Paul Hastings Adds Former Prosecutor with Life Sciences, White Collar and Internal Investigations Focus in Chicago as Part of Continued Compliance and Investigations Growth

July 09, 2014

Chicago, IL - Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that Eric Sussman, a former federal prosecutor with a strong pharmaceutical and medical-device focus, has joined the firm as a partner in Chicago. He was previously with Kaye Scholer, where he served as co-chair of the White Collar Litigation and Internal Investigations practice.

“Paul Hastings continues to invest in top white collar, FCPA, compliance and enforcement-defense talent, including several former federal prosecutors, each of whom possesses substantial courtroom as well as boardroom experience,” said Barry Sher, chair of the firm’s Litigation practice. “We have strong momentum in building the firm’s global capabilities in this strategic growth area,” he added.

“Eric’s strong law enforcement background and reputation as a highly effective lawyer with substantial exposure to the life sciences industry, first as a prosecutor and then with notable clients, positions him to help us offer our clients yet another layer of expertise and experience,” said Ken Breen, chair of the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice. “He will be a great complement to our existing team, which includes recent hire Gary Giampetruzzi, who joined us from Pfizer,” he added.

Mr. Sussman has defended numerous cases involving charges of financial fraud, tax crimes, money laundering, corruption, racketeering and conspiracy. He represents individuals and corporations in investigations and proceedings initiated by the Justice Department, SEC, CFTC, FDA and other governmental regulatory and enforcement agencies. Mr. Sussman regularly counsels companies on compliance and regulatory matters, including health care fraud and FCPA issues, and has briefed and argued multiple appeals before the US Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.

Mr. Sussman previously served as Deputy Chief of the Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions Section for the US Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Illinois, where he supervised the successful prosecution of a wide array of cases and investigations. He was also the FDA and USDA Coordinator for the US Attorney’s Office, where he worked with officials to investigate and prosecute numerous criminal enforcement actions. Mr. Sussman served as lead prosecutor for a broad range of complex corporate fraud and regulatory investigations and has tried 29 federal cases, serving as first chair in 23 of them.

Mr. Sussman’s arrival follows several recent additions to the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice, including the arrival of Michael Levy, Michael Spafford and Amy Carpenter-Holmes who joined the firm in the Washington, DC office from Bingham McCutchen and John Nowak, a former prosecutor who joined the firm in New York.

Paul Hastings is a leading global law firm with a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Through a collaborative approach, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to client service, the professionals of Paul Hastings deliver innovative solutions to many of the world’s top financial institutions and Fortune 500 companies.