Steven R. Safra
Snapshot
| Field | Documented information |
|---|---|
| Name in the court records | Steven R. Safra, also listed as Steven Safra. |
| Verified professional identity | The Florida Bar profile names Steven Russell Hicks-Safra, Bar No. 57028. The 2015 counsel block gives Safra the same number, written 057028. |
| Firm and client | Cole, Scott & Kissane; counsel for Alan Dershowitz in Edwards and Cassell v. Dershowitz, Broward County case No. CACE15-000072. |
| Documented work | Discovery argument at an April 2015 hearing, opposition to sealing at a December 2015 hearing, and counsel listings in filings and deposition transcripts. |
| Case resolution | An April 8, 2016 stipulation dismissed the parties’ claims against one another with prejudice, with each side bearing its own attorney fees and costs. |
| Evidence limit | Professional representation does not establish participation in abuse. A lawyer’s position, a witness’s answer, and a court ruling are different kinds of evidence. |
Introduction
Steven R. Safra appears in Epstein-related records through his work as Alan Dershowitz’s attorney. The reviewed records identify his client and document his own arguments about discovery and sealing. They also show where he was simply listed among several lawyers.
This profile examines that professional role in the Florida civil case during 2015 and 2016. It uses the identified original records and official professional profiles reviewed through October 17, 2026. It does not treat a shared surname or a place on a counsel list as evidence of a wider personal connection.
Key Takeaways
- Safra represented Dershowitz in the reviewed civil case. Other lawyers were separately identified as Epstein’s counsel.
- His Florida Bar number connects the historical court name to the current professional name Steven Russell Hicks-Safra.
- At the April 10, 2015 hearing, Safra participated by phone and made his own argument to narrow discovery.
- A December 18, 2015 transcript excerpt records his objection to sealing and Judge Thomas M. Lynch IV’s decision to grant the motion. The excerpt is incomplete.
- The January 2016 deposition rosters list Safra by phone. They do not make the witness’s testimony or another lawyer’s questions his own.
- The April 2016 dismissal stipulation lists Safra as counsel, but the defense signature is associated with Thomas E. Scott.
Identity and Professional Background
The Florida Bar directory identifies Steven Russell Hicks-Safra as Bar No. 57028 and gives September 25, 2008 as his admission date. The October 2015 court filing lists Steven R. Safra with Florida Bar No. 057028. The matching professional number and firm support the identity match.
His official Cole, Scott & Kissane profile, checked October 17, 2026, identifies him as the firm’s general counsel in Miami. That is current professional context, not a claim that he held the same position during the 2015 litigation. The reviewed sources do not establish when or why the name form changed.
The court name remains useful for locating these historical records. Identity should be checked through the client, firm, professional number, and document context, rather than through surname search totals.
The Civil Case and Early Counsel Listing
The reviewed records concern Bradley J. Edwards and Paul G. Cassell v. Alan Dershowitz, case No. CACE15-000072 in Florida’s Seventeenth Judicial Circuit, Broward County. This was civil litigation connected to disputes arising from Epstein-related allegations. It was not Epstein’s criminal prosecution.
The House Oversight packet containing HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014110 reproduces Dershowitz’s state discovery response. PDF page 27 lists Safra and his bar number in the counsel block. Scott is the signer. The next page dates service to February 23, 2015.
Those state papers were later included in Document 319-1 in the federal case Doe v. United States, entered March 24, 2015. The federal filing date is not the date of the state response, and its inclusion does not make Safra the signer of a federal filing.
April 10, 2015: Safra’s Own Discovery Argument
The April 10 hearing transcript, EFTA01203823 identifies Safra as participating by telephone for Dershowitz. On PDF page 4, he explains that he works with Scott, is available to assist him, and is not leading that day’s presentation.
His role was not limited to that introduction. On PDF page 41, Bates EFTA01203863, lines 9 through 19, the transcript attributes a discovery proposal directly to Safra. He asked the court to narrow the document inquiry to the alleged incidents and exclude material created after the defamation suit was filed or concerning Dershowitz’s federal representation of Epstein.
