Akerman Adds Pair of White Collar Crime Lawyers in Washington, D.C.
Litigators Michael Kelly and Douglas Paul have joined Akerman LLP from Hogan Lovells as partners in the Washington, D.C. office. They work in white collar crime and compliance.
In a release, the firm said Kelly and Paul, a former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) branch chief, have decades of experience in government investigations and criminal and civil enforcement actions, including matters related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), securities fraud, and other U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and SEC investigations.
“We are excited to expand our White Collar Crime team in Washington, D.C. with Mike and Doug, who build upon our national capabilities in compliance, liability and enforcement,” said Lawrence Rochefort, chair of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group. “Mike and Doug join us at a time when Akerman has experienced tremendous growth and success for our clients. Their unique background make them a valuable addition for our clients facing increased government scrutiny.”
Kelly defends companies and individuals in criminal and civil enforcement actions covering a wide variety of issues. He has helped clients respond to allegations concerning the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, money laundering, health care fraud, sanctions, tax fraud, accounting fraud, government contracting fraud, mail fraud, false statements, conspiracy, and food safety. Mike also advises boards of directors and audit committees on the most effective ways to respond to allegations of illegal conduct, and conducts independent investigations on their behalf.
Paul, a former branch chief in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement and a former Assistant Independent Counsel, represents individuals and companies in government investigations and enforcement actions covering a variety of areas. He has assisted clients in responding to allegations of securities fraud, insider trading, other violations of the Securities Act of 1933, Securities and Exchange Act of 1934, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) violations, health care fraud, accounting fraud, fraud, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
As a branch chief in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, he exercised direct supervisory authority over the far-reaching and complex investigation into Enron Corp. When serving as an assistant independent counsel, Paul prosecuted public corruption.
Trial lawyers Amy Doehring from McDermott Will & Emery and Ellen Robbins from Sidley Austin LLP recently joined Akerman’s Chicago and Los Angeles offices, respectively. They were preceded by former in-house counsel Elliot Strader in Dallas, whose practice focuses on insurance and high-stakes litigation matters. Other recent additions include a four-person insurance litigation team in Houston, two former federal prosecutors who joined the Chicago office, and a six-member professional liability team joining the West Palm Beach office.
