Barnes & Thornburg adds White Collar Litigator to its Chicago Office

CHICAGO – Barnes & Thornburg has added Eric Sussman as a partner in its Chicago office. Sussman joins the firm’s Litigation Department with a focus on white collar defense, governmental investigations, and high-profile commercial litigation. 

Sussman was previously a deputy chief in the Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago and handled numerous high-profile white collar criminal cases. He was also the First Assistant State’s Attorney for the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, where he supervised over 800 lawyers and investigators in the criminal, appellate and juvenile justice bureaus as well as the civil actions bureau. 

Sussman’s practice encompasses white collar defense, securities enforcement matters, internal investigations, and commercial litigation. He has represented corporations and executives in litigation and investigations with the Department of Justice (DOJ), Securities Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and several other government agencies. 

“Eric routinely handles complex federal and state cases across the country and is a fierce advocate for his clients,” said Randy Brown, chair of the firm’s Litigation Department. “Following the additions of Kevin Dreher and Caroline Upton to the group in Chicago this summer, our team has seen tremendous growth and is positioned to provide clients with excellent service on a wide range of litigation matters.”

Sussman supports his clients in investigations with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), False Claims Act (FCA), and insider trading issues. Notably, Sussman has represented a CEO of a pharmaceutical company for an insider trading prosecution in the Southern District of New York, an international hedge fund around SEC and DOJ securities fraud prosecution, and several international medical device companies in FCPA investigations. 

“We are excited to welcome Eric to our Chicago office as we continue growing our litigation bench,” said Michael Carrillo, Chicago office managing partner. “Eric’s work in the federal and defense side of white-collar litigation gives him a unique perspective that will further bolster the firm’s reputation in the market as a leader for comprehensive counsel in the white-collar realm.”

Sussman earned his B.A. from Amherst College, magna cum laude, and his J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. 

With more than 700 attorneys and other legal professionals, Barnes & Thornburg is one of the largest law firms in the country. The firm serves clients worldwide from offices in Atlanta, Boston, California, Chicago, Delaware, Indiana, Michigan, Minneapolis, New York, Ohio, Raleigh, Salt Lake City, Texas and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit us online at www.btlaw.com or on Twitter @BTLawNews.