Greenberg Traurig LLP issued the following announcement on May 11.
The White Collar Defense & Special Investigation Practice of global law firm Greenberg Traurig, LLP continued its strategic expansion with the addition in Houston of Vernon Lewis as a shareholder. Vernon served in the United States Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas, for 21 years. As former Deputy Chief of the Fraud Section, he supervised 20 federal fraud prosecutors in complex federal fraud crimes, including matters related to coronavirus fraud.
“As the reach of the U.S. agencies investigating companies expands into new jurisdictions, clients are more often in need of a trusted advisor who can work with them on the legal aspects of these changes. Vernon has the experience and reputation that make him a valuable addition to the team here in Houston and beyond, given the global nature of business today,” said Kent Newsome and Shari L. Heyen, co-managing shareholders of the law firm’s Houston office.
Prior to serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Vernon was a partner at Stearns Weaver Miller Law Firm in Miami. He also clerked for retired United States Magistrate Judge Calvin Botley in Houston. His experience includes helping clients with matters related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; health care fraud, tax fraud, import fraud, mail fraud, benefits fraud, wire fraud, commodities fraud, and securities fraud; antitrust; embezzlement; cybercrimes; Paycheck Protection Loan fraud; identity theft; Business Email Compromise; computer hacking; bank fraud; mortgage fraud; investment fraud; counterfeit drugs and counterfeit luxury goods; environmental crimes; and money laundering, working with federal agencies across the board.
“Greenberg Traurig’s overall reputation as a top-tier law firm with a culture for success and unmatched client service informed my decision to continue my legal career here,” Vernon said. “It is very telling that the firm’s White Collar Defense & Special Investigations Practice has seen significant recent expansion. People with decades of experience choose to be here and work together. This will positively impact what I can accomplish.”
In addition to Vernon, these shareholders joined the practice most recently: Linda M. Ricci, formerly with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, where she served as Chief of the Narcotics and Money Laundering Unit; John Huber, former U.S. Attorney for the Department of Justice in the District of Utah, where he was the longest serving U.S. Attorney at the time; Adam S. Hoffinger and David I. Miller, former Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Southern District of New York; Kyle R. Freeny, a former federal prosecutor for the Special Counsel’s Office and former member of the DOJ Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Benjamin G. Greenberg, a former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Mohammed Khamisa QC, former Standing Counsel for the British Government’s Department of Trade and Industry; Jessica Natali, a former DOJ litigator; Daniel Pulecio-Boek, who teaches cross-border litigation at Georgetown University; and Masoud Zabeti, a former head of the Finance & Banking Disputes Group at a Silver Circle U.K. firm.
Vernon received his J.D. from Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and a B.A. from the University of Florida.
Original source can be found here.