Steptoe Continues Expansion of Investigations & White-Collar Defense Group in California with Addition of Jonathan Baum
(January 27, 2022, San Francisco, CA) – Steptoe & Johnson LLP is pleased to announce that Jonathan Baum has joined the firm’s Investigations & White-Collar Defense Group as a partner based in the in San Francisco office.
Baum represents individuals and companies in complex criminal and civil proceedings in federal and state court, as well as in investigations by government enforcement authorities. His practice encompasses a range of different issues, including bank and wire fraud, money laundering, bribery, and economic espionage. Baum has represented senior employees of technology and life sciences companies in various government investigations.
Prior to his legal career, Jonathan worked as a speechwriter and consultant to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the ONE Campaign, the organization founded by U2 singer Bono to advocate for increased aid to Africa. He has written speeches for three US presidents, several US Senators, and prominent philanthropists and business leaders.
“Jonathan draws on a deep, nuanced understanding of government investigations in his work with clients, especially life sciences and technology clients, and we couldn’t be happier to have him on board,” said Gwen Renigar, Steptoe Chair. “He’s a sterling addition to an already first-class group of lawyers handling civil and criminal defense matters for clients.”
Baum added: “Steptoe has built an exceptional investigations and white-collar defense group. I’m excited to be a part of that team and to continue growing my practice here in the years to come.”
Steptoe’s Investigations & White-Collar Defense practice has represented some of the largest public and private companies in the world in major government and internal investigations. Regarded as one of the best white-collar practices in the United States, the team has garnered many accolades, including recognition by both Chambers USA and The Legal 500 as a top-ranked practice in this field. The group was also named The National Law Journal’s “Washington Litigation Department of the Year in White-Collar Crime” in 2014, 2017, and 2018, and has received Law360’s “Practice Group of the Year in White-Collar” award three times. For the past six years, Global Investigations Review has named Steptoe to its GIR 30, an independent guide to the world’s best firms for international investigations.
Jonathan earned his J.D. from UC Berkeley, where he was Articles Editor of the law review, and his M.A. in international relations from Yale, where he was the Managing Editor of the Yale Journal of International Relations. He earned his B.S. from Northwestern University.
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
The diversity of the firm is a critical factor in its success. The firm’s Chair is a woman; the majority of Steptoe’s nine offices are managed by women; the majority of Steptoe’s practice groups have women as leaders; and the firm’s twelve-person elected compensation committee is headed by a woman and includes five women as members. The firm’s eight-person professional business services leadership is equally diverse, with half the c-suite made up of women, including three women of color, and other leaders who openly identify as LGBTQ+.
