Daniel Ruzumna is a partner in the firm’s Litigation Department and a member of its White Collar Defense and Investigations group and Mortgage and Credit Crisis Team. Mr. Ruzumna has extensive trial and appellate experience, having served as lead counsel in twelve jury trials and having briefed and argued ten cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Mr. Ruzumna's practice focuses on the areas of white collar criminal defense and related regulatory proceedings, internal investigations, and complex financial litigation. He has represented corporations and corporate executives in many recent high-profile criminal and regulatory investigations involving alleged violations of the securities laws, antitrust laws, and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Mr. Ruzumna has also represented private equity, media and telecommunications clients in complex financial litigations, international arbitrations, and mediations.

Before joining Patterson Belknap in 2005, Mr. Ruzumna spent six years working at the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, where he last served as Acting Chief of the Major Crimes Unit, a unit of more than twenty federal prosecutors dedicated to investigating and prosecuting economic crimes and financial frauds. As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Ruzumna investigated and prosecuted white collar criminal cases involving bank fraud, mail and wire fraud, health care fraud, securities fraud and money laundering. He also prosecuted organized crime and handled civil and criminal asset forfeiture actions. In 2004, Mr. Ruzumna received the Department of Justice's John Marshall Award for Asset Forfeiture, the Department's highest honor in that practice area, and acted as a lecturer and instructor of trial advocacy at the Department’s National Advocacy Center.

After graduation from law school, Mr. Ruzumna served as a Law Clerk to the late Hon. Jay C. Waldman, United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Mr. Ruzumna then spent over three years in private practice in Washington D.C. before becoming a federal prosecutor.

Representative Matters

White Collar Defense and Regulatory Enforcement
Representation of a corporation that provides independent research to investment managers in a Martin Act insider trading investigation being conducted by the N.Y. Attorney General’s Office.

Representation of a company that promoted tax-avoidance strategies in a U.S. Department of Justice investigation into allegedly unlawful tax shelters.

Representation of a not-for-profit organization threatened with debarment in connection with a U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Department of the Interior investigation into the organization’s receipt and use of federal grant money.

Representation of the chief executive officer of a telecommunications company in connection with alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Representation of investment bankers in connection with a U.S. Department of Justice and SEC investigation into the municipal bond industry.

Representation of an executive at an international airline in connection with the U.S. Department of Justice investigation into alleged price-fixing in setting fuel surcharges.

Representation of the administrator of certified home health agency in connection with a N.Y. Attorney General investigation of alleged Medicaid fraud.

Representation of officers and managers of a major auto parts supplier under investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and SEC for alleged securities fraud.

Defense of a wholesaler of trademark-infringing clothing in a U.S. Department of Justice prosecution.

Defense of an American architect facing federal charges of wire fraud and conspiracy and in connection with extradition proceedings brought on behalf of a foreign government.

Counseling and advisory work to an international insurance company regarding criminal forfeiture issues.

Internal Investigations
Investigation on behalf of large public company into whether a subsidiary and its officer facilitated insider trading in violation of the securities laws.

Investigation on behalf of a professional sports league into alleged “tampering” by one club in the contract negotiations between a rival club and a player.

Investigation on behalf of a foreign private equity firm regarding accusations that a principal was engaged in unlawful practices using the firm's facilities. 

Investigation on behalf of a national law firm regarding alleged bias in the representation of a committee.

Complex Commercial Litigation
Prosecution of breach of fiduciary duty and other claims on behalf of a Latin American telecommunications company against former controlling shareholder and managers relating to the theft of a corporate opportunity valued at more than $250 million.

Representation and counseling of a foreign private equity firm in connection with disputes with co-investors regarding ownership and control of jointly-owned assets.

Defense of investment bankers in federal litigation alleging $750 million in damages arising out of the collapse of the subprime mortgage Collateralized Debt Obligations market.

Defense of real estate developers against breach of contract and breach of fiduciary duty claims brought by disgruntled investor.

Representation of national publishing company in challenging the production of records on First Amendment grounds.

Significant Prosecutions
Douglas Rega v. United States.  Briefed and argued this successful government appeal of an order granting petitioner, who was convicted of RICO murder, release or a new trial.

United States v. Peter Berlin, et al.  Investigation and prosecution of individuals and corporations that collectively were responsible for the unlawful transfer of over $7 billion through accounts at The Bank of New York.

United States v. Isaac Dayan, et al.  Tried diamond dealer and prosecuted other dealers on bank fraud and conspiracy charges arising from an extensive check kiting scheme in New York’s Diamond District.

United States v. Edward Goykhman.  Tried the U.S. representative of a Ukrainian airline on fraud charges resulting from his diversion of millions of dollars owed to the airline based on contracts with the United Nations.

United States v. Ernest Varacalli, et anon.  Tried soldier in Genovese Crime Family and prosecuted his associates in related cases involving charges of conspiracy, operating a chop shop, interstate transportation of stolen vehicles, and dealing in counterfeit currency.

United States v. Raymond Yiu, et anon.  Investigated and prosecuted officers of scrap metal trading companies that operated in the United States and East Asia on charges of bank fraud that resulted in losses of approximately $50 million.

United States v. All Funds on Deposit in UBS Account (Sawan Exchange Co.).  Prosecuted this civil forfeiture action that effectively shut down the United States operations of a hawala based in the United Arab Emirates that had transferred millions of dollars from the United States to Iran in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and the Iranian Transactions Regulations.