Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP announced today that Steven F. Reich, who, until recently, served as associate deputy attorney general at the U.S. Department of Justice, has joined the firm as a New York-based partner in the firm’s white collar defense and government investigations practice.
Mr. Reich is a prominent trial and white collar defense lawyer whose practice at Akin Gump will focus on representing companies and individuals in significant matters involving criminal and civil litigation as well as in congressional and internal investigations.
At the Department of Justice, Mr. Reich was a senior advisor to Attorney General Eric Holder and Deputy Attorney General James Cole and supervised a staff of nearly two-dozen lawyers responsible for defending the department and its leaders in investigations conducted by Congress and watchdog agencies. Earlier in his career, Mr. Reich was senior associate counsel to President Bill Clinton, at which time he led a team responsible for defending the president and other senior White House officials in independent counsel and congressional investigations.
Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith said, “Our white collar practice is one of the crown jewels of Akin Gump, and Steve represents a formidable addition to our already-strong team. His broad experience in both the private and public sectors gives him a unique ability to assist the firm’s clients with their most complex problems, and we are extremely pleased to welcome him to Akin Gump.”
Stephen Baldini, who heads Akin Gump’s litigation practice, noted, “Steve’s high-level experience in both government and industry makes him exceptionally qualified to assist our clients in navigating multifaceted crises fraught with legal, business and public relations risks. Steve is an outstanding addition to our white collar defense and government investigations practice, and I am confident that our clients will benefit from the remarkable range of his skills.”
Mr. Reich added, “I am thrilled to be joining Akin Gump. The firm is a global litigation powerhouse with an amazingly deep and talented roster of white collar defense lawyers who serve an impressive array of sophisticated and cutting-edge clients, including in growth areas such as energy. The firm’s strong presence in New York and Washington is a perfect fit for my practice, which draws upon my varied and high-level experiences in private practice and government.”
About Steven F. Reich
Prior to his service at the Department of Justice, Mr. Reich was, for many years, the co-chair of the white collar defense practice group at a national law firm, where he represented clients in securities, health care, pharmaceutical and financial fraud matters.
Mr. Reich also served on the staff of former Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle, and, before that, as deputy chief investigative counsel for the minority members of the House Committee on the Judiciary. Previously, Mr. Reich was an assistant federal public defender for the District of Maryland, where he tried numerous federal criminal cases to juries.
Mr. Reich has been recognized as a leading white collar defense practitioner by multiple publications. He received his J.D. in 1986 from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar, and his B.A. from Columbia College, where he was a member of Phi Beta Kappa, in 1983.
