Kasowitz Adds Leading Government Affairs Partner
By Lawdragon News | October 23, 2013 | Press Releases
WASHINGTON, DC, October 23, 2013 - Kasowitz, Benson, Torres, and Friedman LLP is pleased to announce that Mark Heilbrun has joined the firm as a partner in its Washington D.C. Government Affairs Practice group. Heilbrun, a leading expert on cyber security and national security issues, will advise clients on a range of regulatory and public policy issues, including cyber security, cross border financial matters such as tracing and recovery of misappropriated assets, international trade and taxation, and intellectual property. Heilbrun will also represent Kasowitz’s clients in connection with government enforcement actions and related regulatory oversight and investigations.
“We are delighted that Mark has joined our growing government affairs practice,” said Marc Kasowitz, the firm’s founding and managing partner. “His 24 years of outstanding political and legal experience and service will be invaluable to our clients.”
Heilbrun served as Staff Director and General Counsel for the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, where he negotiated and drafted crucial post-9/11 national security legislation. He also served as Legal Advisor to the National Security Council in the first Bush Administration, where he advised the President, National Security Advisor and Director of Central Intelligence on issues related to international financial crime, export/import controls and related matters, CFIUS, sanctions issues, IEEPA and the various other statutory and regulatory regimes governing international military and commercial trade.
Heilbrun has gained an international reputation for his advocacy on behalf of clients whose interests are implicated in government oversight, white collar criminal matters and administrative proceedings. He is well known for conducting complex internal investigations, compliance audits and formulating internal control systems for the various industries, including the financial services industry. Prior to joining Kasowitz, Heilbrun, a graduate of Emory University and the University of Texas School of Law, was a partner at Jenner & Block and, most recently, Edwards Wildman.
“It is exciting to have such a talented and respected lawyer come to our practice,” said Clarine Nardi Riddle, chair of Kasowitz’s Government Affairs practice and former United States Senate Chief of Staff to Senator Joseph I. Lieberman. “The intersection of business and government involves numerous intricate issues, and Mark has the ability to seamlessly engage each with tremendous skill.”
Kasowitz’s Government Affairs Practice group represents firms, individuals and trade associations requiring guidance on all issues at the intersection of law, business and public policy. Their insiders’ perspective and relationships with state officials and federal lawmakers helps clients advocate for legislative and policy changes that protect and expand their businesses throughout the world. They possess familiarity with the inner workings of many federal agencies, as well as unparalleled knowledge of the priorities and concerns of the Executive branch and decision-makers on both sides of the aisle on the Hill. The group also advises clients on best practices for responding to government investigations and assists with managing compliance initiatives and litigating in state and federal courts in cases filed by the government, as well as parallel civil litigations.
“I am honored to have the opportunity to join one of the preeminent law firms in the country,” Heilbrun said, “and I look forward to building our Washington practice together with Senator Joe Lieberman and Attorney General Clarine Nardi Riddle.”
About Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP
Kasowitz Benson Torres & Friedman LLP is a national law firm, numbering more than 375 lawyers, primarily focusing on complex commercial litigation. The firm has offices in New York, Washington, DC, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, Houston, Atlanta, San Francisco, Miami, and Newark.
