Michael S. Dry, a former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia and most recently the Deputy Chief of its Criminal Division, has joined Vinson & Elkins as a partner in the firm’s Government Investigations and White Collar Criminal Defense practice.
Based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office, Dry’s practice will focus on white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations, government investigations, civil regulatory enforcement matters and complex commercial litigation.
“Mike has an outstanding reputation as a fraud and corruption prosecutor in the greater Washington, D.C. region and nationally,” V&E Chairman Mark Kelly said. “He brings more than a decade of experience and insight from the Department of Justice, making him a natural fit for our robust Government Investigations and White Collar Defense practice.”
V&E Government Investigations practice group leader Craig Margolis noted that Dry’s addition emphasizes the firm’s commitment to the continued growth of its Government Investigations and White Collar Defense practice.
“Mike is an outstanding trial lawyer whose talents and experience will deepen and broaden our existing base of exceptional practitioners in this field,” Margolis said. “We are pleased to welcome Mike to the firm.”
Dry began his career as a federal prosecutor in 2004 with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. He held a number of leadership positions within the office, including having served as a Senior Litigation Counsel, head of the Financial Fraud Task Force and ultimately as Deputy Criminal Chief, with supervisory authority over approximately 100 criminal prosecutors.
As first chair prosecutor, Dry handled a number of federal jury trials, including most recently the high-profile trial of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell. Among his other notable trials, Dry successfully prosecuted the chief executive officer of Costa Rican reinsurance company Provident Capital Indemnity, Ltd., who sold more than $500 million of fraudulent financial guarantee bonds in more than a dozen countries. Dry also first chaired jury trials against two executives in a Texas-based hedge fund that sold over $100 million in fraudulent securities to more than 800 investors nationwide. Over the course of his career as a prosecutor, Dry coordinated parallel investigations and worked closely with the full panoply of federal regulatory and enforcement agencies.
Dry also investigated and prosecuted cases involving the theft of trade secrets. Located in Northern Virginia’s technology corridor, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia handles a high volume of trade secrets enforcement matters. Notably, Dry secured a deferred prosecution agreement with a South Korean chemical company accused of attempting to steal trade secrets from a U.S.-based competitor. The settlement included a multi-million dollar criminal penalty and implementation of a robust corporate compliance program.
“In the crowded legal marketplace of D.C. where virtually every national and international firm has a presence,” Dry said, “V&E stands out as offering a strong global platform backed by top-notch professionals and an atmosphere of collegiality that is ideal for starting the next phase of my career. I’m looking forward to contributing to V&E’s growing Government Investigations and White Collar Defense practice.”
Dry graduated from William and Mary Law School in 2002 and also holds an MBA from the University of Nebraska (1997) and an undergraduate degree from the University of Louisville (1990). Prior to entering law school Dry served in the U.S. Air Force for eight years.
“Mike is joining an incredibly strong team of attorneys and we have every confidence in his ability to succeed at V&E,” said Craig Seebald, managing partner of V&E’s Washington, D.C., office.
V&E’s Government Investigations and White Collar Criminal Defense practice is among the world’s best, receiving recognition nationally and internationally in Chambers USA (2016), Legal 500 U.S. (2016) and as a member of the Global Investigations Review 100 (2016). The firm represents corporations, audit committees, boards, and executives in high stakes investigations and litigation, including matters involving criminal and civil antitrust investigations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, securities, health care, and criminal and civil theft of trade secrets.
Source: www.velaw.com
