Clients turn to Patterson Belknap’s White Collar Defense and Investigations group with their most important enforcement, litigation and regulatory matters. The group, which includes six former federal prosecutors, a former Senior Counsel for the SEC’s Enforcement Division, and the former Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, is uniquely positioned to handle a myriad of the most challenging matters for corporate and individual clients facing allegations of securities and commodities fraud, health care, medical device and pharmaceutical fraud, antitrust violations, tax fraud, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the False Claims Act (FCA).
Our clients have included companies in a wide range of industries, including financial institutions, pharmaceutical and health care, medical device, industrial manufacturing, engineering and high tech, consumer goods, sports, museums, universities, and tax-exempt organizations, as well as their executives, board members and senior officers. With its extensive experience in crisis management, government investigations and prosecutions, regulatory actions, and high-stakes litigation, the group regularly handles bet-the-company cases on behalf of the Firm’s clients. The group is known for conducting thorough investigations, providing sound advice, reaching beneficial resolutions with government agencies and adversaries, and, when appropriate, fighting aggressively on behalf of clients, even in the face of threatened prosecutions and regulatory actions. Our approach has resulted in the termination of significant and high-profile federal and state investigations without charges or penalties.
Our representations also include complex civil litigations that arise out of internal investigations and government scrutiny. For example, group co-chair Joshua Goldberg has represented a European bank in connection with industry-wide investigations into and litigation arising from alleged manipulation of LIBOR, ISDAFIX, the precious metals market, and FX. He has also represented pharmaceutical and medical device companies in investigations and litigations brought under federal and state false claims acts. Co-chair Daniel Ruzumna has represented pharmaceutical companies in high-stakes inquiries and related litigation related to allegations of health care fraud and antitrust violations. He also represents a not-for-profit organization in connection with civil asset forfeiture proceedings brought by the U.S. Department of Justice. Harry Sandick has represented individual and institutional clients in every stage of the criminal process, from grand jury investigations to sentencing, in areas as varied as securities fraud, antitrust, tax fraud, and sanctions enforcement. He has also argued more than 30 criminal appeals. Michael Buchanan’s representations have included matters involving alleged securities fraud, insider trading, tax fraud, accounting fraud, health care and Medicare/Medicaid fraud, and theft of trade secrets. He also co-chairs the Firm’s Privacy and Data Security practice, where he represents companies in responding to and investigating data breaches.
Our attorneys are also active as independent monitors. Peter Harvey, a partner and past Attorney General of the State of New Jersey, is currently serving as Independent Monitor for the Newark Police Department (NPD), responsible for overseeing the NPD's compliance with a Consent Decree issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Michael Buchanan is part of the monitoring team that Mr. Harvey will lead for five years. Mr. Harvey also has an active practice advising organizations on sensitive legal and policy issues, including working with professional sports organizations and leagues on the development and implementation of domestic violence and other player conduct policies. Additionally, our attorneys have represented clients in criminal trials and investigations. Lauren Schorr Potter has investigated and prosecuted a wide variety of federal crimes, including bribery, fraud, racketeering (RICO), money laundering, and gang-related and drug-related violence, among other offenses. While in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, she led six federal criminal trials and arguing several appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. H. Gregory Baker served for five years in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, most recently as Senior Counsel in the Asset Management Unit, where he managed investigations and litigations concerning investment advisors, hedge funds, private equity funds, and mutual funds. He has worked extensively with the DOJ, FBI, FINRA, IRS, and other federal agencies in his investigations.
Our team and its members are ranked in Chambers – America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Our group Co-Chairs Daniel Ruzumna and Joshua Goldberg, and Partner Harry Sandick each are also individually recognized. Clients offer the following praise for the team: "They have a detailed understanding of how we work and can pinpoint an issue within the fabric of our company. They are truly excellent and punch way above their size"; they offer a "great combination of very strong intellectual ability and extraordinary client service"; "They give terrific, practical advice, are very tough when they need to be, and are practical and business-oriented"; "terrific lawyers involved in interesting cases"; "a terrific group with a ton of talented partners and associates… their judgment and experience in white-collar defense and government investigations is unsurpassed – you’d be hard pressed to find a more capable group"; "very good at assembling a team of people who can quickly understand complex facts and demonstrate that the government does not need to pursue what they are pursuing." In addition, Mr. Ruzumna and Mr. Sandick haves been named New York “Litigation Stars” in Benchmark Litigation. Mr. Ruzumna was also recently inducted into the American College of Trial Lawyers, an honor that recognizes his long history of excellence as a trial lawyer. Peter Harvey was recognized as a “Distinguished Leader” by the New Jersey Law Journal and among the “Most Influential Black Lawyers” by Savoy Magazine. Our partner Harry Sandick has authored many articles on a variety of cutting-edge topics in the field, and serves as Editor in Chief of the Firm’s Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog. He is also a frequent contributor to CNN, MSNBC, and NPR and has been quoted in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and the New York Law Journal.