Prominent White Collar Litigator Joins Cooley

San Francisco – November 21, 2019 – Accomplished white collar lawyer John Hemann has joined Cooley as a partner in its San Francisco office. He arrives from the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, where he most recently served as chief of its special prosecutions and national security unit and deputy chief of its criminal division.

“John has a distinguished background as a trial lawyer and a remarkable record of government service,” said Mike Attanasio, chair of Cooley’s global litigation department. “His success in the public and private sectors has earned him a stellar reputation among colleagues and adversaries in the Bay Area and beyond. John’s skills will play an instrumental role as we continue to strengthen our already impressive bench across the globe.”

Hemann has extensive experience investigating and prosecuting white collar, cyber, national security and intellectual property crimes, in addition to representing businesses and individuals in criminal and regulatory investigations. In his 25-year career, he has tried more than 30 cases, served on the high-profile Enron Task Force and has handled SEC, DOJ and FCPA investigations, insider trading cases, securities litigation and antitrust matters. During his time in the US Attorney's Office for the Northern District of California, he served as chief of the special prosecutions and national security unit and as deputy chief of the criminal division over the national security, economic crimes and cyber units.

“Cooley’s unique platform, collaborative culture and continued momentum combine to present a tremendous opportunity to return to private practice,” said Hemann. “Cooley has a formidable white collar presence that is perfectly positioned to help clients where and when they most need it. I am excited to help grow that practice in California and worldwide.”

After beginning his practice at Wilson Sonsini in Palo Alto, Hemann joined the US Attorney's Office in 1995, remaining there for a decade to prosecute and try a range of cases, including public corruption, securities fraud and insider trading. He returned to private practice as a partner at Morgan Lewis & Bockius in San Francisco, where he practiced for six years. Hemann rejoined the US Attorney’s Office as part of its national security unit in 2011 and went on to become lead prosecutor on numerous prominent cases, many involving foreign counterintelligence. Among other matters, he handled cases regarding the hacking of US technology companies such as Yahoo, the prosecution of an agent acting at the direction of foreign intelligence officers and the filing of criminal charges against foreign agents working within a major social media company. Hemann also successfully tried the first criminal Economic Espionage Act to be presented to a jury, a two-month proceeding that resulted in convictions for economic espionage, bank fraud, tax fraud and obstruction of justice.

Cooley’s global white collar and regulatory defense practice has seen significant growth this year, with additions around the US and in the UK. The American Lawyer recognized Cooley’s global litigation department with an honorable mention in its 2017 biennial Litigation Department of the Year contest. The firm was also selected for the Transatlantic Litigation Team of the Year distinction at the Transatlantic Legal Awards.

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