Sharon Zealey Joins Cox Enterprises

NAFUSA member Sharon Zealey recently joined Cox Enterprises, Inc. as the Vice President, Compliance.  Sharon is responsible for establishing and achieving corporate compliance operational objectives.  She will design and execute the Company’s compliance strategy and training.  Cox Enterprises, Inc. is a leading communications, media and automotive services company with revenues of $20 billion and 55,000 employees. Company divisions include Cox Communications, Cox Media Group, and Cox Automotive.

Sharon previously served as Lead Counsel for Carestream Dental LLC, a medical device company, where she established its global compliance program. Prior to that, she founded NextGen Compliance LLC in Atlanta and was a business consultant on compliance issues and risk assessment.

Sharon was the Chief Ethics and Compliance Officer for The Coca-Cola Company for seven years.   During her tenure, the company was recognized nationally for its user-friendly hotline, effective global compliance network and corporate integrity.

Sharon served as the former United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, 1997-2001.

Carol Lam Elected to Stanford Board of Trustees

Four new members have been elected to the Stanford Board of Trustees and will begin their posts this April, including NAFUSA member Carol Lam J.D. ’85, senior vice president and deputy general counsel of semiconductor and telecommunications company Qualcomm, Inc.

Carol Lam (Courtesy of Stanford News)

Lam became the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California after serving San Diego as a Superior Court judge. She worked on cases concerning health care and white collar crime and was instrumental in winning a bribery case against former Congressman Randy Cunningham that linked illegal payoffs to the awarding of arms contracts. Lam served on the board of The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, California.

 

 

 

 

Peg Lautenschlager Dies

Former United States Attorney Peg Lautenschlager died from cancer early Saturday, March 31, 2018, at her home in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. She served as the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin from 1993-2001, including service on the AGAC. She also served as the Attorney General of Wisconsin (2003-2007), and as a state representative and as a local district attorney. She is a 1980 graduate of the University of Wisconsin Law School.

Peg is survived by her husband, Bill Rippl and her five children and step-children. A memorial service will be held in Fond du Lac on April 15, 2018. Click here to view the obituary. As is our custom, NAFUSA has requested that an American flag be flown over Main Justice in Peg’s honor and it will be presented to her family as a token of the regard with which Peg was held by her colleagues.

Vega Named Chair of Litigation Department at Seltzer Caplan

NAFUSA Past President Greg Vega has been named the Chair of the Litigation Department at Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek in San Diego. He replaces the retiring Jerry McMahon. “Honored to try to fill the shoes of the finest litigator in San Diego, Jerry McMahon. I’ll do my best to honor his great legacy,” Vega said.

Vega served as the United States Attorney for the Southern District of California (1999-2001). He began his career as a trial attorney for the Office of Chief General Counsel, Internal Revenue Office in Chicago. He also served as an AUSA in the Northern District of Indiana. In 1987 he joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego. He joined Seltzer Caplan in 2001 where his practice focuses on business litigation, white color criminal defense and advising corporate clients in regulated industries.

Paul Fishman Joins Arnold & Porter

Arnold & Porter announced on March 19, 2018, that NAFUSA Board Member Paul J. Fishman, the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey from 2009 to 2017, has joined the firm as a partner. Mr. Fishman will lead Arnold & Porter’s Crisis Management and Strategic Response team and his practice will include internal investigations, compliance counseling, white collar defense, complex civil litigation, and appellate advocacy. He will be resident in the New York office and Newark, New Jersey.

During much of his service as United States Attorney, Fishman was a member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) and also served as its Chair.

Firm Chair Richard M. Alexander said, “Paul is a tireless and talented advocate who will bring strategic vision to the most challenging problems facing our clients. They will greatly benefit from his excellent judgment and deep practical experience managing complex matters. He is an outstanding addition to our firm and we are privileged to welcome him back to private practice after his distinguished career in public service.”

“I am proud to join Arnold & Porter, a firm with a deep commitment to client service and a rich tradition of pro bono representation and civic engagement,” said Fishman. “The firm’s lawyers are an extraordinary group of dedicated, talented, and experienced professionals and I look forward to joining their team.”

In addition to his career in public service, Mr. Fishman was in private practice for 12 years where he handled a broad array of white collar and civil litigation matters, representing institutions and individuals and serving as a corporate monitor. In both government service and private practice, he gained wide-ranging experience across a number of diverse industries such as financial services; healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and life sciences; consumer products; manufacturing; transportation; energy; and defense and government contracting. He also has extensive experience as a trial lawyer and appellate advocate.

After graduating from law school, he clerked for the Honorable Edward R. Becker of the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He was an Assistant United States Attorney from 1983 to 1994; during that time, he served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Chief of Narcotics, Chief of the Criminal Division, and First Assistant United States Attorney. From 1994 to 1997, he was a senior adviser to the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General of the United States.

Fishman was appointed by the ABA President to the American Bar Association’s Diversity and Inclusion 360 Commission, and served as Co-chair of the Law and Justice Transition Advisory Committee for New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy. In addition, he was recently elected to the American Law Institute. He earned his JD from Harvard Law School, where he was Managing Editor of the Harvard Law Review, and received his BA from Princeton University, graduating magna cum laude. Mr. Fishman holds an honorary law degree from Seton Hall University where he is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow.

Socializing in Southern California

When Rich and Patty Rossman decided to spend the month of March in San Clemente, California, they were able to spend time with former NAFUSA Presidents Don Stern and Greg Vega as well as former Executive Director Ron Woods. Shown above in Del Mar are (left to right) Rich Rossman, Don Stern, Erica Stern, Patty Rossman, Sue Farus and Greg Vega.

The photo below was taken in Carlsbad with Patty, Rich, Greg, Ron and Patty Woods and Sue.

Michael Bromwich Retained to Represent Andrew McCabe

Michael Bromwich

Andrew Mc­Cabe, the former FBI deputy director fired less than two days before retirement has retained NAFUSA life member Michael R. Bromwich as his counsel. Bromwich is senior counsel at Robbins Russell Englert Orseck Untereiner & Sauber. Bromwich is also founder and managing principal of The Bromwich Group, a D.C.-based consulting company focused on crisis management, strategic advisory, law enforcement, public affairs and independent monitoring.

Bromwich has practiced law for 35 years in the public and private sector.  He served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York (1983-87); Associate Counsel in the Office of Independent Counsel: Iran –Contra (1987-89); Inspector General of the Department of Justice (1994-99); and at the personal request of President Obama, took over the country’s offshore drilling regulatory agency following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico

McCabe served as the FBI deputy director until Attorney General Jeff Sessions fired him on March 15, a little more than 24 hours before he was set to retire and collect his pension.

 

AG Sessions Appoints Six Additional Members to AGAC

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced today the appointment of six new U.S. Attorneys to serve two-year terms on the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys (AGAC), joining the nine members announced on November 13, 2017.

The new appointees are U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Erin Nealy Cox; U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Richard P. Donoghue; U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama Louis V. Franklin, Sr.; U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois John R. Lausch, Jr.; U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts Andrew E. Lelling; and U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David C. Weiss.

“I am pleased to announce these new members of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee plays an important role in helping us achieve the Department of Justice’s goals, including to reduce violent crime, combat transnational criminal organizations, secure our southern border, end the devastating opioid crisis, and enforce the rule of law,” said Attorney General Sessions.

A brief biography of each new member is below:

Erin Nealy Cox
The Senate confirmed Erin Nealy Cox’s appointment as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas in November 2017. Prior to this appointment, Ms. Nealy Cox was a Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Co in the cybersecurity and risk practice and on the Board of Directors of Sally Beauty Holdings, a large retailer on the NYSE. From 1999 to 2008, Ms. Nealy Cox served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Texas, where she prosecuted cyber crimes, white collar crimes, and general crimes. In 2004 and 2005, she served at Main Justice as Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legal Policy. Ms. Nealy Cox also previously worked at Stroz Friedberg, a cybersecurity and investigations consulting firm. Ms. Nealy Cox clerked for the Honorable Henry A. Politz, when he served as Chief Judge of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Honorable Barefoot Sanders, United States District Judge in the Northern District of Texas. She received a B.B.A in Finance from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin and her J.D., magna cum laude, from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.

Richard P. Donoghue
On January 5, 2018, the Attorney General appointed Richard P. Donoghue to be interim United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Donoghue served as the Senior Vice President and Chief Counsel for CA Technologies based in New York. From 2000 to 2011, Mr. Donoghue worked in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York in various roles, including Criminal Chief and Deputy Criminal Chief. Mr. Donoghue received his B.A., cum laude, from Hofstra University and his J.D., from St. John’s University School of Law.

Louis V. Franklin, Sr.
The Senate confirmed Louis V. Franklin, Sr. to be United States Attorney for the Middle District of Alabama in September 2017. Mr. Franklin has served in the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama for nearly 27 years, including as Criminal Chief for almost 16 years. Mr. Franklin served as an Assistant United States Attorney from 1990 to 1996 and from 1998 to 2001. From 1996 to 1998, Mr. Franklin was an associate at Sirote and Permutt. Mr. Franklin began his career as a staff attorney at the Legal Services Corporation of Alabama from 1987 to 1990. Mr. Franklin received his B.A. from the University of Alabama, an M.S. from Auburn University at Montgomery, and his J.D. from Howard University School of Law.

John R. Lausch, Jr.
The Senate confirmed John R. Lausch, Jr.’s appointment as United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois in November 2017. Prior to his appointment, Mr. Lausch was a partner at Kirkland & Ellis LLP. Previously, he served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois from 1999 to 2010. During his time in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Lausch served as a Deputy Chief in the Narcotics and Gangs Section for several years, where he helped lead the District’s Anti-Gang and Project Safe Neighborhoods programs. Mr. Lausch clerked for the Honorable Michael S. Kanne of the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He received his A.B., cum laude, from Harvard University and his J.D., cum laude, from Northwestern University School of Law.

Andrew E. Lelling
The Senate confirmed Andrew E. Lelling’s appointment as United States Attorney for the District of Massachusetts in December 2017. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Lelling was the senior litigation counsel for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts and has worked in that office for 12 years, prosecuting white collar crime and international drug trafficking, among other offenses. Mr. Lelling also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia. He previously served as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General at the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. Mr. Lelling clerked for the Honorable B. Avant Edenfield of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia. He received his B.A., magna cum laude, from the State University of New York at Binghamton and his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

David C. Weiss
David C. Weiss’s nomination to be United States Attorney for the District of Delaware was confirmed in February. Mr. Weiss previously served as the Acting United States Attorney for the District of Delaware from 2009 to 2011 and 2017 to 2018, and as the First Assistant United States Attorney from 2007 to 2017. Prior to serving in these positions, Mr. Weiss was an Assistant United States Attorney from 1986 to 1989. Mr. Weiss clerked for the Honorable Andrew D. Christie of the Delaware Supreme Court. Mr. Weiss received his B.S. from Washington University and his J.D. from Widener University School of Law.

NAFUSA’s Liaison Committee Meets with AG, DAG and AGAC

On March 6, 2018, NAFUSA President Hal Hardin led a delegation of NAFUSA leaders to meet with Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). Joining Hardin in the AG’s conference room in the photo above (left to right) are Vice President Paul Coggins, Counsel to the Board Jay Stephens, AG Jeff Sessions, President Elect Terry Flynn, and board members John Richter and Tim Heaphy.

The photo below shows the NAFUSA delegation with DAG Rod Rosenstein in the DAG’s conference room. In all three meetings, the committee shared NAFUSA’s commitment to the U.S. Attorney community, and discussed NAFUSA’s desire to support the Department in a nonpartisan manner. The group also discussed the Bradford Award; the Wales Project; and how we have an American flag flown over Main Justice when a former U.S. Attorney dies and presented to the family as a token of the regard with which he or she was held by his or her former colleagues. There was also a discussion of the limitations on our taking public positions as an organization due to our nonpartisan and bipartisan nature.

The liaison committee was first formed in 2010 and Hal Hardin expressed his pleasure that these meetings are continuing in the Sessions Administration. “All the DOJ attorneys were most hospitable and thanked NAFUSA for the meetings,” said Hardin. “Having a good relationship with Main Justice and the U.S. Attorney community will enable us to fulfill our mission ‘to promote, defend and further the integrity and the preservation of the litigating authority and independence of the office of the United States Authority…,’” said Hardin.