Morrison Foerster‘s white-collar services include internal investigations, risk assessments, compliance programs, and defense against DOJ actions. The practice leadership includes Carrie Cohen in New York, an expert in public corruption; Ruti Smithline, also in New York, handling cross-border investigations and SEC enforcement; and co-leaders Christine Wong and Craig Martin in San Francisco. Martin focuses on representing senior executives, while Wong advises on compliance matters. In their Washington DC team, Charles Duross specializes in FCPA investigations, and James Koukios handles healthcare fraud, insider trading, and money laundering cases.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
- "Strong white collar practice, particularly in FCPA. Good depth across different offices."
- "Edward Imperatore is an excellent technical lawyer and a true expert in the FCPA and the securities laws, particularly insider trading."
- "I’ve worked with Ed Imperatore, Carrie Cohen, and Christine Wong. They are all top-notch. Savvy and tough former prosecutors with encyclopedic knowledge and good connections."
- "Ed Imperatore in particular is aggressive and well connected."
- "MOFO brings a unique perspective in Compliance/FCPA cases. They are very experienced, business oriented, and have true on-the-ground experience in Latin America matters."
- "Chuck Duross - One of the best compliance lawyers globally."
- "Morrison & Foerster draws on its strength in representing large corporations, particularly in FCPA matters, in providing high level service to individuals caught up in investigations. Their work is sophisticated, collaborative (with fellow subjects of the investigation) and nuanced, and draws from substantial government experience."
- "James Koukios - Incredibly intelligent, with loads of experience and sound judgment. Is easy to work with and offers unimpeachable advice. Chuck Duross - Brings attention to detail to every matter, draws on his vast network of connections and offers common sense guidance. Brian Kidd - Brings a wealth of government experience and common sense to each engagement."
Key clients
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. (FDIC)
- Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai
- Euler Labs Ltd.
- A Former Executive of Zymergen Inc.
- Two Former Executives and Directors of a NASDAQ-listed Company
- An Executive of a Global Cryptocurrency Exchange
Work highlights
- Independent Transformation Monitor for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), tasked with auditing the agency's ongoing workplace culture remediation efforts.
- Represented Gree Electric Appliances and two subsidiaries in a DOJ investigation alleging Consumer Product Safety Act violations.
- Negotiated the return of more than $220 million in digital assets for a leading decentralized finance (DeFi) platform, three weeks after the assets were stolen.
Lawyers
Practice head
Carrie H. Cohen; Charles E. Duross; Christine Wong; Craig Martin; James Koukios; Ruti Smithline
Other key lawyers
Brian Kidd;