Former Federal Prosecutor Marcus Asner Joins Arnold & Porter's White Collar Criminal Defense Practice

New York, May 6, 2009 -- Arnold & Porter LLP announced today that Marcus Asner, a former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (2000-2009), where he served for two years as Chief of the Major Crimes and Computer Hacking/Intellectual Property Unit (2007-2009), has joined the firm's White Collar Criminal Defense Practice as a partner in New York. 

"Marcus is a versatile lawyer who has a high-level of experience litigating criminal as well as civil cases, with an especially impressive track record on cross-border criminal matters," said Arnold & Porter Chair Thomas Milch. "He will bolster our white collar capabilities, particularly in New York, and his in-depth background in the financial services, healthcare, and accounting sectors will be of tremendous value to our clients."

"Marcus has demonstrated excellence in his career in the US Attorney's Office, along with an ability to handle large and complex international cases," said Philip Curtis, head of the New York office. "He brings a distinguished set of skills and experience to our diverse and expanding litigation team in New York."

As a prosecutor, Mr. Asner managed more than 100 criminal investigations and prosecutions, conducting more than 15 trials and over 20 appeals, and numerous evidentiary hearings. He has achieved notable recognition for his work in both international and domestic criminal investigations and prosecutions, including heading the investigation and prosecution of a worldwide bank fraud and money laundering scheme arising out of the metals trading industry, which involved over US$680 million in losses to 20 banks throughout the world, and the investigation and prosecution of a scheme to smuggle illegally harvested seafood from South Africa into the United States. He led the investigation and prosecution of one of the largest identity theft cases in US history, involving a fraud ring that stole the identities of 30,000 known individuals. The prosecution, which so far has resulted in 21 convictions, earned Mr. Asner the Department of Justice Director's Award, the highest award bestowed by the Executive Office for United States Attorneys.

As Chief of his division at the Southern District of New York, Mr. Asner supervised for two years a unit of 15 to 20 Assistant United States Attorneys involved in complex financial investigations and prosecutions. 

Mr. Asner has managed prosecutions involving complex business fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, and accounting fraud; and has supervised cases involving violations of the FCPA. He has extensive experience in computer law and IP disputes and investigations, criminal tax investigations and litigation, healthcare-related disputes, and public corruption investigations.

He also has experience in the prosecution of individuals and organizations involved in environmental and wildlife crime and art and antiquities fraud, and served as the bankruptcy fraud coordinator for the Southern District of New York. While in private practice, he worked on key securities fraud and antitrust actions, as well as complex commercial, trade secret, and patent litigation.

He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School and clerked on the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit and the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan. Mr. Asner also worked as a litigation associate at a major New York law firm for over four years and was a summer associate in Arnold & Porter's New York office in 1993.

Commenting on his arrival at Arnold & Porter, Mr. Asner said, "Arnold & Porter is a remarkably vibrant firm with an impressive white collar practice and a broad range of litigation experience. Additionally, the firm has a deep bench of highly qualified litigators, many of whom have substantial trial experience. I look forward to joining this dynamic group of lawyers." 

Arnold & Porter's White Collar Criminal Defense Practice represents individuals and corporations, both in the US and internationally, in grand jury and administrative enforcement proceedings, compliance programs, criminal trials, and internal investigations. The team works in concert with members of the litigation group, public policy practitioners and lawyers with experience in such fields as antitrust, healthcare, food and drug, financial institutions, government contracts, national security, tax, corporate law, and environmental law. Prominent members of the team include Robert Litt, former Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General, and Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Division of the US Department of Justice (1994-1999); Craig Stewart, former Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division and Chief Appellate Attorney for the Criminal Division in the Southern District of New York (1987-1998); and James Cooper, former Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division in the US Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia (2002-2007).

Arnold & Porter LLP, an international law firm of 700 attorneys, has offices in Brussels, Denver, London, Los Angeles, New York, Northern Virginia, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. The firm, founded in 1946, maintains more than 25 practice areas spanning a broad spectrum of the law, with a primary focus on litigation, transactional matters, and regulatory issues.