Mr. Polite practices in the areas of business litigation, appellate advocacy, and government investigations and white collar criminal defense. Through his career as a federal prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, and corporate litigator, Mr. Polite's experience includes jury trials, internal investigations, regulatory and administrative proceedings, and extensive motion practice.
Immediately prior to joining Liskow, Mr. Polite served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. There, he served as lead counsel in dozens of investigations and prosecutions of federal criminal offenses, including bribery, extortion, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and identity theft. In addition to several jury trial convictions in the areas of public corruption and organized crime, Mr. Polite's experience as a federal prosecutor includes successfully briefing and arguing several cases before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Prior to serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Polite practiced for six years with a New York-based law firm. His primary practice area was white collar criminal defense, including conducting several internal investigations of accounting irregularities and representing company executives in parallel criminal and administrative proceedings.
A graduate of Harvard University and Georgetown University Law Center, Mr. Polite clerked for the Honorable Thomas L. Ambro, Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.
Honors & Affiliations:
· United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York, Assistant U.S. Attorney, Criminal Division, 2007-2010
· The Honorable Thomas L. Ambro, Circuit Judge, United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, Law Clerk, 2001-2002
· New Orleans College Prep Charter School, Vice-Chair, Board of Directors
· De La Salle Alumni Association, Secretary, Board of Directors
· Young Leadership Council, Secretary/General Counsel
· Louisiana State Civil Service Commission
· Chambers USA, America's Leading Lawyers for Business - Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, 2011
· The Pro Bono Project, Board of Directors
Presentations:
· "Professionalism: Why Should I bother When Winning is the Only Thing?" New Orleans Bar Association, November 21, 2011
· "International Anti-Corruption Compliance," Liskow & Lewis Energy Law Seminar, October 20, 2011
· "Pleading the Fifth Amendment in Civil Litigation," New Orleans Bar Association Bench Bar Conference, April 15, 2011
· "The Anatomy of a Fraud Investigation," Association of Certified Fraud Examiners, New Orleans Chapter, February 23, 2011
· "What To Do When the Feds Come Knocking: In-house Responsibilities for Criminal Enforcement Matters," Association of Corporate Counsel, Houston Chapter, June 8, 2010
Publications:
· Potential Increase in Criminal Liability for Clean Water Act Violations
· "Fifteenth Survey of White Collar Crime," American Criminal Law Review, Editor-in-Chief, Vol. 37-2
· "Mail & Wire Fraud," Co-Author, "Fourteenth Survey of White Collar Crime," American Criminal Law Review, Volume 36-3