Lanny A. Breuer is Vice Chair of the firm and is recognized as one of the country’s leading white collar and trial lawyers. He represents a broad range of clients, including multinational corporations, global financial institutions, and leading companies in the pharmaceutical, telecommunications, consumer products, and automotive sectors, as well as government contractors and major universities. He also advises prominent individuals, including former senior government officials, university presidents, professional athletes, and board members. His practice spans high-stakes criminal and civil matters, including FCPA and anti-corruption investigations, securities and fraud enforcement, congressional inquiries, regulatory proceedings, internal investigations, and crisis management
Over the past three decades, Lanny has handled some of the most significant white collar matters in the United States and globally, involving allegations of financial fraud, corruption, securities violations, money laundering, environmental misconduct, and foreign bribery. He is consistently recognized as a top-tier practitioner by Chambers USA, Chambers Global, Legal 500, Ethisphere, and other leading publications. He has been named one of the “100 Most Influential Lawyers in America” by The National Law Journal and is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
From 2009 to 2013, Lanny served as Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. As the longest-serving leader of the Division in recent history, he oversaw hundreds of prosecutors and some of the Department’s most consequential enforcement actions, including major FCPA resolutions, healthcare fraud initiatives, and cybercrime cases. He led the development of the DOJ and SEC’s Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and launched the Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative. In recognition of his service, he received the Edmund J. Randolph Award, the Department’s highest honor.
Earlier in his career, Lanny served as Special Counsel to President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 1999, representing the President during the impeachment proceedings and other investigations. He began his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, prosecuting a wide range of criminal cases. He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Columbia University, where he currently serves as Chair of the Columbia Alumni Association.