Paul J. Nathanson
Paul focuses on internal investigations, criminal and regulatory enforcement matters, and congressional investigations in areas such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, fraud, sanctions and money laundering. He has significant criminal trial experience and is also an experienced civil litigator, particularly in matters involving statutory and regulatory interpretation.
Paul previously served as Deputy Chief of the Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, where he investigated and prosecuted complex white-collar criminal cases including securities, bank and healthcare fraud, and bribery offenses. His prosecutorial achievements include a conviction at trial of an individual described by the Wall Street Journal as the most senior executive convicted of conduct related to the 2008 financial crisis.
He served as a law clerk to Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Experience highlights
- A State Department employee before the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence in connection with the Presidential impeachment inquiry
- A global financial institution in connection with an FCPA investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Federal Reserve into hiring practices in Asia
- A global financial institution in connection with investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and other state and federal agencies related to sanctions issues
- A global financial institution in connection with investigations by the DOJ and SEC into customer fee-charging practices
- The audit committee of a foreign financial institution and U.S. issuer in connection with an SEC investigation regarding accounting fraud
- A Fortune 100 corporation in connection with a high profile public corruption investigation
- ExxonMobil in its successful lawsuit against OFAC and the U.S. Treasury Department challenging a finding of violation and assessment of penalty under the Ukraine-Related Sanctions Regulations
- A former precious metals trader at a global financial institution charged by the DOJ and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) with market manipulation and “spoofing”
Insights
News
Credentials
Recognition
Education
- magna cum laude
- Editor, Harvard Law Review
- summa cum laude
Clerkships
Professional history
- Partner, 2018-present
- Counsel, Davis Polk, 2016-2018
- Deputy Chief, Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, 2014-2016
- Assistant U.S. Attorney, Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Unit, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, 2010-2016
- Auto Task Force and Senior Advisor to the General Counsel, U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2009
- Associate, Baker Botts, 2007-2009
- Associate, Quadrangle Group, 2000-2001
- Analyst, Lazard Frères, 1998-2000
Qualifications and admissions
- District of Columbia
- State of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Third Circuit
- U.S. District Court, Colorado
- U.S. District Court, District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court, N.D. Illinois
- U.S. District Court, N.D. Ohio