Lee M. Cortes, Jr.

When companies, health systems, financial institutions, or their executives face a government investigation, the stakes extend far beyond legal exposure — to reputation, operations, and the people who lead the organization. Lee Cortes is a trusted advisor for those moments.

Lee is a white collar defense attorney and trial lawyer with deep experience representing corporations and individuals across the full arc of a dispute — from pre-litigation counseling and internal investigations through government enforcement actions, trials, and appeals. His practice is anchored in the healthcare sector, where he represents hospitals, providers, health systems, pharmaceutical and life sciences companies, laboratories, and executives facing government scrutiny, False Claims Act litigation, Anti-Kickback Statute violations, and related civil and criminal matters. He also represents clients in the financial services sector, public corruption matters, and complex commercial disputes.

Before joining Arnold & Porter, Lee spent 14 years as a federal prosecutor in the District of New Jersey career, leading and overseeing the office's most significant healthcare fraud, False Claims Act, Anti-Kickback Statute, and FCPA enforcement actions — first as Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, then as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, the office's third-highest position. He brings firsthand knowledge of how the government builds cases, makes charging decisions, negotiates resolutions, and evaluates cooperation, and applies that perspective at every stage of a client engagement. Clients benefit not only from Lee's understanding of prosecutorial strategy, but from his experience as a seasoned first-chair trial lawyer — someone equally prepared to resolve a matter efficiently or take it to verdict.