Safra argued that the excluded material raised relevance and attorney-client privilege issues. Privilege is a claimed legal protection for certain confidential communications. These were defense arguments about the scope of discovery, not findings that the underlying allegations were true or false. The hearing records Lynch reserving ruling; it does not establish that he adopted Safra’s proposed limits.
October 2015: Client Confirmation and a Written Reply
An excerpt of Dershowitz’s October 15, 2015 deposition appears in EFTA01111154. At PDF page 25, printed transcript page 28, lines 14 through 16, he expressly confirms that Steven Safra represents him in that litigation. This is the client’s testimony about representation, not testimony given by Safra.
The October 27, 2015 discovery reply, EFTA01116468 also lists Safra for Dershowitz. It supports a motion seeking documents and fuller answers to written questions. On PDF page 22, Bates EFTA01116489, Safra is in the counsel block, but Scott signs the reply. Scott also signs the service certificate on page 23.
A listed lawyer should not automatically be called the signer or sole author. The reply records the defense position, not an order granting its request.
December 18, 2015: The Sealing Hearing
Exhibit 5 in EFTA01111154 contains an excerpt of a December 18, 2015 hearing on a nonparty’s emergency motion to seal. Safra is listed for Dershowitz. The copy preserves printed pages 1, 2, and 23 through 25, at PDF pages 50 through 54. The intervening pages are absent.
On printed page 23, Bates EFTA01111205, Lynch says the discussions were confidential settlement discussions and grants the motion to seal over the defendant’s objection. Safra disputes whether the required basis for that relief had been shown.
On printed pages 24 and 25, Safra asks how the finding affects a separate motion in limine, a request about what evidence may be used. Lynch says he will hear arguments on that issue later and is not addressing it that day. Safra also advances his client’s view that sealing should apply to public filings in Florida. The excerpt ends during the ensuing discussion, so it does not establish that this proposed limit was adopted.
The hearing happened in December 2015. The packet containing the excerpt was filed March 8, 2016, as Filing 38774829. The packet’s later filing date and its advocates’ assertions should not be substituted for the transcript’s date or the judge’s recorded ruling.
January 2016: Three Distinct Deposition Rosters
Three reviewed volumes list Safra by phone for Dershowitz. Volume 3, EFTA00615804, covers the January 12, 2016 morning session. Volume 4, EFTA01137794, covers that afternoon. Volume 6, EFTA02726849, covers the January 13 afternoon session.
Safra appears on PDF page 2 of each volume. The corresponding printed pages are 335, 463, and 783. Volume 3 uses a condensed layout, with several transcript pages on one PDF page. These distinctions matter when locating a passage.
The rosters establish his listed participation and client. They do not establish physical attendance, personal knowledge of the witness’s experiences, or responsibility for every question and objection. The reviewed passages do not identify a particular January question or instruction as Safra’s own.
April 2016: Dismissal and Appellate Appendix
The April 8, 2016 stipulation in EFTA01085840 dismissed Edwards and Cassell’s claims against Dershowitz and his claims against them with prejudice. Each side was to bear its own attorney fees and costs. With prejudice means the dismissed claims cannot simply be brought again.
PDF page 8, appendix page A5, Bates EFTA01085847, lists Safra in the defense counsel block. The signature line is associated with Scott, not Safra. Being listed supports Safra’s role as counsel; it does not establish that he personally signed or negotiated the agreement.
The outer document is an appendix to a motion to dismiss appeal No. 4D15-4527, Epstein v. Edwards and Cassell, as moot. Its service certificate is dated April 27. Its service list identifies Safra for Dershowitz and separately lists Epstein’s lawyers. The appendix is not the appellate court’s final order.
The April 8 settlement announcement includes Dershowitz’s denial of the underlying allegations and Edwards and Cassell’s position that they acted in good faith. Their notice withdrawing a partial summary judgment motion expressly says the withdrawal did not concede that Giuffre’s underlying allegations were mistaken. These are attributed positions. The stipulated dismissal was not a trial verdict deciding those allegations.
