Ian McGinley, Former SDNY Assistant US Attorney and Co-Chief of Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, Joins Akin Gump

Mr. McGinley brings substantial federal trial and appellate court experience

(New York) – Akin Gump today announced that Ian Patrick McGinley, former Co-Chief of the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), has joined the firm as a partner in New York in its white collar defense and government investigations practice. Mr. McGinley spent the past decade as a federal prosecutor, during which time he also served as a member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.

As Co-Chief of the Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit, Mr. McGinley supervised a team of approximately 20 senior prosecutors, overseeing the investigation and prosecution of a wide variety of white collar crimes, including investment fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, health care fraud and tax fraud as well as hacking and ransomware cases. Notable matters that Mr. McGinley supervised include the investigation into a $1 billion cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme; a tech cryptocurrency entrepreneur who committed securities fraud in his company’s initial coin offering; and the prosecution of a group of defendants that conducted hacking campaigns against universities around the world on behalf of the Iranian government. 

Mr. McGinley also was appointed Coronavirus Fraud Coordinator, in which capacity he oversaw all pandemic-related cases, including fraud pertaining to the Paycheck Protection Program and other government stimulus programs.

“Ian is a wonderful addition to our market-leading white collar practice,” said Akin Gump chairperson Kim Koopersmith. “With his experience in senior-level positions at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Manhattan, coupled with his sterling reputation among his government colleagues and defense attorneys who sat across from him, he is an ideal fit.  Our clients will benefit greatly from his wisdom and insights, and I am delighted to welcome him to the firm.”

Throughout his tenure at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. McGinley tried 11 jury trials and briefed or argued 14 appeals. He joins an Akin Gump team that boasts a deep roster of former Department of Justice prosecutors. Among them are three former SDNY Assistant U.S. Attorneys, including Katherine Goldstein, who joined Akin Gump last year and previously served as Chief of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force while Mr. McGinley was one of its members.

“Our team is fortunate to be exceptionally busy, and we expect client demand to grow even further with increasing regulatory investigations and aggressive government enforcement,” said Jim Benjamin, a leader of Akin Gump’s white collar and government investigations practice. “Ian will be an integral member of our practice. With his deep experience and wonderful temperament, he will help us continue to deliver knowledgeable advice and unsurpassed levels of client service.”

Added Mr. McGinley, “I have worked either alongside or opposite key members of Akin Gump’s white collar defense and government investigations practice over the years and have been incredibly impressed by them. This is an exciting time in the world of white collar practice, and I am honored to be here.”

About Ian McGinley

Prior to leading the Complex Fraud and Cybercrime Unit, Mr. McGinley served as Chief of the SDNY’s Narcotics Unit and served as a member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force, where he handled high-profile cases against investment advisers, including the prosecution of a hedge fund manager charged with fraudulently inflating the fund’s portfolio valuations and the investigation into two hedge funds for insider trading based on “political intelligence.” Mr. McGinley also investigated and tried cases involving bribery schemes, sanctions violations, and terrorism, including the trial conviction of Abu Hamza al-Masri, a notorious terrorist leader who supported al-Qaeda, and supervised the nation’s first corporate felony resolution with an opioid distributor for its role in the opioid crisis.

Mr. McGinley previously served as a law clerk to Judge Gene E.K. Pratter of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He is a past recipient of the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award and the Federal Drug Agents Foundation’s True American Hero Award and was previously named Federal Prosecutor of the Year by the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation.

Mr. McGinley received his J.D. from New York University School of Law. He has an M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School and an M.Sc. with merit from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Mr. McGinley received his B.A., magna cum laude, from Georgetown University.

About Akin Gump’s White Collar Defense and Government Investigations Practice

Akin Gump helps clients navigate all manner of white collar and regulatory investigations and has been at the forefront of white collar defense for more than 30 years. The team includes a distinguished roster of former prosecutors who served at the highest levels of the DOJ and at leading United States Attorneys’ Offices, including those of the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York and Eastern District of Virginia. The team also includes lawyers who served in the SEC’s Enforcement Division, as well as the first director of the Division of Enforcement at the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board.

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

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