CORPORATE CRIME REPORTER
Neil Eggleston Jumps from Debevoise to Kirkland
26 Corporate Crime Reporter 6, February 1, 2012
Famed white collar criminal defense attorney W. Neil Eggleston has jumped from Debevoise to Kirkland & Ellis.
“Neil Eggleston has an impeccable reputation in the white collar bar as an exceptionally talented lawyer, with a depth of experience that is difficult to match,” said Kirkland’s Jeffrey Hammes. “He joins us at a time when increased government scrutiny and regulation, and the successes of our white collar practice, continue to increase demand for our experienced white collar and securities enforcement attorneys. We believe Neil’s practice is a perfect match for our strong existing group, and we enthusiastically welcome him to the firm.”
For more than 20 years, Mr. Eggleston, 58, has represented corporations and high-profile public figures against allegations of a variety of civil and criminal fraud-related offenses in the areas of securities, health care and government procurement, as well as violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and antitrust laws, among other matters.
He also has substantial experience representing companies and individuals in internal investigations and congressional investigations.
Eggleston served as defense counsel for former White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel in the prosecution of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
He also previously represented the Office of the President of the United States in the Whitewater/Lewinsky investigation, a secretary of labor, a secretary of transportation and U.S. senators, among other prominent agencies and individuals.
In an interview with Corporate Crime Reporter last year, Eggleston reminisced about what it was like bringing a corporate criminal prosecution when he was a young prosecutor in Manhattan in the mid-1980s.
“I remember asking my colleagues for sample jury charges,” Eggleston told Corporate Crime Reporter last week. “And I remember people looking at me blankly. No one could remember ever having a prosecution against a company.”
“The whole issue of corporate criminal liability arose when the penalties were minuscule,” Eggleston said. “Then in the early 1980s, Congress amended penalty statutes which put enormous penalties on corporations. That made it advantageous for a prosecutor to bring corporate criminal liability cases.”
“And then the corporate sentencing guidelines came along – all of which changed the way of thinking about this.”
Back then, when a big corporate law firm needed a criminal defense lawyer, they would have to seek out a specialist.
Now, like Eggleston, they are embedded in big firms.
“Neil’s substantial government experience will be immediately beneficial to our clients, as well as our attorneys in our national Government, Regulatory and Internal Investigations Practice Group and the Washington office,” said Kirkland’s Eugene Assaf. “We have admired Neil’s work for years, and we look forward to adding his intellectual drive and energy to our office.”
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