Chronology
| Date | Documented event |
|---|---|
| September 25, 2008 | Florida Bar profile gives the admission date for member 57028. |
| February 23 and March 24, 2015 | State discovery response served February 23; federal exhibit containing it entered March 24. Safra listed; Scott signs. |
| April 10, 2015 | Hearing transcript records Safra’s remote appearance and discovery argument. |
| October 15, 2015 | Dershowitz deposition excerpt records the client confirming Safra’s representation. |
| October 27, 2015 | Discovery reply lists Safra in the counsel block; Scott signs. |
| December 18, 2015 | Sealing hearing excerpt records Safra’s objection and Lynch’s ruling. |
| January 12 and 13, 2016 | Volume 3, Volume 4, and Volume 6 list Safra by phone. |
| March 8, 2016 | Filing 38774829 includes the earlier October deposition and December hearing excerpts. |
| April 8 and 27, 2016 | Dismissal stipulation filed April 8; later reproduced in an appendix served April 27. |
Evidence Appearances
| Record and locator | Meaning and limits |
|---|---|
| House Oversight packet, federal Document 319-1, PDF pages 16, 27, and 28; Bates HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014099, 014110, and 014111 | State response, Safra counsel listing and bar number, Scott signature, and February 23 service. Federal exhibit entered March 24, 2015. |
| EFTA01203823, PDF pages 2, 4, and 41; argument at Bates EFTA01203863 | April 10, 2015 hearing. Safra’s role and his discovery proposal, not a ruling accepting it. |
| EFTA01116468, PDF pages 1, 22, and 23; Bates EFTA01116489 and EFTA01116490 for counsel and service | October 27 reply. Safra listed with Bar No. 057028; Scott signs both reply and service certificate. |
| EFTA01111154, PDF pages 18, 19, and 25; printed pages 1, 2, and 28; Bates EFTA01111171, EFTA01111172, and EFTA01111178 | October 15 deposition excerpt. Safra listed by phone; Dershowitz confirms he represents him. |
| EFTA01111154, PDF pages 50 through 54; printed pages 1, 2, and 23 through 25; Bates EFTA01111203 through EFTA01111207 | December 18 sealing hearing excerpt. Safra’s arguments and Lynch’s limited ruling. Printed pages 3 through 22 are missing, and the excerpt ends mid-discussion. |
| EFTA00615804, PDF pages 1 and 2; roster at printed page 335, Bates EFTA00615805 | Volume 3, January 12 morning. Safra listed by phone; condensed transcript layout. |
| EFTA01137794, PDF pages 1 and 2; roster at printed page 463, Bates EFTA01137795 | Volume 4, January 12 afternoon. Safra listed by phone. |
| EFTA02726849, PDF pages 1 and 2; roster at printed page 783, Bates EFTA02726850 | Volume 6, January 13 afternoon. Safra listed by phone. |
| EFTA01085840, PDF pages 2, 3, 7, and 8; stipulation at Bates EFTA01085846 and EFTA01085847 | April 27 appendix service and separate client groups; April 8 stipulation lists Safra. Not a final appeal order. |
| Settlement announcement, pages 1 and 2 of the six-page packet; withdrawal notice, pages 1 and 2 | April 8, 2016 attributed party positions and limits of withdrawal. These sources do not establish a Safra negotiation role or a judicial finding on the allegations. |
Limitations and Open Questions
- The records establish professional representation and specific advocacy. They do not establish personal participation in abuse or a financial or social relationship with Epstein.
- The reviewed counsel blocks identify Safra for Dershowitz. A document containing Epstein’s name does not by itself identify Safra as Epstein’s lawyer.
- The December hearing copy is an excerpt. The complete transcript, later ruling on the motion in limine, and final appellate order were not verified for this profile.
