Sideman & Bancroft Grows Business Crimes Group

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (March 28, 2014) – Sideman & Bancroft LLP is pleased to announce that William (Bill) Taylor, David Fermino, Gina Cortese, Darlene Bagley and Robert (Bob) Cozzolina have joined the firm’s Business Crimes Group. Mr. Taylor and Mr. Fermino join as partners, Ms. Bagley as special counsel and Ms. Cortese as an associate. Mr. Cozzolina will assume the newly created position of Global Customs and Investigations Director. 

“We’re thrilled to have such an outstanding group of lawyers join the talented bench of attorneys we have in the Business Crimes Group,” said Jeff Hallam, managing partner and co-chair of Sideman’s Business Crimes Group. “Bill is truly a leader in the field, and with David, Gina, Darlene and Bob, we’re more equipped than ever to advise clients on cybercrimes, data security and handling data breaches.”

Bill Taylor

Bill Taylor joins the firm from Ridley, McGreevy & Winocur, P.C. in Denver. A seasoned trial attorney and former federal and state prosecutor, he specializes in handling federal cases involving cybercrimes, data breaches, theft of intellectual property and trade secrets, malicious computer intrusions, and the forensic acquisition and use of digital evidence. Mr. Taylor will work with Sideman’s Business Crimes Group, as well as the Litigation Group and Intellectual Property Group, to counsel individuals and businesses on internal investigations, criminal investigations and prosecutions, data security and privacy litigation, and white-collar regulatory matters.

Prior to joining Ridley, McGreevy & Winocur, Mr. Taylor was an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Colorado. He also served as the District’s Chief of the Major Crimes Section, Criminal Health Care Fraud Coordinator and as counsel to an interagency task force investigating and prosecuting crimes committed by emerging international organized crime groups.

Mr. Taylor will primarily work from Sideman’s satellite office in Denver.

David Fermino

David Fermino joins Sideman from Ridley, McGreevy & Winocur, P.C. in San Francisco. He focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense and complex criminal and civil appeals matters in state and federal courts. In addition to his role in Sideman’s Business Crimes Group, Mr. Fermino will work with the firm’s Litigation Group and Intellectual Property Group.

Mr. Fermino’s extensive trial experience dates back to his role as an Assistant Federal Public Defender in San Francisco and, subsequently, a Supervising Deputy Federal Public Defender in Los Angeles. His appellate experience includes oral argument before the United States Supreme Court, an en banc panel of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and numerous three‐judge panels of the Ninth Circuit and the California Courts of Appeal. Mr. Fermino has also handled death penalty cases at the trial level, direct appeal and habeas corpus stages.

Darlene Bagley

Darlene Bagley joins the firm from Ridley, McGreevy & Winocur, P.C. in Denver. She focuses her practice on the criminal defense of individuals in California and Colorado State and Federal Courts. Ms. Bagley has served as trial counsel in over 40 trials representing individuals who have been accused of various criminal offenses, including complex drug conspiracies, child abuse, mortgage fraud, non-capital murder, and domestic violence offenses. In addition to her role in Sideman’s Business Crimes Group, Ms. Bagley will work with the firm’s Litigation Group and Intellectual Property Group.

Prior to joining Ridley, McGreevy & Winocur, Ms. Bagley served as a Deputy State Public Defender in the Denver trial office of the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender.

Gina Cortese

Gina Cortese joins Sideman from the Office of the San Jose City Attorney, where she was a volunteer attorney in the litigation division. She focuses her practice on representing corporate clients in connection with their brand protection, anti-counterfeiting and anti-fraud efforts, and advises individuals and businesses on corporate transactional matters. In addition to her role in Sideman’s Business Crimes Group, Ms. Cortese will work with the firm’s Litigation Group and Family Law Group, handling complex family law matters involving dissolution, property characterization, spousal and child support, and child custody disputes.

Bob Cozzolina

Prior to joining Sideman, Bob Cozzolina was the Global Anticounterfeit Investigations Program Manager for Hewlett-Packard Company. He has more than twenty years of experience in the organization and direction of projects, functions, and operations facilitating achievement of asset/executive protection, security, investigative, and anti-terrorism objectives of both private and public organizations, including background with the U.S. Customs Service, Secret Service, and Department of State.

As Global Customs and Investigations Director, Mr. Cozzolina will support the firm’s Business Crimes and Intellectual Property Groups.