Husch Blackwell is pleased to announce several first-quarter arrivals in its White Collar, Internal Investigations & Compliance practice group that have transformed the firm into a leading provider of legal solutions across the spectrum of regulatory and white-collar law. The group now features 40 attorneys spanning 13 of the firm’s 23 offices and includes several notable former local, state, and federal government officials.
“Our team helps clients avoid government investigations and prosecution by building effective state-of-the-art compliance programs; conducting rapid, surgical internal investigations; and advising on emerging regulatory risks. And when the worst happens and our clients face an enterprise-threatening prosecution, our experienced first-chair trial lawyers play to win,” said Husch Blackwell Chair Catherine Hanaway. “It was always our goal to have a group that can be a single point of service and that can address regulatory compliance in a comprehensive way. So much of the risk faced today by businesses is interconnected, and part of the value we provide is in helping clients focus on the right things at the right time.”
As the first quarter of 2021 ended, Husch Blackwell added six practitioners to its White Collar, Internal Investigations & Compliance practice group so far this year.
Jeff Jensen returned to Husch Blackwell in January to lead the firm’s White Collar, Internal Investigations & Compliance practice group. In 2017, Jensen was named U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri, where he directed an office with approximately 130 federal prosecutors, civil litigators, and support personnel. Jensen has led sophisticated white collar cases from every vantage point, investigating as an FBI agent for more than a decade, trying cases as Assistant United States Attorney for a decade, defending clients in private practice and, then, as US Attorney, leading thousands of federal prosecutions. Jensen served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Council and was selected to run a high-profile national investigation.
“There isn’t a lawyer in the country who has a better or deeper understanding of how the DOJ works,” Hanaway said.
“After serving for over three years as U.S. Attorney, I am excited to be returning ‘home’ to Husch Blackwell,” said Jensen. “The firm has been very intentional in building out teams with deep industry experience, and that approach provides an excellent lens through which we can easily integrate regulatory compliance and government investigations. There are real efficiencies and value for clients in being able to think through challenges in a holistic way with a legal team that already knows their business and understands their operations and culture.”
Tim Garrison joins the firm’s White Collar, Internal Investigations & Compliance practice group after serving as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, where he led the efforts of nearly 150 federal prosecutors, civil litigators, and support personnel. He also co-led public relations efforts for the 93 U.S. Attorneys around the country. Garrison has spearheaded dozens of complex multiagency investigations by federal, state, and local law enforcement and served as chair of the executive committee of the Midwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area for a territory covering seven states. Garrison has also held high-ranking positions at the Department of Defense.
Garrison tremendously enhances Husch Blackwell’s ability to represent clients facing government investigations and compliance issues, or national security challenges such as clearance and regulatory disputes. A Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, Garrison brings the experience of nearly 18 years of active and reserve service, including deployments to both Iraq and Afghanistan. After leaving active duty, he worked on military criminal justice legislation and policy at the Pentagon. As Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he participated in the development and review of national strategic plans and operations, representing the Chairman’s interests with the principal legal advisors of the State Department, Department of Justice, and the intelligence community. In his Reserve capacity, he currently serves as Associate Deputy General Counsel for International Affairs at the Department of Defense. Garrison is based in the firm’s Springfield and Kansas City offices.
Scott Glabe is a seasoned national security practitioner with deep expertise in defense, intelligence, and homeland security. He comes to Husch Blackwell from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he led a 200-person team as the Acting Under Secretary for Policy and served as the Department’s first Assistant Secretary for Trade and Economic Security. Prior to DHS, Glabe represented the White House as an Associate Counsel and Special Assistant to the President. He also worked for the U.S. House of Representatives in legal and policy roles ranging from Counsel for the Committee on Armed Services to Staff Director of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Throughout his government service, Glabe has participated in numerous sensitive and high-profile investigations—including one of the most significant matters in recent congressional history. Like Garrison, he is a military veteran who brings to Husch Blackwell depth and reach in representing clients before a wide range of federal government entities. At DHS, Glabe served on the interagency Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) and worked to implement landmark CFIUS reform legislation that he helped negotiate while on Capitol Hill. His in-depth understanding of the policy process is invaluable to clients seeking to effectively navigate dynamic domains such as international trade, supply chain and cybersecurity, and foreign investment.
Salvador Hernandez, Senior Compliance and Ethics Advisor, served 25 years at the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Hernandez rose through the ranks from Special Agent to executive-level positions at FBI Headquarters in Washington, DC, the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City, and the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. As Deputy Assistant Director in the Criminal Investigative Division, he had oversight responsibility for the FBI’s Financial Crimes and Public Corruption Programs. In Los Angeles, he held the title of Assistant Director and served as the office’s chief executive, with responsibility for the work of more than 1,300 FBI employees charged with carrying out the FBI’s criminal, counterterrorism and national foreign-intelligence responsibilities in Southern California. Since leaving the Bureau, Hernandez spent ten years with Enterprise Holdings, Inc., the world’s largest vehicle rental, leasing, and sales company, ending his tenure there as Vice President of Compliance and Ethics.
Michael Martinich-Sauter has rejoined Husch Blackwell as Senior Counsel. Martinich-Sauter served as the General Counsel and Deputy Attorney General for Special Litigation in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. In those senior leadership roles, he managed many of the state’s most high-profile and sensitive matters, such as public-corruption investigations of elected officials, complex antitrust investigations and several of the largest consumer-protection and Medicaid-fraud claims in state history.
Rebecca Furdek joined Husch Blackwell as an associate. Furdek served as Counsel to the Solicitor at the U.S. Department of Labor, gaining firsthand insight into agency rulemaking and administrative enforcement. She also has experience in private practice, enabling her to draw from her breadth of experience on both sides of government inquiries to counsel clients in a variety of business sectors as they conduct internal investigations, defend government enforcement actions, or engage in complex civil litigation, including labor and employment claims.
“Individually and collectively, our team has extensive experience working across agencies and branches of government at the federal and state level,” said Hanaway. “Given that allegations of misconduct are often brought by multiple government officials, knowing how to handle parallel investigations and proceedings is vital to addressing these challenges. And of course, it also impacts compliance and risk management, so that you never get to the stage where litigation comes into play.”