Overview
(November 3, 2020, Washington, DC) — Law360 has named Brian Heberlig an MVP in White Collar. Heberlig was one of only five lawyers nationwide selected in this category. Law360's MVPs are lawyers who have distinguished themselves from their peers over the past year through high-stakes litigation, record-breaking deals and complex global matters. A team of Law360 editors selected the 2020 MVP winners after reviewing more than 900 submissions.
In a profile published October 30, the editors write that Heberlig, who was one of the first lawyers to handle a federal jury trial impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, "was part of a defense team that helped exonerate an Iranian banker in a case marred by allegations of prosecutorial misconduct, earning him a spot among Law360's 2020 White Collar MVPs."
In describing his biggest accomplishment this year, Heberlig expanded on his success in exonerating his client in an Iran sanctions criminal case in New York federal court. On July 17, Judge Alison J. Nathan of the US District Court of the Southern District of New York granted Heberlig's motion for a new trial based on Brady violations, vacated the verdict as null and void, and dismissed with prejudice the government's case against Ali Sadr, who was found guilty by a jury in March. The judge's decision followed a June 5 request by the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York to dismiss the case on the grounds that "it would not be in the interests of justice to further prosecute this case."
Heberlig told Law360 he thinks the win will impact how prosecutors handle evidence in white-collar cases in the future. In fact, in September, Judge Nathan ordered acting US Attorney Audrey Strauss to compel all line prosecutors in the Southern District of New York to read a blistering opinion she authored on the case and provide certification that they have done so.
"The case will go down as an important precedent for how things can go wrong and what prosecutors shouldn't do," Heberlig said.
The full profile on Heberlig can be read at Law360 (subscription required).
About Steptoe
In more than 100 years of practice, Steptoe has earned an international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in structuring business transactions. Steptoe has more than 500 lawyers and other professional staff across offices in Beijing, Brussels, Chicago, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and Washington. For more information, visit www.steptoe.com.
