Law360 Names Steptoe ‘White Collar Group of the Year’

Steptoe & Johnson LLP has been named a White Collar Group of 2011 by Law360.  In a profile published on January 24, the editors highlight some of the group’s successes over the past year, including the acquittal of former GlaxoSmithKline associate general counsel Lauren Stevens in a federal obstruction case, and two representations during the sentencing phase that resulted in greatly-reduced sentences for both clients.  The profile also highlights the team’s ongoing reputation for representing high-profile individuals in both confidential and headline-grabbing cases.

Steptoe’s White-Collar Criminal Defense practice is best known for its trial work.  On average, it litigates one to three major trials a year, which is rare for the white collar industry.

“We're known for taking hard cases to trial and achieving success,” said Brian Heberlig, head of the group.  “That allows us to have a lot of credibility when dealing with prosecutors and, when appropriate, to negotiate a favorable deal for a client.”

The group’s marquee trial of 2011 was its representation of Ms. Stevens, who was accused of trying to hide evidence that doctors were paid by GSK to promote Wellbutrin SR’s use for unauthorized conditions.

Steptoe partner Bill Hassler, who co-led the Steptoe defense team with partner Reid Weingarten, said, “We took complicated scientific facts in off-label regulations and medical uses of approved drugs and explained why our client’s labeling was truthful and honest to a lay jury and to the judge.”

The dismissal of all six criminal counts on May 10 marked the first time in his nearly eight years on the federal bench that US District Judge Roger W. Titus granted an acquittal before the defense had called its first witness.

Mr. Hassler called the outcome “one of the biggest events of my career.”

The Law360 profile also spotlights Steptoe’s representation of a former partner with a New York-based wealth management firm who was accused of campaign finance violations.  The client had faced up to 16 months in prison and a potential fine of $30,000.  But following negotiations led by Steptoe New York partner Evan Barr, who is a former federal prosecutor, the client was handed only three-years of probation, 90 days of home confinement and a $3,000 fine.

“We achieve a lot of great results behind the scenes through negotiations,” Mr. Barr said.  “We came in as replacement counsel, as we often do, and we were able to get him a cooperation agreement from the Department of Justice.”

Law360 received more than 550 submissions for its practice group of the year series.  Steptoe was one of five firms selected by the editors in the white collar category based on the significance of the litigation wins; the size and complexity of the litigation wins; and the number of significant, large or complex lawsuits the firm had wins in.  Only accomplishments from December 1, 2010 to December 1, 2011 were considered.

The full profile is available at Law360.