Morrison & Foerster is pleased to announce that James Koukios, who served in the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), most recently as Senior Deputy Chief, has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as a partner in the Securities Litigation, Enforcement & White-Collar Criminal Defense Practice Group.
Mr. Koukios is the second high-ranking DOJ prosecutor to join MoFo in the past year, following the 2014 arrival of former Fraud Section Deputy Chief Charles Duross, who served as head of the DOJ’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Unit. In his most recent position, Mr. Koukios oversaw the FCPA, Health Care Fraud, and Securities and Financial Fraud Units. With the addition of Mr. Koukios, who previously served as an Assistant Chief in the FCPA Unit and tried two of the most significant FCPA cases in the past decade, MoFo is the only law firm in the world with two former FCPA Unit managers. Indeed, Mr. Koukios’ arrival comes just two months after Amanda Aikman, another former FCPA Unit prosecutor, joined MoFo’s New York office as a senior associate. Besides handling a variety of significant cases, Ms. Aikman played a central role in the initial drafting of the DOJ’s and SEC’s FCPA Resource Guide.
Mr. Koukios began his career as a federal prosecutor in Miami, where he investigated and prosecuted a wide variety of cases during his four and a half years, including a defense procurement fraud case, United States v. AEY, Inc., that was featured on the front page of The New York Times and an international weapons and narcotics smuggling case, United States v. Frazier, for which he received national recognition. Mr. Koukios was named one of the Miami U.S. Attorney’s Office’s top prosecutors in 2008. He was then recruited to join the Fraud Section at Main Justice in Washington, D.C. There, he rose to be Assistant Chief of the FCPA Unit and then Senior Deputy Chief of the Fraud Section, the third-ranking official of the 100-attorney section. During his tenure at DOJ, Mr. Koukios worked with domestic and foreign law enforcement authorities around the globe. He tried nearly two dozen jury cases, serving as a lead trial attorney in two landmark FCPA-enforcement trials: Esquenazi and Duperval. In addition to his service at DOJ, Mr. Koukios served as Special Counsel to the FBI Director, advising the Bureau’s leadership on criminal enforcement policy, congressional testimony, and interagency issues.
Bradley Lui, managing partner of MoFo’s Washington, D.C. office, said, “James’ arrival fortifies many of our key practice strengths in D.C., including regulatory, transactional, and litigation, for our many global clients. Having served at DOJ and the FBI, James brings a wealth of expertise on the policies and procedures of government regulators and investigators. Following Charles Duross’ arrival last year, James further deepens our D.C. bench and expands an already well-developed anti-corruption practice worldwide.”
“Having worked with James at DOJ in both Miami and Washington, I know better than anyone how lucky we were to recruit James to MoFo. He is a first-rate trial lawyer and legal strategist, and his experience supervising DOJ’s FCPA, Health Care Fraud, and Securities and Financial Fraud Units will be an important asset to our clients,” added Charles Duross.
Jordan Eth, chair of the firm’s Securities Litigation, Enforcement & White-Collar Criminal Defense Practice Group, added, “James is an accomplished trial lawyer with broad-based white-collar experience and a distinguished record of success in the courtroom.We are delighted that he is joining us.”
Mr. Koukios commented, “Morrison & Foerster was a natural choice for me. The firm’s global platform, deep bench of talented attorneys, extensive roster of technology and life sciences clients, and its reputation for collegiality, were among the many factors that attracted me to the firm. I look forward to continuing the firm’s success in helping clients navigate complex white-collar matters, including cross-border anti-corruption challenges.”
Mr. Koukios received his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School, where he was supervising editor of the Harvard Journal on Legislation. Following law school, he clerked for the Hon. Edith Brown Clement of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in New Orleans. Mr. Koukios earned a B.A. in Political Science with highest distinction from the University of Michigan, where he was a member of the Phi Beta Kappa Society and winner of the William Jennings Bryan Prize, awarded annually to the top political science graduate. Mr. Koukios is an experienced trial instructor and lecturer on anti-corruption enforcement, having taught at University of Miami Law School, American University’s Washington College of Law, and currently, Georgetown University Law Center.
Source: www.mofo.com
