Distinctions
· AV-rated, Martindale-Hubbell
· The Best Lawyers in America®, Corporate Governance and Compliance Law
· Mid-South Super Lawyers®, Criminal Defense: White Collar
· Member, Standing Committee on Local Criminal Rules for the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi
· United States Attorney, Southern District, Mississippi, 2001
· Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District, Mississippi, 1985-2001
· Senior Litigation Counsel Designation by U.S. Department of Justice, 1980
· Trial Attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., 1971
· Special Assistant Counsel, Office of Professional Responsibility, U.S. Department of Justice, 2000
· Directors Award for Superior Performance in Criminal Litigation, 1983, 1998
· Captain (Ret.), JAG Corps, U.S. Naval Reserve
· Adjunct Professor, Trial Practice, Mississippi College School of Law
· Fellow, Mississippi Bar Foundation
Associations
· American Bar Association
· Federal Bar Association
· Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
· American College of Trial Lawyers
- Fellow
· American College of Prosecuting Attorneys
- Fellow
· American Board of Trial Advocates
· Defense Research Institute
· National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys
· National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys
· American Inns of Court
- Master Bencher, Charles Clark Chapter
Legal Experience
· Extensive courtroom experience in both trial and appellate courtrooms, having served as trial counsel for in excess of 100 jury trials, having authored approximately 60 appeals court briefs, and having participated in oral argument for a substantial number of those. A number of these cases were high-profile, complex matters.
· Selected as the federal Monitor by the U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey, in a deferred prosecution matter involving a major medical device manufacturer.
· Represented a major national insurance company in a complex investigation by the Department of Justice and the U. S. Attorney's Office and federal investigative agencies for alleged fraud in processing catastrophe claims; the 3-year investigation resulted in no criminal or civil actions by the government against the company or any of its employees.
· Represented a durable equipment company in a criminal investigation by the Office of Inspector General, Health and Human Services (OIG HHS). The matter was resolved with a corporate integrity agreement.
· Represented a pharmacy company in a major medical fraud investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office and federal Investigative agencies; the investigation resulted in no criminal or civil proceedings against the pharmacy company.
· Represented a physician in a multi-state investigation by the Department of Justice and federal investigative agencies regarding alleged anti-kickback violations by physicians and durable medical equipment vendors engaged in Medicare reimbursements.
· Represented a major regional financial institution in a complex investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation into alleged bank fraud and Bank Secrecy Act violations; the matter was resolved in a deferred prosecution agreement for a one-year term of observation, at the conclusion of which the matter was dismissed.
· Represented an engineering company in a high profile complex investigation by the U. S. Attorney's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding false claims, bribery, and public corruption; the matter resulted in dismissal of all criminal charges against the company and no federal government civil proceedings.
· Represented a durable medical equipment company in an internal investigation of allegations that a management person engaged in fraudulent conduct and substantial violations of the health care industry statutes and regulations as a part of his management responsibilities with the company.
· Represented a substantial financial institution in conducting an internal investigation into loan practices, involving a federal criminal investigation of loan recipients and a guarantor on allegations of false statements and bribery. No criminal or civil proceedings were instituted by the government against the bank.
· Represented individual corporate officers/employees in federal criminal investigations of corporate entities by various federal agencies.
Papers, Presentations & Publications
· "You Can Beat the Crime, But You Can't Beat the Ride: What Corporations Need to Know Before an Investigation," Washington Legal Foundation, Contemporary Legal Notes Series, Number 48, October 2005.
· "'Honest Services' Criminal Claim Dealt Setback in Appeals Court," Washington Legal Foundation, Counsel's Advisory, Vol. 14, No. 10, November 3, 2006.