This recent post highlighted how the Assistant Chief of the DOJ’s FCPA Unit went to FCPA Inc.
As sure as the sun rises in the east and dogs bark – and following a well traveled career path – another Assistant Chief of the DOJ’s FCPA Unit is joining a law firm for an FCPA practice.
According to this Mayer Brown release, “Sonali D. Patel has joined the firm as a partner in its Global Investigations & White Collar Defense practice. Sonali previously served as assistant chief of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Unit of the Department of Justice.”
As stated in the release:
“Sonali brings extensive experience handling complex cross-border investigations, including those involving foreign corruption, fraud, money laundering, and national security matters. While at DOJ, she led more than 50 FCPA-related investigations, including the agency’s PDVSA cases, where 29 defendants were charged in an international money laundering scheme involving bribes made to Venezuela’s state-owned energy company, Petróleos de Venezuela. During her time in the FCPA unit, Sonali also worked on some of unit’s most significant individual prosecutions.”
In the release, Sonali stated:
“Clients today operate in a world where they face scrutiny from enforcement authorities around the globe,“ Sonali said. “My years at the FCPA unit afforded me an insider’s understanding of how the DOJ and foreign authorities approach enforcement matters. I look forward to applying my experience to help clients in the US and abroad navigate these complex issues.”
Jason Linder (co-chair of Mayer Brown’s Global Investigations & White Collar Defense practice) stated:
“Sonali is a strategic and highly respected FCPA litigator whose arrival bolsters our award winning investigations practice. With corporate enforcement increasing, our clients will be well served by her experience leading high-stakes international matters at the DOJ and US Attorney’s Office.”
For approximately 15 years, I have called for restrictions when DOJ/SEC FCPA enforcement attorneys with supervisory and discretionary authority leave the government for private practice careers devoted to the FCPA. (See here, here, here and here among other posts).
The legitimacy and credibility of the DOJ and SEC’s entire FCPA enforcement programs hinge on this policy proposal being adopted.
The post Assistant Chief Of The DOJ’s FCPA Unit To FCPA Inc. appeared first on FCPA Professor.