Baruch Weiss is a trial attorney focusing on white collar, national security and complex civil litigation. Baruch handles fraud and money laundering investigations; homeland and national security matters; criminal and civil OFAC enforcement cases, as well as delisting and licensing matters; securities fraud investigations (both DOJ and SEC); FCPA investigations; public corruption matters; FARA matters; administrative and criminal immigration enforcement actions against employers; criminal tax evasion cases; federal criminal appeals; and Title VI discrimination cases on behalf of university students. He represents individual clients, foreign governments, and companies across industries, including financial services, life sciences, education, media and technology, and non-profits.
From 2003 to 2006, Baruch worked at the Department of Homeland Security serving as Acting Deputy General Counsel overseeing all the department's 1,400 attorneys, and as Associate General Counsel. He supervised the chief counsels of ICE, CBP, TSA, and USCIS. His areas of responsibility included criminal law, immigration enforcement, immigration services, customs enforcement, aviation security, and transportation security.
From 2002 to 2003, Baruch served as Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement at the Department of the Treasury. There, he managed the legal work of more than 250 attorneys, including the chief counsels of Customs; Secret Service; ATF; and FinCEN.
Baruch spent 18 years with the United States Attorney's Office in the Southern District of New York as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Roles included serving as the Senior Trial Counsel, Deputy Chief Appellate Attorney, Acting Chief of Major Crimes, and Chief of General Crimes. As Senior Trial Counsel, he had extensive experience in a wide range of white-collar cases (securities fraud, bank fraud, wire and mail fraud, government contract and healthcare fraud, money laundering, tax evasion, and public corruption), as well as terrorism and international criminal matters.
Experience
- Individual fighting extradition request by foreign country in billion dollar money laundering investigation.
- 501(c)(3) victimized by international hackers in a $7.5M fraud.
- High-profile individual and associated companies in OFAC matter, on behalf of whom secured unprecedented specific license.
- Class of Jewish, pro-Israel students in Title VI complaint filed under Title VI with the Office of Civil Rights, Department of Education, against major university.
- University under investigation by ICE for failure to comply with Homeland Security regulations governing foreign students.
- Individual in Manafort-related FARA investigation conducted by the Southern District of NY.
- Foreign government in connection with its efforts to lift OFAC sanctions imposed on the government and its officials.
- Washington, D.C. entity subpoenaed in connection with a high-profile corruption investigation being conduct by the DOJ.
- Companies and individuals in criminal export sanction proceedings, and in OFAC enforcement, licensing and delisting proceedings.
- Various multi national companies seeking sanctions advice.
- Prominent media entity in connection with its publication of classified information relating to Russian election meddling.
- Individual in connection with anticipated extradition request by foreign country in billion dollar money laundering investigation.
- Pharmaceutical company in federal criminal and civil anti-kickback investigation.
- Major foreign bank in Iran sanctions investigation involving various federal and state agencies.
- Former foreign government official in successful OFAC delisting petition.
- Foreign government to conduct sensitive internal investigation of one of its high-level officials.
- Major multinational on its business relationships with Latin American entities recently designated by OFAC.
- Investor in investigation by the SEC.
- Law firm under investigation for immigration fraud.
- More than 25 joint clients, including a number of hedge funds and associated individuals, in five-year SEC investigation; following the Wells process, SEC limited its charges to one individual and one defunct entity.
- Press and media clients on the publication of classified information, and on efforts to obtain law enforcement and national security information from the government.
- High tech clients on government's national security efforts to persuade or compel them to produce proprietary and customer information.
- Owner of licensed international money transmittal business at criminal tax evasion trial; acquittals on all counts.
- Pharmaceutical manufacturer in federal criminal off-label investigation; negotiated misdemeanor settlement.
- Pharmaceutical manufacturer in a number of sensitive internal investigations.
- GlaxoSmithKline in $2.5 billion class-action antitrust suit.
- Client charged with violating the OFAC Iran sanctions in a four-week federal criminal case in the Southern District of New York; primary counts of conviction reversed on appeal.
- Native American casino in effort to mitigate a fine proposed by FINCEN for failure to comply with anti-money laundering regulations; successfully mitigated proposed penalty by 75%.
- Won a historic victory in the foremost First Amendment prosecution of recent times, the so-called "AIPAC Espionage Act case," brought against two former officials of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). The case had been the subject of numerous editorials and opinion pieces in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and other major newspapers. The defense earned praise from the presiding judge for "zealously and very effectively" pursuing the defense with "vigor." After 10 years of investigation and prosecution, Attorney General Eric Holder dropped the case shortly before trial.
- European CEO in a criminal FCPA investigation.
- Subject of a criminal insider trading investigation related to the investigations into SAC Capital; no charges filed.
- Companies under administrative and/or criminal investigation by Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for immigration violations.
Perspectives
Recognition
"Life Sciences Star" White-Collar/Government Investigations (2017-2023)
"Life Sciences Star" Non-IP Litigation (2012–2016)
Credentials
Education
- M.A., The Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1982
- J.D., Harvard Law School, 1981, cum laude
- B.A., Columbia University, 1978, summa cum laude
Admissions
- District of Columbia
- New York
- Supreme Court of the United States
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
Government & Military Service
- Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District of New York
- Acting Deputy General Counsel, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Associate General Counsel, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
- Assistant General Counsel for Enforcement, U.S. Department of the Treasury
- Senior Trial Counsel, U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York
- Deputy Chief Appellate Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York
- Acting Chief of Major Crimes, U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York
- Chief of General Crimes, U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District of New York
Activities
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Former Adjunct Professor of Law, Benjamin Cardozo School of Law
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Former Lecturer in Law, Columbia University School of Law