Fulbright Expands White Collar Practice: Adds Three DOJ Prosecutors, Relocates Partner to London

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Three highly-regarded Department of Justice lawyers have joined Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.’s White Collar practice and Alex Rene, a current Fulbright partner who served as a DOJ prosecutor, is relocating to the firm’s London office.

William B. Jacobson, the former Assistant Chief for Foreign Corrupt Practices Act Enforcement in the Fraud Section of the DOJ’s Criminal Division, joins Fulbright as a partner. Joining as senior counsel are: John E. Kelly, the former DOJ Fraud Section Assistant Chief for Health Care Fraud; and Jonathan S. Abernethy, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. Jacobson and Kelly will work primarily from Fulbright’s Washington D.C. office, and Abernethy will reside in Fulbright’s New York office.

“Governments and regulators across the globe are reaching well beyond their jurisdictions to investigate and enforce possible violations of laws related to international business operations and transactions,” said Steven B. Pfeiffer, the Chair of Fulbright’s Executive Committee. “We have assembled a talented white collar team that is made stronger by Billy, John and Jonathan’s experience. Alex’s move allows us to offer on-the-ground DOJ experience to our worldwide clients who need assistance with U.S. investigations in this time of increased international cooperation among governmental agencies.”

Fulbright’s White Collar Defense Practice Group has a long history of handling complex government investigations and related litigation on behalf of international corporations and Fortune 500 companies, their officers and directors. The group also provides counseling and develops compliance programs to help prevent problems before they occur. Fulbright’s white collar team has appeared before courts and regulators worldwide.

“Our team includes highly experienced former prosecutors and government regulators who bring the knowledge and judgment necessary to carefully guide our clients through every facet of the investigation and prosecution process,” said Stephen C. Dillard, Fulbright’s Global Litigation Chair. “We offer a depth of understanding to the most complex problems. We are pleased Billy, John and Jonathan have decided to join us at a time when the international scope of this practice is expanding.”

Jacobson said the white collar landscape continues to widen.

“The DOJ has increased the resources it devotes to FCPA investigations, making this the perfect time to rejoin my former DOJ colleagues and help clients respond to, prepare for and defend themselves against these investigations and prosecutions,” he said. “This was an opportunity I couldn’t let pass me by.”

Jacobson, Kelly and Abernethy bring to the defense table all the tools necessary to handle any type of white collar case, said Richard Smith, the head of Fulbright’s White Collar Crime Practice Group and the former Acting Chief of the DOJ’s Fraud Section.

“Having a transatlantic team with DOJ and regulatory experience located in New York, London and Washington, D.C. directly benefits our global clients who find themselves facing these types of investigations,” Smith said.

Lista Cannon, the head of Fulbright’s London office, said Rene’s move to London is important given that transatlantic cooperation flows in both directions.

“As regulators operate beyond their traditional jurisdictions, companies across the globe are impacted,” Cannon said. “Our team understands the ‘rules of the game’ and how to respond effectively to government inquiries – wherever they may occur.”

Background:

Partner Billy Jacobson’s career as a federal and state prosecutor culminated in his recently-completed tenure as the Assistant Chief for FCPA Enforcement. In that role, Jacobson helped supervise the DOJ’s FCPA enforcement efforts. He has been a frequent speaker on FCPA enforcement issues. Jacobson brings to Fulbright a comprehensive understanding of the DOJ’s FCPA enforcement program and knowledge of the value the DOJ and SEC place on top-notch compliance programs and their expectations regarding the components of such programs. As a federal prosecutor, Jacobson gained extensive trial experience and handled white collar criminal investigations and prosecutions in district courts throughout the U.S. He is well-versed in securities fraud, healthcare fraud, public corruption, FCPA, pension fraud and criminal OSHA violations.

Jacobson began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in New York City, where he tried dozens of cases at a young age. He went on to learn the art of white collar defense as an associate at a Washington-based law firm. He later worked in the DOJ’s Fraud Section, went into private practice as a partner at a national law firm, where he conducted internal investigations into FCPA, securities fraud and other matters, and then rejoined the DOJ. Jacobson received his law degree from Georgetown University and his undergraduate degree from Tufts. He is licensed to practice law in New York and Washington D.C.

Senior Counsel John Kelly helped supervise the DOJ’s health care fraud investigation and prosecution efforts nationwide, including directing special units of federal prosecutors and agents pursuing health care fraud cases in Los Angeles and Miami. Kelly spent nearly two years as the chief of staff and deputy director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, where he worked closely with leadership within the DOJ and U.S. Attorneys’ offices nationwide. Kelly has had frequent contact with senior officials in a number of federal agencies, including the DEA, FBI and Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General. He has extensive trial experience and spent four years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Western and Northern Districts of New York. He also provided management assistance to the U.S. Attorney’s office in Minnesota.

Kelly received his law degree from the University at Buffalo Law School and his undergraduate degree from the University of Rochester. He is licensed to practice law in New York. While his application for admission to the District of Columbia Bar is pending, Kelly’s practice will be supervised directly by principals of the firm licensed to practice in the District of Columbia.

Senior Counsel Jonathan Abernethy most recently served for seven years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. As a member of the Major Crimes Unit, he investigated and prosecuted complex white collar cases involving FCPA, money laundering, mail and wire fraud, embezzlement and health care fraud. Abernethy also tried jury cases and argued appeals before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

Abernethy spent a number of years in private practice handling white collar and securities regulatory enforcement matters before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office. He began his career as a law clerk to U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Abernethy received his law degree from Columbia Law School and his undergraduate degree from Stanford. He is licensed to practice in New York.

Partner Alex Rene joined Fulbright last year. He had previously spent two years as a trial lawyer in the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section; four years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in D.C.; and three years as an assistant state attorney in the Miami-Dade County State Attorney’s Office.

At the Justice Department, Rene investigated and prosecuted white collar cases involving bribery, bank fraud, money laundering, securities fraud, obstruction of justice, perjury and mail and wire fraud. Since arriving at Fulbright, following more than two years in the private sector, Rene has represented corporate entities, their executives and employees in grand jury investigations, white collar crime prosecutions and criminal antitrust investigations and prosecutions.

Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P.

Founded in 1919, Fulbright & Jaworski L.L.P. is a leading full-service international law firm, with nearly 1,000 lawyers in 16 locations in Houston, New York, Washington, D.C., Austin, Dallas, Denver, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, San Antonio, St. Louis, Dubai, Beijing, Hong Kong, London, Munich and Riyadh. Fulbright provides a full range of legal services to clients worldwide.

The 2007 BTI survey of FORTUNE 1000 general counsel chose Fulbright as "The BTI Client Service 30" A-Team and Corporate Board Member magazine named Fulbright among the top 20 corporate law firms in the U.S. in their survey of board members of public companies. For more information, please visit: www.fulbright.com.