Eric B. Bruce, a former high ranking official in the US Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and one of the country’s leading white collar lawyers, has joined Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer US LLP (“Freshfields”) as a partner in Washington, DC. His addition enhances the firm’s global dispute resolution offering and strengthens Freshfields’ growing and internationally recognized global investigations and litigation practice, an integrated team that includes prominent former government prosecutors in the United States, Asia, Continental Europe and the United Kingdom. Eric spent the last nine years as a leader of Kobre & Kim LLP’s white collar criminal defense practice in its Washington, DC office. He is the latest significant addition to the team, joining recent hires Eric Mahr and Daniel Braun from the DOJ, Ben Morgan from the Serious Fraud Office in London, and Simone Kämpfer, a prominent white collar lawyer in continental Europe.
Bruce has been widely recognized for his representation of multinational corporations, special committees and individuals in both publicly-charged criminal cases and confidential internal investigations. Named a white collar “trailblazer” by a leading legal publication, the breadth of his experience spans complex securities fraud and market manipulation, FCPA violations, money laundering, tax evasion, insider trading and securities and accounting fraud. Earlier in his career, Eric spent more than a decade at the US Department of Justice holding several high-profile positions including Counselor to the Attorney General and Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division during the administration of President George W. Bush. He also served as a prosecutor in the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, where he focused on cases involving white collar crime and international terrorism.
“Companies face increased scrutiny in light of the global trend toward criminalizing types of corporate conduct. Major investigations are increasingly triggered by investigations of a regulatory or enforcement agency, a public prosecutor, a tax authority or by internal whistle-blowing,” said David Scott, Freshfields’ Global Head of Dispute Resolution. “The insights and experience that Eric brings as a former prosecutor and as a seasoned defense lawyer are exactly what clients need and are looking for. His addition strengthens our global dispute resolution, white collar and global investigations offerings not just in the US, but around the globe.”
Adam Siegel, who is Head of Freshfields’ US Dispute Resolution practice and Co-Head of its Global Investigations practice, further commented, “Most significant government and internal investigations continue to have a sizeable US component. Therefore, the experience, quality and capabilities of the US part of a coordinated, cross-border legal team are critical to a client’s success in resolving complicated matters. I have known Eric for many years and his reputation and track record, both in private practice and at the DOJ, are unmatched.”
“I joined Freshfields because of its stellar platform, the depth of its long-standing client relationships and its culture of true teamwork that really sets the firm apart from the rest,” said Eric. “The firm is a trusted advisor to many of the world’s leading companies. I’m excited about the opportunity to work with them and my colleagues in Washington, New York and around the world on complex litigation, investigations and enforcement matters that are often critical to their businesses.”
“At Freshfields, we pride ourselves on the outstanding quality of our people. We’re thrilled about the talent and experience Eric brings to our US practice, and we’re very happy to welcome him on board,” said Peter Lyons, Freshfields’ US Regional Managing Partner.
Source: news.freshfields.com
