Profile: Robert S Bennett

Business Crime

Biography: Business Crime

Robert S Bennett, a former federal prosecutor and a member of the defense bar since 1971, is co-leader of Skadden's international government enforcement litigation group and the criminal and civil litigation practice of the firm's Washington, DC office.

Mr Bennett is renowned in his field as an exceptional trial lawyer who has tried numerous high-profile cases and has represented corporations and individuals, including directors and officers, in criminal, civil, SEC enforcement and congressional matters for the past 35 years. Mr Bennett has been listed repeatedly in various publications as one of the nation's most influential and successful trial attorneys.

In addition to the representation of Enron, other successful recent corporate representations include HealthSouth in a criminal investigation conducted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Alabama. Mr Bennett was also lead counsel in the KPMG tax shelter investigation conducted by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

Mr Bennett successfully represented two former Secretaries of Defense, Clark Clifford (Democrat) and Caspar Weinberger (Republican). His extensive experience includes representing clients before congressional committees. Mr Bennett has served as special counsel to the United States Senate's select committee on ethics in several major investigations. He was President Clinton's personal attorney in the Paula Jones case, and, most recently, he represented Judith Miller in the CIA leak investigation. In 1981 and 1982, he served as a legal consultant to the Senate's foreign relations committee regarding the appointment of Alexander M Haig, Jr as Secretary of State and served as Special Counsel to the US Senate Committee on Ethics. Mr Bennett serves as a judge on the Court of Arbitration for Sport.