The white-collar defense and investigations team at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton is headed by Lisa Vicens in New York and Matthew Solomon in Washington DC. Vicens is highly skilled at navigating internal and governmental investigations into companies, especially concerning allegations of criminal activity that involves a cross-border element. Solomon is recommended for his skills as a litigator, having accumulated extensive experience in white-collar jury trials across the country. Based in the New York office, Victor Hou, Joon Kim, and Jonathan Kolodner are all notable members of the team. Kim regularly assists companies and senior executives facing criminal and regulatory investigations, while Hou is an expert in securities litigation. Kolodner frequently advises clients on a range of matters such as fraud, corruption, antitrust violations, and cyber-related offences. The team in Washington DC is strengthened by the addition of David Last who joined in July 2023 from the DOJ where he gained an in-depth understanding of FCPA matters.
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Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Thye have a great team, including Joon Kim, Victor Hou, Lev Dassin, Jon Kolodner, all of whom are superb lawyers and wonderful people. They are a terrific group.’
‘Joon Kim s great at dealing with clients and government lawyers. He is an excellent courtroom advocate.'
‘Victor Hou is highly responsive, very practical, clearly structured, and has a deep knowledge.’
‘Cleary is an elite white-collar firm and practices at the highest level. They are extremely skilled, especially in internal investigations and securities matters. Cleary also has strong reputation of working collaboratively and collegially with co-counsel and opposing counsel without sacrificing their ability to zealously represent their clients.’
‘Victor Hou is simply one of the best white-collar and big case litigators that there is. He is smart, wise and manages to be both very tough and extremely likable at the same time. He has had remarkable successes in the white-collar and securities space.'
- 'Joon Kim is an outstanding lawyer. He is a skilled investigator and a true gentleman.'
Key clients
- Vale
- Citigroup
- BNP Paribas
- HSBC
- Odebrecht S.A
- Sequioa Capital
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Odebrecht S.A.
- Compass Minerals
Work highlights
- Advising multiple financial institutions in connection with regulatory investigations, including the SEC and CFTC, related to off-channel communications use.
- Represented the CEO of Ripple Labs, in successfully obtaining the dismissal with prejudice of the claim by the SEC that he aided and abetted some of Ripple’s offers and sales of XRP.
- Representing the current CEO of Wells Fargo Bank in all matters relating to the fallout from the various regulatory enforcement actions taken against Wells Favor for failures in the consumer protection space
Lawyers
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Matthew Solomon
Leading partners
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Joon Kim
Lisa Vicens
Practice head
Lisa Vicens; Matthew Solomon
Other key lawyers
Victor Hou; Joon Kim; Jonathan Kolodner; David Last; Abena Mainoo; Lev Dassin