- Counsel listings do not establish sole authorship or personal signatures. A transcript records a speaker’s words, not the truth of every statement.
- The sources do not map every hearing, private discussion, billable task, or discovery ruling. The January records are three specified volumes.
- Pseudonyms and redactions are preserved. Private contact information and unnecessary personal testimony are not reproduced.
Conclusion
Safra’s documented connection is his work for Dershowitz in civil litigation. The strongest records identify his client, record his own discovery and sealing arguments, and show his place in the wider legal team. Reading those records accurately requires separating counsel listings from signatures, advocacy from findings, and individual proceedings from later packets that reproduce them.
Questions and Answers
Who is Steven R. Safra in these records?
He is the Cole, Scott & Kissane lawyer listed for Dershowitz. His historical bar number matches the current Florida Bar profile for Steven Russell Hicks-Safra.
Was he only a name on a counsel list?
No. The April 2015 transcript records his discovery argument, and the December 2015 excerpt records his objection to sealing and requests for clarification.
Did the judge accept his position on sealing?
The excerpt records Lynch granting sealing over the defense objection. It does not establish that Safra’s proposed geographic limit was accepted or that the separate motion in limine was decided then.
Did Safra give the January deposition testimony?
No. Dershowitz was the witness. Safra appears on the counsel rosters by phone; questions and objections must be attributed to the named speaker.
Did Safra sign the April dismissal stipulation?
The reviewed page lists him as counsel, but the signature line is associated with Scott. It does not support calling Safra the signer.
Does representation establish wrongdoing?
No. These professional records do not establish personal participation in the conduct alleged against a client.
Related EpsteinWiki Articles
Sources
- Florida Bar: member 57028, Steven Russell Hicks-Safra. Official directory, checked October 17, 2026. Name, bar number, and admission date.
- Cole, Scott & Kissane: Steven Hicks-Safra. Official professional profile, checked October 17, 2026. Current name and firm role.
- House Oversight packet containing HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014110 and HOUSE_OVERSIGHT_014111. Doe v. United States, Document 319-1, entered March 24, 2015. State discovery response and February 23 service, PDF pages 16, 27, and 28.
- Edwards and Cassell v. Dershowitz, April 10, 2015 hearing. EFTA01203823. Safra appearance at PDF pages 2 and 4; own discovery argument at page 41, lines 9 through 19, Bates EFTA01203863.
- Dershowitz reply supporting motion to compel. Filed October 27, 2015, Filing 33747975. PDF pages 22 and 23, Bates EFTA01116489 and EFTA01116490, show counsel and Scott’s signatures.
- March 8, 2016 opposition packet, Filing 38774829. Exhibit 2 contains the October 15, 2015 deposition excerpt: PDF pages 18, 19, and 25. Exhibit 5 contains the incomplete December 18, 2015 sealing hearing: PDF pages 50 through 54. Advocates’ assertions in the covering motion are not treated as findings.
- Dershowitz deposition, Volume 3. January 12, 2016, morning. PDF page 2, upper-left panel, printed page 335, Bates EFTA00615805.
- Dershowitz deposition, Volume 4. January 12, 2016, afternoon. PDF page 2, printed page 463, Bates EFTA01137795.
- Dershowitz deposition, Volume 6. January 13, 2016, afternoon. PDF page 2, printed page 783, Bates EFTA02726850.
- Appendix to motion to dismiss appeal as moot, No. 4D15-4527. April 27, 2016 service certificate at PDF page 2; service list at page 3. April 8 stipulation, Filing 40060746, at pages 7 and 8, appendix A4 and A5, Bates EFTA01085846 and EFTA01085847.
- April 8, 2016 settlement announcement. Pages 1 and 2 of the six-page packet, including attributed statements from mediator Jeffrey E. Streitfeld, Dershowitz, Edwards, and Cassell.
- Edwards and Cassell notice withdrawing partial summary judgment motion. Filed April 8, 2016, Filing 40060177. Pages 1 and 2 explain the limits of the withdrawal.