About Brittany K. Barnett

Brittany K. Barnett is a nationally respected attorney known for her strategic expertise in federal criminal defense as well as corporate and entertainment law. With a rare combination of legal mastery, business acumen as a licensed CPA, and lived experience, she brings sharp judgment and unwavering focus to high-stakes, high-impact matters.

Brittany’s work has resulted in executive clemency grants for clients across multiple presidential administrations. Her post-conviction advocacy has helped free more than 70 people serving unjust sentences, including clients convicted in Continuing Criminal Enterprise (CCE) cases and large-scale conspiracies. Among her many notable victories, she helped  secure the release of two clients in the Southern District of New York who had each served over 33 years of life sentences without parole.

Brittany also advises entrepreneurs, executives, and artists across industries, including tech, music, film, television, publishing, and beyond – bringing a deep understanding of business, culture, and strategy. In addition to her transactional practice, she provides high-level legal consulting, narrative strategy, and crisis communications, helping clients navigate complex challenges and lead with clarity and confidence. As a trusted advisor to some of the most influential voices in business and entertainment, she helps leaders leverage their platforms to drive meaningful change.

She began her legal career in corporate finance at Winstead in Dallas, then went on to serve as Associate General Counsel at the U.S. headquarters of global financial services firm ORIX, where she focused on mergers and acquisitions. While excelling in corporate practice, Brittany dedicated countless pro bono hours to clemency representation, securing the release of seven individuals during the Obama administration while working full-time in-house at ORIX.

Brittany’s commitment to justice is deeply personal. As the daughter of a formerly incarcerated mother, she knows firsthand the impact of mass incarceration. That lived experience fuels everything she does, including her philanthropic efforts, from co-founding the Buried Alive Project, which provides pro bono legal representation to people sentenced to life under outdated drug laws, to launching Manifest Freedom, an initiative that invests in formerly incarcerated entrepreneurs and reimagines justice through art, advocacy, and economic freedom. She also founded Girls Embracing Mothers (GEM), which, for over a decade, empowered thousands of women and girls impacted by maternal incarceration.

She has been featured in national media outlets including Good Morning America, CNN, Essence, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Vice News. Her impactful work has also been highlighted in prominent Texas publications such as The Dallas Morning News, D Magazine, and Texas Monthly. She is the best-selling author of A Knock at Midnight: A Story of Hope, Justice, and Freedom, an NAACP Image Award nominee and Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist. Her TED Talk, The Creativity, Innovation, and Ingenuity Languishing in U.S. Prisons, has reached over 1.7 million views, inspiring a national conversation about criminal justice reform.

Brittany earned her law degree from SMU’s Dedman School of Law, where she received the 2024 Distinguished Alumni Award. Prior to practicing law, she became a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and worked at international accounting firm PwC. She holds both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in accounting.