S. Coast Guard officer falsely accused of domestic violence by his vindictive ex-girlfriend. Following the dismissal of charges, the alleged victim then attempted to get a protective order against Mr. Buckley’s client. Mr. Buckley cross-examined the alleged victim at the protective order hearing and successfully demonstrated that she was the stalker (and not the client). The Court denied the protective order.

Mr. Buckley served as lead counsel representing a target of the federal drug conspiracy investigation in the Southern District of Mississippi that later resulted in the prosecution and conviction of former Biloxi City Council Member Robert Deming III. At the conclusion of the investigation, federal prosecutors declined to file any charges against Mr. Buckley’s client, who was an alleged supplier.

Mr. Buckley won a “Not Guilty” trial verdict for a U.S. Air Force officer falsely accused of Domestic Violence. Mr. Buckley successfully demonstrated at trial that the alleged victim orchestrated false allegations of abuse to gain leverage in a pending divorce case and to publicly humiliate Mr. Buckley’s client.