• Columbia Law School, J.D., 1985
  • Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
• Columbia University, B.A., 1980

• District of Columbia
• New York

• U.S. Department of Justice
• White House
• New York County District Attorney’s Office

• Counsel for University of California in its challenge to the government’s rescission of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
• Counsel to foster mother in one of the longest contested adoption trials.

• In March 2020, Lanny was identified as a John Jay Award recipient, which is an honor bestowed on members of the Columbia College community for distinguished public achievement.
• Named to the National Law Journal’s inaugural list of 50 Governance Risk & Compliance Trailblazers & Pioneers (2014)
• Ethisphere Magazine, Attorneys Who Matter (2014-2016)
• Washington D.C. Super Lawyers, Criminal Defense: White Collar (2014-2020); Named to "Top 100 Washington D.C. Area Super Lawyers" (2016-2019)
• Benchmark Litigation, White Collar Crime Local Litigation Star - DC and US (2015)
• Chambers USA, FCPA and White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (2014-2020) and Litigation (2006-2008)
• Chambers Global, FCPA and Corporate Investigations (2015-2021)
• Chambers Latin America, Corporate Crime & Investigations (2017-2020)
• Legal 500 US, White Collar Criminal Defense (2007-2008, 2014-2017), Litigation: Securities - Shareholder Information (2015), and Antitrust - Cartel (2017)
• Who's Who Legal - Named a "Thought Leader" in WWL: Investigations, an in-depth report by Who’s Who Legal and Global Investigations Review (2018)
• Who’s Who Legal, Investigations (2016-2017)
• National Law Journal, 100 Most Influential Lawyers (2013)
• Washingtonian, Criminal Defense "Top Lawyer" (2018, 2017, 2015, and 2013)
• Sixth on Ethisphere’s 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics internationally (2012)
• National Law Journal, named a "Visionary" in the Washington, DC legal community (2010)
• Washingtonian, named one of thirty “Big Guns,” the top lawyers in Washington (2007)
• American Lawyer, Top 45 private lawyers under the age of 45 in the United States (2003)

• American College of Trial Lawyers, Fellow
• Council on Foreign Relations, Member
• Anti-Defamation League (ADL), Mid-Atlantic Region, Board Member
• Council for Integrity, Board Member
• Columbia Law School Board of Governors, Member
• The Washington DC Police Foundation, Board Member
• American Law Institute, Member
• Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court, Master Emeritus
• United States Holocaust Memorial Council, Member (Presidential appointee) (1999-2004), Committee on Conscience, Member (1999-2009)

Lanny served from 2009-2013 as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. As one of the longest-serving Criminal Division chiefs, Lanny oversaw nearly 600 lawyers at the center of federal criminal prosecution, policy, and legislation in the United States. In his role as Assistant Attorney General, Lanny was widely recognized as a national leader on a range of federal law enforcement priorities, including financial fraud, money laundering, the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, health care fraud, cybercrime, intellectual property theft, human rights, and public corruption.

While at the Justice Department, Lanny spearheaded the publication of the Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which stands as the definitive guidance document from the United States government regarding its enforcement of the FCPA. Lanny also oversaw numerous prosecutions that set new benchmarks across a host of enforcement areas, including anti-corruption, money laundering, health care fraud, and cybercrime.

For his work as Assistant Attorney General, Lanny received the Edmund J. Randolph Award for outstanding service, the highest award the Attorney General can bestow on a Department employee. He also ranked sixth on Ethisphere’s list of the 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics internationally and was named by the National Law Journal as one of the 100 Most Influential Lawyers in America.

Prior to his service at the Justice Department, Lanny co-chaired the firm’s White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group.

From 1997-1999, Lanny served as Special Counsel to President William Jefferson Clinton, representing the White House in investigations by the Independent Counsel, Department of Justice, and Congress, and defending President Clinton in impeachment proceedings.

From 1985-1989, Lanny served as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan.