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Ethisphere's 2025 Global Ethics Summit

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MoFo partners Chuck Duross, James Koukios, Jerry Gomez, Christine Wong, and David Newman will present in person at Ethisphere's...

MoFo partners Chuck Duross, James Koukios, Jerry Gomez, Christine Wong, and David Newman will present in person at Ethisphere's Global Ethics Summit in Atlanta, Georgia from April 6-8, 2025. They will serve on the following panels:<ul><li>Chuck Duross: Main Stage Session - "DOJ Compliance Expectations: An Inside Perspective" (Sunday, April 6, 2025, 12:10 - 1:00 p.m. ET)</li><li>James Koukios: Breakout Session - "The Intersections of Ethics & Compliance with Safety and Quality Processes and Systems" (Monday, April 7, 2025, 8:20 - 9:10 a.m. ET) and Peer-To-Peer Session - "Managing Third-Party Risk in an Era of Regulatory Uncertainty" (Monday, April 7, 2025, 12:30 - 1:20 p.m. ET)</li><li>Jerry Gomez and Christine Wong: Peer-to-Peer Session - "Whistle(blowing) While You Work: Navigating Increasing Government Encouragement & Incentives for Whistleblowers" (Monday, April 7, 2025, 12:30 - 1:20 p.m. ET)</li><li>David Newman: Main Stage Session - "The Times, They Are A-Changin': Insights from Former Government Officials on the Evolving Global Enforcement Environment" (Tuesday, April 8, 2025, 8:40 - 9:30 a.m. ET)</li></ul>Additionally, David Newman will be interviewed about the evolution of the national security landscape by Ethisphere as part of their live Ethicast Zoom series on Monday, April 7, 2025, from 9:00 - 9:25 a.m. ET in the Community Expo Hall.MoFo is a proud sponsor of the Global Ethics Summit. Visit the <a href="https://events.ethisphere.com/e/2025-Global-Ethics-Summit" target="_blank">event website</a> to register to attend virtually or in person.<hr>

Ethisphere's 2025 Global Ethics Summit

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Charles (Chuck) Duross serves as co-head of Morrison Foerster’s FCPA + Global Anti-Corruption practice. With more than twenty-eight years of experience principally focused on white collar cases, Chuck’s practice has an emphasis on complex white collar criminal matters, including internal corporate investigations, representing special committees, compliance counseling, due diligence regarding third parties and business transactions, and defense of clients before government enforcement agencies and multilateral investment banks. Chuck has handled cases and overseen investigations in dozens of countries. As a veteran trial attorney, Chuck has a proven track record in the courtroom in high-profile, high-stakes trials. Dubbed “Mr. FCPA” in The Washington Post, Chuck is routinely recognized in various rankings and publications, including Chambers Global, Chambers USA, and Legal 500 as a leading attorney in white collar criminal defense, with a particular specialty in FCPA and foreign corruption cases.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>Serving as the DOJ-appointed independent corporate compliance monitor for a large South American company in the wake of a multi-jurisdictional resolution of one of the largest bribery schemes in history</li><li>Representing a leading U.S. company in a high-profile multi-jurisdictional government-facing bribery investigation in Africa</li><li>Representing multinational European company in a high-profile bribery investigation involving multiple jurisdictions</li><li>Representing a major manufacturing company in an emissions-related investigation</li><li>Representing a technology company before DOJ and SEC regarding a whistleblower employee alleging FCPA violations</li><li>Representing a Japanese company before DOJ and SEC in an FCPA investigation</li><li>Representing a leading U.S. company before DOJ regarding allegations of improper hiring issues</li><li>Represented former telecom executive before DOJ and SEC regarding conduct in China</li><li>Representing a former executive regarding allegations of misconduct in Latin America</li><li>Secured declinations on behalf of multiple corporate clients and individuals before DOJ and SEC</li><li>Secured a victory for a Chinese company before the Sanctions Board of the World Bank</li><li>Lead an internal investigation for a leading South American company concerning bribery allegations in Asia</li><li>Conducted pre-investment and pre-acquisition enhanced FCPA/anti-corruption due diligence in numerous multi-billion dollar deals in Africa, Asia, and Latin America</li><li>Assisting numerous companies, from start-ups to Fortune 50 corporations, with drafting codes of conduct and compliance procedures, conducting risk assessments, gap analysis and compliance benchmarking, and enhancing existing compliance programs</li><li>Go-to outside FCPA and anti-corruption legal and compliance counsel to leading Global 500 multinational corporations across industries and regions</li></ul>Chuck previously served as Chief of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) Unit in the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where he was in charge of all of the DOJ’s FCPA investigations, prosecutions and resolutions in the United States. Chuck is internationally recognized for his leading role in developing and implementing the government’s FCPA enforcement strategy, and he is widely credited with developing the current enforcement regime. Under his leadership, the FCPA Unit resolved more than 40 corporate cases resulting in approximately $1.9 billion in monetary penalties and prosecuted dozens of business executives and money launderers. As the head of the FCPA Unit, Chuck oversaw countless voluntary disclosures, decided which matters would be declined, administered DOJ’s FCPA Opinion Release Procedure and was responsible for interviewing, selecting and reviewing the work of nearly 20 independent corporate monitors.In investigating and prosecuting transnational bribery cases, Chuck worked with every major U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement agency in the United States, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), law enforcement counterparts around the world and numerous multi-lateral development banks, including the World Bank. For example, Chuck worked with the Australian Federal Police, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Tribunal de Grande Instance de Paris, Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Commission, the Tokyo Public Prosecutor’s Office, Mexico’s Procuraduría General de la República, Norway’s Økokrim, the Swiss Attorney General’s Office, Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission, and the United Kingdom’s City of London Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Metropolitan Police and Serious Fraud Office.While in the Fraud Section, Chuck led the development of a deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) template for FCPA cases, which formed the basis for a DPA template later adopted for use by the entire Criminal Division, and he also led the effort to update and restructure the enhanced compliance components used in resolving FCPA cases. As a recognized expert, Chuck was consulted by UK officials prior to the adoption of legislation permitting deferred prosecution agreements.Chuck’s tenure was also marked by his efforts to make FCPA enforcement more transparent and compliance with the statute more understandable to the business community. Working closely with his counterparts at the SEC, Chuck was one of the principal authors of the DOJ and SEC’s joint publication A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which followed a series of consultations with business and compliance leaders. The Guide has received wide praise from the business community, compliance and ethics professionals and private practitioners, and has been described as a “landmark document,” an “FCPA hornbook,” and a “must-read for compliance officers.”Chuck also served as DOJ’s principal representative to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Working Group on Bribery for many years and helped develop the OECD’s acclaimed Good Practice Guidance on Internal Controls, Ethics and Compliance. Besides his involvement in the OECD Phase 1 of Russia and Phase 2 of South Africa, Chuck’s leadership during the OECD Phase 3 of the United States earned him the Assistant Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award, the Criminal Division’s highest award for employee performance.Prior to being appointed Chief, Chuck served as Assistant Chief of the FCPA Unit from October 2008 to April 2010, and as a line prosecutor with the Fraud Section from December 2006 to October 2008. Beyond FCPA enforcement, Chuck has supervised and tried all manner of white collar cases, including healthcare fraud, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, public corruption, securities fraud and tax evasion. A veteran trial attorney, Chuck is a recipient of the prestigious Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, the second-highest department-wide award for employee performance, as one of the lead prosecutors who secured the conviction of Congressman William Jefferson following a nearly nine-week trial.Chuck has been recognized for his work on FCPA matters by Law360, the Legal 500 US, the Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, and also by Chambers USA where a market commentator praises him as “a sage counselor, who is calm under pressure and solutions-oriented.” Who’s Who Legal also recognizes Chuck for his investigations work. In recognition of his contributions to the firm’s “Top Ten International Anti-Corruption Developments” monthly newsletter, Chuck has also been repeatedly honored with JD Supra’s “Reader’s Choice Top Author” award.Chuck earned his J.D., cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School in 1996 and his B.A., magna cum laude, from the University of Michigan in 1993. After beginning his career as a litigation associate at an international firm in 1996, he joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida in 2001, where he prosecuted a variety of white collar cases, including bank fraud, embezzlement, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, securities fraud and trademark violations. Chuck rose to the position of Deputy Chief in the Major Crimes Section in Miami before moving to Washington, D.C., in 2006 to join the Fraud Section. Chuck has been an adjunct professor for seven years at Georgetown University Law Center, where he has taught trial advocacy, has been a guest lecturer at Harvard Law School’s Program on the Legal Profession, University of Pennsylvania Law School, and the University of Michigan Law School and Ross School of Business. As an internationally recognized expert on transnational bribery, white collar crimes, and compliance issues, Chuck is a sought-after speaker, and he routinely speaks at conferences across the United States and around the world. He is admitted to practice in Michigan and the District of Columbia.

Charles E. Duross

Partner

James Koukios is co-chair of Morrison Foerster’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Group and also serves as co-head of the FCPA + Global Anti-Corruption Practice. James represents companies and individuals in high-stakes government enforcement actions and complex internal investigations. He has handled matters across a wide range of jurisdictions including Brazil, China, Greece, India, Russia, Venezuela, and Vietnam, among others. James draws on his experience as a federal prosecutor, when he tried over 20 federal jury cases and supervised hundreds of white collar investigations, to obtain the best results for his clients. He is consistently praised for his judgment and advocacy in complex investigations and enforcement actions. Chambers USA notes that he is “super experienced with excellent judgement regarding what the government is looking for and concerned about,“ while Chambers Global describes James as, “a forceful advocate when appearing before the government.”Before joining Morrison Foerster, James spent 10 years at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), beginning as an Assistant United States Attorney in Miami and finishing as Senior Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section in Washington, D.C., where he supervised investigations, prosecutions, and resolutions in the Fraud Section’s FCPA, Health Care Fraud, and Market Integrity and Major Fraud Units. While at DOJ, James investigated and prosecuted health care fraud, procurement fraud, domestic and foreign corruption, money laundering, and export control offenses, working closely with state, federal, and foreign law enforcement officials, as well as the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Departments of Defense, State, and Commerce, and intelligence agencies.While at DOJ, James assisted in drafting the widely acclaimed DOJ and SEC joint publication A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, which followed a series of consultations with business and compliance leaders. He was also a lead examiner for the Phase 2 examination of Russia’s compliance with the Anti-Bribery Convention of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).James has been recognized as: a leading lawyer in FCPA (Nationwide and Global) by Chambers USA and Chambers Global; a recommended lawyer for corporate investigations and white collar defense by Legal 500; an “Expert” and a “Thought Leader” in investigations by Who’s Who Legal; and an “Attorney Who Matters” by the Ethisphere Institute for making an impact in the area of ethics and compliance. He also received the Assistant Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award in recognition for his work on two landmark FCPA-related trials: United States v. Esquenazi and United States v. Duperval. James also served as a lead prosecutor in United States v. AEY Inc., a defense procurement fraud and export licensing case that served as the basis for the 2016 film War Dogs.James is a recognized thought leader on the latest legal trends and industry developments. Chambers Global notes that, “James has a keen ability to distill trends and enforcement down to their core. He is a crisp thinker and discerning with regards to the market.” He is the lead editor of our award-winning monthly newsletter, Top 10 International Anti-Corruption Developments, which succinctly summarizes important case and policy developments for busy in-house counsel, compliance professionals, and anti-corruption lawyers. James also served as an adjunct professor of trial advocacy at the Georgetown University Law Center for over 10 years and regularly guest lectures at leading law and business schools on investigations, white collar enforcement, and anti-corruption issues.<h4>Selected Significant Representations</h4><h5>FCPA and Global Anti-Corruption</h5><ul><li>Successful resolution of a transnational bribery investigation of a multinational pharmaceutical company, securing cooperation credit, avoiding the imposition of a corporate compliance monitor, and negotiating a deferred prosecution agreement with DOJ and an administrative resolution with the SEC.</li><li>Successful representation of a multinational medical device company in conducting an internal investigation into allegations of bribery in Vietnam that led to a deferred prosecution agreement with DOJ.</li><li>Representation of an international consulting firm in extensive, government-facing international corruption and money laundering investigations involving China, India, and other jurisdictions.</li><li>Representation of a multinational automotive company in an internal investigation into allegations of bribery in its Latin America operations and antitrust violations and whistleblower retaliation in its U.S. operations.</li><li>Representation of a consumer retail company in an internal investigation into allegations of bribery in its Indonesian operations.</li><li>Representation of business executives in government-facing FCPA investigations involving Brazil, China, Venezuela, and other jurisdictions.</li><li>FCPA legal advice, anti-corruption counseling, transactional due diligence, and post-acquisition integration advice to multinational corporations in several industries, including defense, extractive, financial services, food, gaming, health care, and technology.</li><li>Review of a multinational company’s compliance management system in connection with the spin-off of a subsidiary and investigations by multiple enforcement agencies.</li></ul><h5>Consumer Protection and Product Safety</h5><ul><li>Successful representation of a multinational consumer electronics company in the first-ever corporate criminal resolution of an alleged Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA) violation, securing cooperation credit, avoiding the imposition of a corporate compliance monitor, and negotiating a deferred prosecution agreement for the parent company with DOJ.</li><li>Representation of a multinational vehicle manufacturer in a criminal CPSA investigation being led by DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch.</li><li>Representation of the CEO of a consumer electronics company in a criminal CPSA investigation being led by DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch.</li><li>Representation of the Supervisory Board of a car manufacturer in an investigation by DOJ, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the California Air Resources Board, SEC, various state Attorneys General, German Prosecutors and the German vehicle admissions agency into potential violations of environmental, capital markets, consumer protection, antitrust and criminal laws.</li></ul><h5>Other White Collar and Civil Fraud Defense Matters</h5><ul><li>Representation of a multinational technology company in responding to a subpoena issued by the U.S. House of Representatives’ Judiciary Committee related to an investigation into alleged suppression or restriction of conservative opinions through “content moderation” policies on social media platforms.</li><li>Successful representation of a multinational defense contractor in conducting an internal investigation that led to a declination from the State Department for potential International Trafficking in Arms Regulation (ITAR) violations without referral to DOJ.</li><li>Representation of a consumer retail company in a DOJ insider trading investigation.</li><li>Representation of a company and several of its employees in connection with a DOJ mortgage fraud investigation.</li><li>Representation of Anthony Ornato, a former senior career civil servant who served as White House Deputy Chief of Staff of Operations, in the January 6 Select Committee investigation and related government investigations.</li><li>Representation of two former high-level executives of a public company in internal and external investigations concerning allegations of fraud, misuse of company funds, record violations, and disclosure violations and in a derivative lawsuit in the Delaware Chancery Court regarding alleged violations of fiduciary duty, corporate waste, and unjust enrichment.</li><li>Representation of business executives in anti-money-laundering, criminal securities fraud, whistleblower retaliation, government procurement fraud, and other DOJ investigations.</li><li>Defended independent directors against breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims in federal bankruptcy court, successfully moving to dismiss all claims against the directors with prejudice.</li></ul>

James Koukios é co-líder do grupo de Contencioso de Valores Mobiliários e Defesa de Colarinho Branco e atua como co-líder global do grupo FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) + Anticorrupção. James representa empresas e indivíduos em ações governamentais de alto risco e investigações internas complexas.James, um experiente advogado de litígios e ex-promotor federal, litigou mais de 20 casos federais de júri, inclusive sendo o principal promotor em dois julgamentos históricos relacionados à FCPA: Estados Unidos v. Esquenazi e Estados Unidos v. Duperval. James também atuou como promotor-chefe nocaso Estados Unidos v. AEY Inc., um caso de fraude de aquisição de defesa e licenciamento de exportação que serviu de base para o filme de 2016 chamado "Cães de Guerra".<h4>Casos Representativos</h4><ul><li>Representou empresas multinacionais de dispositivos médicos e farmacêuticos em investigações da FCPA perante o governo.</li><li>Representou empresas e organizações multinacionais em vários setores a conduzir investigações internas sobre possíveis violações de FCPA, ITAR, sobre informações privilegiadas, entre outras violações.</li><li>Representou uma empresa e vários de seus funcionários em investigações do Conselho Especial.</li><li>Representou uma empresa de produtos de consumo em uma investigação criminal de segurança de produtos perante o governo.</li><li>Forneceu consultoria jurídica sobre FCPA, consultoria anticorrupção, due diligence transacional e consultoria de integração pós-aquisição a empresas multinacionais em vários setores, incluindo defesa, extração, serviços financeiros, alimentos, assistência médica e tecnologia.</li><li>Representou indivíduos em casos de investigações anti-corrupção, lavagem de dinheiro, fraude criminal em valores mobiliários, retaliação de denunciantes, fraude de compras do governo, dentre outras.</li><li>Defendeu conselheiros independentes contra reclamações por quebra de obrigações fiduciárias no tribunal federal de falências.</li></ul>Antes de ingressar na Morrison Foerster, James trabalhou  por 10 anos no Departamento de Justiça dos Estados Unidos, começando sua carreira como Advogado Assistente dos Estados Unidos em Miami e encerrando seu mandato no Departamento de Justiça como Chefe Adjunto de Seção de Fraude da Divisão Criminal em Washington, DC, onde supervisionou investigações, processos e resoluções na Seção de Fraude em FCPA, Fraude em Assistência Médica, e em Valores Mobiliários e na Unidade de Fraude Financeira. Enquanto estava no Departamento de Justiça, James investigou e processou fraudes na área da saúde, fraude de compras, corrupção doméstica e estrangeira, lavagem de dinheiro e infrações de controle de exportação, trabalhando em estreita colaboração com autoridades estaduais, federais e estrangeiras, bem como a Comissão de Valores Mobiliários dos Estados Unidos (SEC); Departamentos de Defesa, Estado e Comércio dos Estados Unidos; e agências de inteligência. Ele ajudou na redação da amplamente divulgada publicação conjunta da SEC e do Departamento de Justiça, “Guia de Recursos da Lei de Práticas de Corrupção no Exterior dos Estados Unidos (“A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act”), que seguiu uma série de consultas com os líderes de negócios e conformidade. Ele também foi examinador principal da Fase 2 da avaliação de conformidade da da Rússia com a Convenção Anti-suborno da Organização para Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico (OCDE).De 2010 a 2011, James atuou como consultor especial do então diretor do FBI Robert S. Mueller, III, assessorando o diretor e outros executivos do FBI em questões de política criminal, preparando a Diretoria Executiva do FBI para testemunhar perante o Congresso, representando o FBI em reuniões entre agências e atuando como uma ligação entre o FBI e outros componentes do Departamento de Justiça.James foi reconhecido como um dos principais advogados da FCPA, nacional e globalmente, pela Chambers USA e pela Chambers Global, "recomendado" para investigações corporativas e advocacia de colarinho branco pelo Legal 500, um "especialista" e um "líder de pensamento" nas investigações do Who is Who Legal e um "advogado que importa" pelo Instituto Ethisphere por ter um impacto na área de ética e conformidade. Ele também recebeu o Prêmio de Serviço Distinto do Procurador Geral em reconhecimento ao seu trabalho nos julgamentos de Esquenazi e Duperval durante seu período no Departamento de Justiça.James é professor adjunto de defesa de julgamento no Centro de Direito da Universidade de Georgetown e é regularmente convidado para palestras nas principais faculdades de administração e direito sobre investigações, fiscalização de colarinho branco e questões anticorrupção.

James Koukios es copresidente del grupo de Litigios de Valores, Aplicación de la Ley y Defensa de Cuello Blanco de la firma y se desempeña como codirector global del grupo de FCPA (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act) + Anticorrupción de la firma. James representa a empresas e individuos en acciones gubernamentales de alto riesgo e investigaciones internas complejas.James, un abogado con experiencia litigando y ex fiscal federal, ha litigado más de 20 casos de jurado federal, incluyendo ser el fiscal principal en dos juicios históricos relacionados con la FCPA: Estados Unidos v. Esquenazi y Estados Unidos v. Duperval. James también se desempeñó como fiscal principal en Estados Unidos v. AEY Inc., un caso de fraude de adquisición de defensa y licencias de exportación que sirvió de base para la película de 2016 llamada “War Dogs”.<h4>Experiencia Representativa</h4><ul><li>Representó a compañías multinacionales de dispositivos médicos y farmacéuticos en investigaciones de la FCPA ante el gobierno.</li><li>Asistió a compañías y organizaciones multinacionales en varios sectores llevando a cabo investigaciones internas sobre posibles FCPA, ITAR, abuso de información privilegiada y otras violaciones.</li><li>Representó a una empresa y a varios de sus empleados en relación con las investigaciones sobre delitos de investigación del Consejo Especial.</li><li>Representó a una compañía de productos de consumo en una investigación criminal de seguridad de productos del gobierno.</li><li>Brindó asesoramiento legal de FCPA, asesoramiento anticorrupción, diligencia debida transaccional y asesoramiento de integración posterior a la adquisición a corporaciones multinacionales en varias industrias, incluyendo defensa, extracción, servicios financieros, alimentos, atención médica y tecnología.</li><li>Representó a personas en anticorrupción, anti-lavado de dinero, fraude de valores criminales, represalias de denunciantes, fraude de compras gubernamentales y otras investigaciones.</li><li>Defendió a directores independientes contra demandas por incumplimiento de obligaciones fiduciarias en un tribunal federal de quiebras.</li></ul>Antes de unirse a Morrison Foerster, James trabajó 10 años en el Departamento de Justicia de los Estados Unidos, comenzando su carrera como Asistente del Fiscal de los Estados Unidos en Miami y terminando su mandato en el Departamento de Justicia como Subjefe Principal de la Sección de Fraude de la División Criminal en Washington, D.C., donde supervisó investigaciones, enjuiciamientos y resoluciones en la FCPA de la Sección de Fraude, Fraude de Atención Médica y Unidades de Valores y Fraude Financiero. Mientras estuvo en el Departamento de Justicia, James investigó y procesó el fraude a la atención médica, el fraude de adquisiciones, la corrupción nacional y extranjera, el lavado de dinero y los delitos de control de exportaciones, trabajando en estrecha colaboración con los funcionarios estatales, federales y extranjeros encargados de hacer cumplir la ley, así como con la Comisión de Bolsa y Valores de EE. UU. (SEC); Departamentos de Defensa, Estado y Comercio de los Estados Unidos; y agencias de inteligencia. Asistió en la redacción de la publicación conjunta del Departamento de Justicia y la SEC, ampliamente aclamada, “Guía de recursos de la Ley de prácticas corruptas en el extranjero de EE. UU.” (“A Resource Guide to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act”), que siguió a una serie de consultas con líderes empresariales y de cumplimiento. También fue un examinador principal para el examen de Fase 2 del cumplimiento de Rusia con la Convención Antisoborno de la Organización para la Cooperación y el Desarrollo Económico (OCDE).De 2010 a 2011, James se desempeñó como Asesor Especial del entonces Director del FBI Robert S. Mueller, III, asesorando al Director y a otros ejecutivos del FBI sobre cuestiones de política criminal, preparando a la Dirección Ejecutiva del FBI para el testimonio ante el Congreso, representando al FBI en las reuniones interinstitucionales, y actuando como enlace entre el FBI y otros componentes del Departamento de Justicia.James ha sido reconocido como abogado líder en FCPA tanto nacionalmente como globalmente por Chambers USA y Chambers Global, "recomendado" para investigaciones corporativas y defensa de cuello blanco por Legal 500, un "experto" y un "líder de pensamiento" en investigaciones de Who's Who Legal, y un "Abogado que importa" por Ethisphere Institute por tener un impacto en el área de ética y cumplimiento. También recibió el Premio al Servicio Distinguido del Fiscal General Adjunto en reconocimiento por su trabajo en los juicios de Esquenazi y Duperval durante su tiempo en el Departamento de Justicia.James es profesor adjunto de defensa de juicios en el Centro de Leyes de la Universidad de Georgetown y regularmente es invitado a conferencias en las principales escuelas de derecho y de negocios sobre investigaciones, aplicación de cuello blanco y temas anticorrupción.

James M. Koukios

Gerardo Gomez Galvis is a partner in the firm’s Investigations + White Collar Groups in the New York office who focuses on conducting internal and government-facing investigations, global compliance exercises, and related civil litigation, with particular experience in matters involving Latin America.Gerardo has deep experience representing multinational corporations, financial institutions, and business executives in investigations and white collar defense matters alleging Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, anti-money laundering violations, accounting and disclosure fraud, insider trading, manipulation of foreign exchange rates, misrepresentations and false statements, marketplace lending issues, and federal securities law violations, among other areas. He also regularly evaluates and enhances compliance programs related to the same. Gerardo’s investigations matters have included inquiries and enforcement actions led by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), state attorneys general offices, U.S. Congress, and a number of non-U.S. law enforcement agencies across Latin America, Europe, and Africa. His work on high-profile investigations and white collar defense matters has earned him recognition by Best Lawyers in the Criminal Defense: White Collar category, and he has also been named to the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s 2024 Top 40 Under 40 list and Crain’s New York Business’s 2024 Notable LGBTQ Leaders list for his significant contributions to LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace and larger legal community. He also has deep experience representing clients in administrative regulatory actions, securities class actions, and commercial litigation in both federal and state courts.Gerardo was born and raised in Colombia and is fluent in Spanish. He has conducted investigations in Spanish throughout Central and South America, including in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.Before joining Morrison Foerster, Gerardo worked for another international law firm, where he handled corporate investigations and securities litigation, and he also served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. Gerardo graduated from New York University School of Law, where he was a recipient of an AnBryce merit scholarship and was active as an editor of the New York University Law Review. Prior to that, he received a B.A. summa cum laude from Florida International University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and the Honors College.<h4>Select Experience</h4><h5>FCPA + Global Anti-Corruption</h5><ul><li>Serving as a key team member for the independent compliance monitor as appointed by the DOJ and two separate multilateral development banks for Odebrecht S.A. (now known as Novonor) in the wake of a multijurisdictional resolution worth billions of USD. </li><li>Representation of a multinational consulting firm in a cross-border investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption in South Africa, which involves investigations on multiple continents by DOJ and the National Prosecuting Authority in South Africa, parliamentary inquiries, and a Judicial Commission of Inquiry in South Africa.</li><li>Representation of a privately held corporation in an investigation of potential FCPA violations concerning payments to government officials in Latin America, which included conducting an extensive internal investigation and assisting the company in self-reporting the matter to DOJ. DOJ is currently investigating the matter along with the U.S. Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).</li><li>Representation of an executive in a DOJ-led FCPA investigation involving allegations of bribery in Latin America.</li><li>Representation of a business executive in an investigation being led by DOJ and non-U.S. authorities into alleged money laundering and Travel Act violations involving Latin America.</li></ul><h5>SEC Accounting + Disclosure Fraud Investigations</h5><ul><li>Representation of a large private fund that invested in a publicly traded company in an SEC investigation into COVID-19-related insider trading, which resulted in successful negotiation with the SEC to narrow the fund’s production obligations.</li><li>Representation of a global technology company in an SEC accounting fraud investigation.</li><li>Representation of a senior employee of a private company in an accounting fraud investigation being led by SEC and DOJ.</li></ul><h5>Select Other Corporate Investigations + Compliance Counseling and Litigation Matters</h5><ul><li>Representation of an international consulting firm related to its work for opioid manufacturers, which involves complex, multidimensional work involving state attorneys general, DOJ, and congressional investigations, as well as more than 140 civil lawsuits that are now in a Multi-District Litigation.</li><li>Representation of a major consulting firm related to its pandemic work for the State of New York and certain government investigations including the EDNY and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and related investigations by the NYAG. </li><li>Representation of a global company in advising on compliance issues related to document preservation and collection. </li><li>Representation of a private equity fund in conducting various compliance-related due diligence exercises on investments involving Latin America, including complex anti-corruption, OFAC sanctions, and anti-money laundering assessments.</li><li>Representation of several offshore companies in litigation arising out of investments made with Bernard L. Madoff.</li><li>Representation of a Fortune 500 multinational company in conducting a post-acquisition risk assessment throughout Latin America in relation to its acquisition of a major agricultural company.</li><li>Parker v. United Industries Corp. (S.D.N.Y.) Won summary judgment for United Industries Corp. in a consumer class action concerning United Industries’ Cutter Natural Insect Repellent, where client sought nearly $100 million in damages. (2020)</li></ul><h4>Memberships</h4><ul><li>Federal Bar Council's Diversity Taskforce</li><li>Inaugural Board Member for the Brazil-U.S. 40 and Under White Collar Lawyers Initiative</li></ul>

Gerardo Gomez Galvis

<div class="videoWrapper"><iframe class="sticky-video" title="Meet MoFo San Francisco Litigation Partner Christine Wong" src="https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/27P0I7oxkbc?rel=0" frameborder="0" allow="autoplay; encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="1" title="iframe"></iframe></div>Christine Wong focuses her practice on investigations, white collar criminal defense, and cross-border compliance matters. Christine draws on her unique background as an internal advisor and as a federal prosecutor in advising companies, boards and executives in a variety of matters that present significant legal and reputational risk – including white collar criminal and regulatory enforcement, internal investigations and related civil litigation. She also provides ongoing compliance advice to corporate clients. Christine has an active trial practice as first chair in both criminal and civil cases. Christine is a former co-chair of MoFo’s Global Litigation Department and the firm’s Securities Litigation, Enforcement, and White Collar Defense practice group. She also served as an Adjunct Professor at UC Berkeley School of Law, where she taught Civil Trial Practice. Christine served as a federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York and the Northern District of California, where she investigated a wide range of matters including public corruption, fraud, and organized crime, and served as lead counsel in over a dozen jury trials. She briefed criminal appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.Before joining MoFo, Christine led the development and implementation of the global compliance program for a Fortune 500 multinational corporation, where she served as vice president, head of international compliance. In that capacity, she conducted risk assessments for dozens of entities, which resulted in enacting necessary amendments to business workflows and policies. She was responsible for managing investigations and related litigation, reviewing policies and procedures, developing and delivering training modules, and ultimately reporting to the board of directors.Christine speaks conversational Mandarin and Cantonese.<h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li>Representing Hawaiian Telcom in all matters arising from the 2023 Maui Wildfires.</li><li>Representing a waste management company in negotiating a deferred prosecution agreement with the DOJ and the resolution of a parallel civil lawsuit filed by local authorities related to a public corruption investigation.</li><li>Representing Pacific Gas and Electric Company in investigations by the Safety and Enforcement Division of the California Public Utilities Commission and related proceedings pertaining to wildfires.</li><li>Defending a Chinese semiconductor company indicted for theft of trade secrets and economic espionage.</li><li>Representing employees of a company in an accounting and securities fraud investigation.</li><li>Obtaining a declination for an individual in a criminal tax fraud investigation.</li><li>Representing a senior executive in an accounting fraud investigation by the DOJ and the SEC.</li><li>Counseling a multinational information technology equipment and services company on anti-bribery, antitrust and export control compliance.</li><li>Counseling a multinational entertainment company on anti-bribery training, policies and procedures.</li></ul><h4>Professional Memberships</h4><ul><li>American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee, Vice-Chair</li><li>Women in White Collar Defense Association, Committee Member of the San Francisco Chapter</li><li>American Bar Association Northern District of California White Collar Subcommittee, Committee Member</li></ul>

Christine Wong

David Newman, co-chair of the firm’s National Security and Crisis Management practices, draws upon his deep experience in private practice and as a senior U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and White House official to represent clients in high stakes matters involving national security, geopolitical risk, emerging technology, and crisis management. A former Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security (PDAAG) and Associate Deputy Attorney General, David advises companies navigating cybersecurity incidents, sanctions and export control enforcement, Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS) reviews, and Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) investigations. He has extensive experience conducting internal and government-facing cross-border investigations and representing clients in congressional inquiries and hearings.David co-founded the firm’s innovative Crisis Management practice nearly a decade ago, serving as a go-to resource for clients facing legal scrutiny by government agencies around the world. Drawing on his background working on complex and sensitive matters in private practice and at the highest levels of the U.S. government, he understands how regulators and prosecutors think, enabling him to provide highly strategic counsel to clients across a broad range of industries. He has frequently served as a liaison between clients and government agencies, including DOJ, the FBI, and other U.S. national security and intelligence agencies, and counseled clients on emerging regulation involving new technologies. For his work advising companies on how to navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, he was named a <a href="/resources/news/200901-national-law-journal-david-newman" target="_self">“Trailblazer” by the National Law Journal</a> in 2020. With the change in administration in 2021, David returned to DOJ to serve in a “day one” leadership role. From 2021 to 2022, he served as Associate Deputy Attorney General. From 2022 to 2025, he served as PDAAG, DOJ’s second highest-ranking national security official, supervising the work of nearly 300 career attorneys in DOJ’s National Security Division (NSD) with engagement across virtually all aspects of NSD’s portfolio, including supervision of DOJ’s criminal enforcement programs for sanctions, export controls, counterterrorism, counterespionage, and FARA. During his tenure, NSD created the “NatSecCyber” section, the first new litigating section in NSD’s history with a mission to centralize DOJ’s prosecutions and disruptions of national security cyber threats emanating from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea (among other U.S. adversaries); restructured and expanded NSD’s corporate enforcement program; and spearheaded the U.S. government’s approach to countering the threats posed by foreign adversary access to Americans’ sensitive bulk data. In addition to his work supervising investigations and prosecutions, David served for more than two years as DOJ’s regular representative to Assistant Secretary meetings of CFIUS; represented DOJ at dozens of National Security Council (NSC) meetings; and led administration-wide initiatives involving emerging technology, bulk data security, and countering foreign malign influence and transnational repression. In private practice, David has routinely advised clients on cybersecurity and data privacy matters including sensitive issues involving incident preparedness and response, emerging technology regulation, and economic espionage. In 2024, he delivered the capstone address at the U.S. Cyber Command Annual Legal Conference, in which he highlighted DOJ’s work countering nation state cyber threats. He has testified before Congress on the threats to national security posed by emerging technology, including serving as lead briefer for an all Member briefing on proposed legislation to address the national security risks posed by TikTok and other foreign adversary-controlled social media applications. He also served as the U.S. government’s lead representative in international meetings and initiatives to address the evolving threat landscape of foreign malign influence and transnational repression. Named several years ago as one of the top “40 under 40” figures in the data law bar around the world by Global Data Review, David’s commentary and thought leadership on law and technology have appeared in and been quoted in CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Corporate Counsel, Ethisphere, and Wired Magazine, among other publications. A former law clerk on the U.S. Supreme Court, David is routinely asked to advise clients on both the near-term and long-term implications of unsettled legal questions at the intersection of law and emerging technology.David’s practice also extends to advising on congressional oversight matters related to national security and emerging technology, including responding to congressional inquiries on behalf of large, multinational companies and preparing individuals for interviews and testimony in connection with congressional hearings and investigations. While in private practice, David advised leading company executives and other prominent individuals related to high-profile hearings and investigations of the Senate and House Judiciary Committee, among other congressional committees. In his positions in government, David regularly briefed congressional members and staff on sensitive national security developments and coordinated briefings and responses to congressional inquiries involving administration priorities.Earlier in his career, David held key national security legal and policy posts at the White House, including serving as Special Assistant and Associate Counsel to President Obama (2015–2017) and in multiple roles on the NSC staff (2013–2015). Throughout his tenure at the White House, David played a central role in coordinating the administration’s response to domestic and international crises including serving as Director for Counterterrorism, Acting Deputy Legal Advisor, and as Chief of Staff in the Office of the Ebola Response Coordinator. In his White House posts, David regularly advised the president and other senior administration officials on a range of complex matters affecting the federal government and oversaw a broad portfolio that spanned national security priorities, crisis response and preparedness planning, new data and technology initiatives, criminal justice policy, and civil rights litigation. He also helped the National Security Council to coordinate the U.S. government’s response to the largest Ebola outbreak in recorded history.David began his Executive Branch tenure as a career attorney in DOJ’s NSD. In his role as counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for National Security from 2011 to 2013, David helped counsel senior officials within DOJ and across the U.S. government on a wide array of matters—from high profile terrorism investigations and litigation involving government surveillance programs to matters before CFIUS. Prior to his Executive Branch service, David clerked for Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of the U.S. Supreme Court, Judge Robert A. Katzmann of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and Judge Jed S. Rakoff of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, and he also served as a litigator in private practice at an international law firm.David received his J.D. from Yale Law School and his B.A. summa cum laude from Columbia University.<h4>Selected Private Practice Matters</h4><ul><li>Advising a major U.S. telecommunications company that successfully obtained national security and other regulatory approvals at the federal and state levels in connection with a proposed merger.</li><li>Advising a major U.S. technology company facing exposure of sensitive customer information by a third-party vendor on its response to a vulnerability disclosure report.</li><li>Representing a leading U.S. company in a high-profile, multijurisdictional, government-facing bribery investigation in Africa.</li><li>Conducting cybersecurity tabletop exercises at the operator, executive, and board levels for Fortune 500 organizations in the healthcare, retail, and pharmaceutical sectors.</li><li>Counseling a major U.S. media company on cybersecurity matters.</li><li>Coordinating the work of an independent corporate compliance monitor for a large South American company in the wake of a multijurisdictional resolution with DOJ.</li><li>Advising a non-U.S. investor on CFIUS strategy and other regulatory issues arising out of a multi billion dollar investment in a major U.S. company.</li><li>Conducting pre-investment and pre-acquisition CFIUS due diligence in several multi-billion-dollar transactions in which a non-U.S. investor pursued positions in leading and emerging technology companies.</li></ul>

Ethisphere's 2025 Global Ethics Summit

06 Apr 2025 - 08 Apr 2025