Most Highly Regarded Firms: Business Crime Defence 2010
This edition of The International Who’s Who of Business Crime Defence Lawyers identifies 483 lawyers who are leaders in the practice area in over 30 jurisdictions, representing an increase of almost a third on the previous edition of this book, published in June 2008.
| The International Who’s Who of Business Crime Defence Lawyers 2010 | |
|---|---|
| Most highly regarded individuals | |
| Reid Weingarten | Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Washington, DC |
| John Keker | Keker & Van Nest LLP, San Francisco |
| Robert Morvillo | Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason Anello & Bohrer PC, New York |
| Earl Silbert | DLA Piper LLP, Washington, DC |
| Gary Naftalis | Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel, New York |
| Dan Webb | Winston & Strawn LLP, Chicago |
| Monty Raphael | Peters & Peters, London |
| Brendan Sullivan Jr | Williams & Connolly LLP, Washington, DC |
| Robert Fiske Jr | Davis Polk & Wardwell, New York |
| Robert Bennett | Hogan & Hartson LLP, Washington, DC |
| Mary Jo White | Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, New York |
| Peter Binning | Corker Binning, London |
| Gerald Feffer | Williams & Connolly LLP, Washington, DC |
| Theodore Wells Jr | Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP New York |
| Neal Sonnett | Neal R Sonnett, Miami |
| Franz Salditt | Prof Dr Franz Salditt, Neuwied, Germany |
United States and Canada
The United States has the lion’s share of nominees in the following pages. Jones Day, with 10 lawyers featured, is the firm with the highest number of representatives. Its corporate criminal investigations practice was praised by our sources for the depth and breadth of its experience. Charles Carberry is co-chair of the corporate criminal investigations practice and is based in New York. The firm’s offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco provide two lawyers each: Brian O’Neill and Brian Sun, and John Cline and Martha Boersch, respectively. Peter Romatowski, who leads the SEC enforcement practice, is highly nominated in our research and based in Washington, DC.
The “very well-known and respected” Brendan Sullivan leads a contingent of six from Williams & Connolly LLP, including the highly regarded John Villa, in Washington, DC. The firm is famed for defending former president Bill Clinton as well as companies such as Velsicol Chemical and Omni International.
Robert Morvillo is “among the best in the country for white-collar matters” and a principal at Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason Anello & Bohrer PC in New York. This firm is noted for its expertise in financial and environmental crime, as well as in FCPA matters. All of the name partners of this firm are included in the following pages – Elkan Abramowitz, Lawrence Iason, Paul Grand, Barry Bohrer, Robert Anello and Richard Weinberg. The firm is considered to be “a top-flight white-collar crime practice” with “an established reputation”.
Zuckerman Spaeder LLP also has seven of its lawyers on our list. William Taylor is “really experienced” and listed in Washington, DC, with Paula Junghans, Francis Carter and the “knowledgeable” Roger Zuckerman. Gregg Bernstein and Martin Himeles are “first class” in Baltimore and Morris Weinberg is included from the firm’s Tampa practice.
Hogan & Hartson LLP also performs well in our research, with six practitioners recognised here. Robert Bennett is “a high-profile lawyer” who “knows his stuff”, according to peers, and is based in Washington, DC, where Peter Spivack, Carl Rauh and Ty Cobb, who is “outstanding for SEC enforcement work”, are also listed. The “exceptional” Michael Shepard is listed in San Francisco and Stephen Immelt is in Baltimore.
The “outstanding” Gary Naftalis, at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP in New York, has over 30 years of experience under his belt. Robert Fiske at Davis Polk & Wardwell LLP, which provides three lawyers for our list, has represented clients such as Siemens, the New York Mets and Exxon. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP’s Mary Jo White in New York is “a doyenne” of white-collar crime defence. Theodore Wells and Mark Pomerantz are both featured from Paul Weiss Rifkind Wharton & Garrison LLP and Wells’s clients have included major law firms, as well as Exxon Mobil and Citigroup.
In Washington, DC, Earl Silbert of DLA Piper LLP – one of five of its lawyers to appear here – is “very experienced” and “highly regarded”. At Steptoe & Johnson LLP, Reid Weingarten is “truly excellent” and his clients have included the former WorldCom CEO, Bernard Ebbers and former general counsel of Tyco, Mark Belnick. John Keker is one of four Keker & Van Nest LLP lawyers included and is “prominent and respected” in San Francisco. Dan Webb, at Winston & Strawn LLP in Chicago, has “a great reputation”. Neal Sonnett is a “leading Floridian corporate crime lawyer” and is listed from his firm in Miami.
United Kingdom
BCL Burton Copeland leads our research for London-based firms with six lawyers recognised in these pages. Senior partner Ian Burton is among “the crème de la crème of London white-collar crime lawyers”, Brian Spiro is “a pleasure to deal with” and Harry Travers is “highly skilled”. Richard Sallybanks, Jane Glass and Mark Haslam also appear.
Monty Raphael is “incredibly experienced and knowledgeable” and has “a great reputation in England and internationally” in the words of our interviewees. Peters & Peters’ “stellar practice” is also represented by Keith Oliver and Anand Doobay, who are all recognised here.
Kingsley Napley has a group of five lawyers on our list, led by Stephen Gentle, who is “well known” for his “broad-ranging knowledge”. Christopher Murray is highly nominated. The “unparalleled” Michael Caplan QC is also recognised, as are Louise Hodges and Stephen Pollard.
Peter Binning and David Corker – the name partners of boutique firm Corker Binning – “one of the best white-collar practices in England”, were praised by our interviewees. Recent work has included clients in the aerospace industry and mutual legal assistance work involving Russia.
Europe
Boutique firm HammPartner Rechtsanwälte has three lawyers included and is “has one of the finest reputations in Germany”. Founding partner Rainer Hamm is “in the top league”, and Stefan Kirsch and Regina Michalke are also listed. All of them are based in Frankfurt.
In Switzerland, Schellenberg Wittmer has four entries. Paul Gully-Hart is “one of the best Swiss lawyers in terms of international experience” and is listed with three others from his firm.
A number of other practitioners stood out in our European research. Franz Salditt is “highly regarded” and he is “one of the great names” in German white-collar crime work. In Italy, Roberto Pisano is “a first-rate business crime lawyer”. Greek firm Anagnostopoulos Bazinas’ Ilias Anagnostopoulos is “very good” and “a prominent practitioner”.