Orrick announced today that veteran trial lawyer Jeff Coopersmith has joined us as a partner in our Seattle office. Jeff joins from Davis Wright Tremaine, along with a team that includes Steve Cazares in Los Angeles and Amanda McDowell in Seattle.
A former federal prosecutor in Seattle, Jeff has tried more than 15 criminal and civil cases to verdict, gaining a reputation for winning the toughest cases, including securing two complete defense verdicts at trials in the past two years and prevailing in a significant appeal in the Ninth Circuit. He currently represents former Theranos President and COO Sunny Balwani in one of the most closely watched federal prosecutions in the country, set for trial next summer in San Jose federal court. He also represents Mr. Balwani in a related SEC case.
Chambers USA Band 1-ranked in White Collar Criminal Defense in Washington, Jeff has served as lead counsel and on litigation teams for cases arising out of the 2008 financial crisis, the stock options backdating scandal, and the government’s focus on healthcare fraud, among many others. His practice spans civil and criminal matters, internal investigations for private and public entities, and complex commercial litigation.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney for eight years until 2005, Jeff successfully prosecuted the largest securities fraud case in Washington state history, prompting the Seattle Post-Intelligencer to profile him as a prosecutor “who thrives on tough fraud cases.”
“We are delighted to welcome Jeff and his top-caliber trial team to our white collar bench,” said Walt Brown, head of Orrick’s global white collar and investigations practice. “Jeff is at the top of the game – and he and John Wolfe together offer a formidable defense team in Seattle.”
“I’m honored to join the Orrick team and practitioners such as John Wolfe, Walt Brown, Melinda Haag and Aravind Swaminathan whom I have long admired,” said Jeff. “Orrick has a clear commitment to civil and criminal trial work, and I look forward to being part of that distinctive platform.”
Jeff clerked for Eleventh Circuit Judge R. Lanier Anderson III. He serves on the faculty for the Kessler-Eidson Program for Trial Techniques at Emory University School of Law.
Steve Cazares, who joins as of counsel, is a former federal prosecutor and a former enforcement attorney at the Securities and Exchange Commission. During his time as Deputy Chief of the Major Frauds Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles, he led many of the largest and highest-profile white collar investigations and prosecutions in Southern California. Steve has tried 16 federal criminal trials to verdict, including the two-month trial and conviction of former Major League Baseball star Doug DeCinces for insider trading. He became a partner at Davis Wright Tremaine in March 2019.
Associate Amanda McDowell, an experienced white collar lawyer who is a core member of Mr. Balwani’s defense team, clerked for Ninth Circuit Judge Richard C. Tallman. Before law school, Amanda won the NCAA Women’s Tennis Singles and Team Championships and competed in professional tennis tournaments around the world.
Last year, Orrick expanded our East Coast team, adding 15 lawyers to our white collar and securities practice from the Morvillo Group in New York and Washington, D.C.
Source: www.orrick.com
