Dispute resolution
Morrison Foerster has a highly rated white-collar defence and investigations practice, which features numerous native or fluent Spanish and Portuguese speakers. The team includes several former members of the DOJ’s FCPA Unit, including Charles Duross, the former head of the unit, who has extensive experience in Latin America cases. Sanctions expert John Smith is the former head of OFAC and is another key member of the Latin America practice. The firm’s white-collar and investigations work is also complemented by its prominent privacy team and in-house forensic accounting group. The Latin America team remains especially active in internal investigations, government investigations, compliance programmes and transaction due diligence. New York partner Ruti Smithline is co-chair of the Latin America desk and former co-chair of the white-collar defence and investigations practice. James Koukios is another key member of the team. Named individuals are based in Washington DC unless stated otherwise.
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Ruti Smithline | White Collar Defense + FCPA | Morrison Foerster
Ruti Smithline serves as co-chair of the firm’s Latin America Desk, in addition to being a member of Morrison Foerster’s FCPA + Global Anti-Corruption group and a former co-chair of the Investigations + White Collar Defense group. Her practice focuses on complex litigation, with an emphasis on white collar criminal defense, SEC enforcement, and corporate internal investigations.
Ruti regularly advises clients on cross-border investigations, global compliance programs and anti-corruption due diligence for acquisitions, joint ventures, and private equity transactions. Ruti has represented individual and corporate defendants in cross-border criminal investigations, SEC enforcement matters, and other regulatory proceedings, including matters related to trade sanctions and anti-money laundering. She has experience conducting corporate internal investigations both domestically and internationally, often advising clients on remedial measures responsive to the issues investigated.
Ruti was born and raised in Colombia and is fluent in Spanish. She has conducted investigations, seminars and anti-corruption training in Spanish throughout Central and South America.
Ruti has been recognized by industry leading publications including Chambers & Partners, where she is ranked in the USA guide for Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations in New York and nationally for their FCPA category, in addition to being ranked in the Latin America guide for Corporate Crime & Investigations across the LatAm region. She has also been recommended by Legal 500 US in their Corporate Investigations and White Collar Criminal Defense category, was recently selected by LatinVex as one of "Latin America's Top 100 Lawyers: FCPA & Fraud" for 2022, and has also been named to Global Investigations Review's "Women in Investigations" 2018 survey, which recognizes the top 100 leading female investigations specialists from around the world.
Ruti received her J.D. from The George Washington University School of Law, where she graduated with honors and as a member of the Order of the Coif. She received her B.A. degree cum laude from Cornell University. She is admitted to practice law in New York and New Jersey.
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