The Honorable Louis J. Freeh   [Download VCard]
Founder and Senior Managing Partner

Louis J. Freeh is a founder and partner of Freeh Sporkin &Sullivan, LLP a Washington, D.C. law firm, established in 2007. Mr. Freeh is also founder of the consulting firm Freeh Group International Solutions, LLC, also established in 2007.

From September 2012 through December 2015 Mr. Freeh was partner and immediate past chair of the Executive Committee of Pepper Hamilton LLP.

He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Rutgers College in 1971, Rutgers School of Law in 1974 and New York University School of Law in 1984 (L.L.M). Mr. Freeh joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) as a Special Agent in 1975, and was assigned to the New York City Field Division, and later at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Mr. Freeh served as a First Lieutenant in the United States Army Judge Advocate General Corps.

In 1981, Mr. Freeh joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York as an Assistant United States Attorney, later serving as Associate and Deputy United States Attorney. In 1991, Mr. Freeh was appointed by President George H.W. Bush as a United States District Court Judge for the Southern District of New York.

In 1993, President William J. Clinton appointed Judge Freeh as the Fifth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. In 2001, Mr. Freeh joined MBNA America Bank in Delaware as vice chairman and general counsel.

Mr. Freeh is an advisor to Millennium Partners, L.P. and a board member of the Max Planck Florida Institute. Mr. Freeh is also counsel to the US Naval Academy Foundation. From 2006 to 2013 Mr. Freeh was a member of the Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Board of Directors, where he chaired the Governance Committee.

Mr. Freeh and his wife, Marilyn, have six sons.

The Honorable Eugene R. Sullivan   [Download VCard]
Senior Partner

Eugene R. Sullivan is a retired Federal Judge in Washington D.C. with over 16 years of appellate experience. Nominated by President Reagan and confirmed by the Senate, Judge Sullivan was installed as a Federal Judge in 1986. In 1990, President Bush named him the Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals (AF). In 2002, he was elevated to Senior Status. When not recalled to active Court service, Judge Sullivan is a senior partner in the D.C. Law firm of Freeh, Sporkin & Sullivan LLP.

Born in St Louis, Missouri, Judge Sullivan graduated from the United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, where he was a member of the Cadet Honor Committee and the varsity lacrosse team. Following graduation, he served in the Army for five years and qualified as a tanker, an Airborne Ranger, a Ranger Instructor and a Jumpmaster. He was awarded the Bronze Star, the Air Medal and other decorations in Vietnam. Judge Sullivan has been inducted into the U.S. Army Ranger Hall of Fame.

After the Army, Judge Sullivan graduated from Georgetown University Law Center, serving as an editor of the Georgetown Law Journal in his senior year. After law school Judge Sullivan clerked for Chief Judge M.C. Matthes of the United States Court of Appeals (8th Circuit) and worked for the Patton Boggs law firm in Washington, D.C.

Judge Sullivan served in the White House on the legal defense team of President Nixon during the Watergate investigation in 1974. From 1974 to 1982, he was a trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C. From 1982 until he became a Federal Judge in 1986, Judge Sullivan served in the Pentagon as the General Counsel and the Chief Ethics Officer of the U.S. Air Force after serving initially as the Deputy General Counsel.

From 1982 until 1986, Judge Sullivan was the General Counsel of the National Reconnaissance Office (“NRO”-a then super-secret US satellite intelligence agency). In addition, in 1984-1986, he served as the Governor of Wake Island (the U.S. possession in the Pacific). In 1988 and 1989, Judge Sullivan served on the Federal Commission to review the West Point Honor Code. He is a Trustee Emeritus and the founding Chair of the Ethics Committee of the West Point Board of Trustees (Association of Graduates) and served on the first Executive Board of the Duke Law School Center for Law, Ethics and National Security.

Judge Sullivan has given many lectures on American law to visiting international judges and lawyers. For many years, he was the chair of three annual conferences: the International Judicial Conference (Criminal Law), the Great Debate (a debate on judicial reform) between the USA and England, and the International Diplomatic Conference. During his career in promoting the rule of law, Judge Sullivan has been awarded the Medal of Justice from Romania, the First Class Medal of Defense from Hungary, the Defense Minister’s Citation of Merit from the Republic of China, an honorary Doctor of Law degree from New England School of Law, the Air Force Exceptional Civilian Service Medal, the Medal for Outstanding Public Service from the U.S. Department of Defense, and the 2001 Castle Award from the West Point Society (DC). The Castle Award is given to one West Point graduate each year. Judge Sullivan is a recipient of the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

He has 2 published novels, both political thrillers: The Majority Rules (2005) & The Report to the Judiciary (2008) and is the Chair of the Judging Panel for the annual International Impac Dublin Literary Award (100,000 Euros for a single work of fiction).

Judge Sullivan is married to Lis Sullivan from Denmark who is an artist and anthropologist (her field--bound foot women of China). Their Daughter, Kim, is a graduate of Columbia University, attended graduate school at Columbia University, and works as an ABC producer (photo) in New York City; Eugene II, their son, works as a litigator in Washington DC and is a graduate of Duke University, The London School of Economics, and Columbia Law.

Thomas McC. Souther   [Download VCard]
Partner

Thomas McC. Souther is a partner at Freeh Sporkin & Sullivan, LLP, resident in the New York office, having rejoined the firm in January 2018. His current practice concentrates in the areas of government and regulatory investigations, white collar criminal defense, and internal investigations. He has considerable experience in both the trial and appellate courts. He served for four years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where he investigated and prosecuted a wide variety of criminal cases, including bank fraud, commodities fraud, and mail and wire fraud.

Prior to returning to the firm, Mr. Souther was a partner in the White-Collar Litigation and Investigations Practice Group of Pepper Hamilton LLP. He previously was a partner for 15 years in the white-collar practice of a prominent US-based global law firm.

Mr. Souther recently led the team of attorneys, investigators, and data analytics experts assembled by Louis J. Freeh following Mr. Freeh’s appointment as a Special Master by the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana in a multidistrict litigation matter involving a major settlement program supervised by the district court. He also served as a principal adviser and strategist to Mr. Freeh in his role as the Chapter 11 Trustee of MF Global Holdings Ltd. and various of its subsidiaries.

Mr. Souther’s experience has included advising public and private corporations, boards of directors and special committees, and representing directors, corporate executives, and other individuals in connection with internal investigations, regulatory inquiries, grand jury investigations, and criminal prosecutions. Mr. Souther successfully defended at trial in federal district court in Massachusetts a former executive of a pharmaceutical company charged with violating the anti-kickback statute, and won the acquittal at trial in the Southern District of New York of a former employee of Bankers Trust Company who had been charged with misapplication of bank funds. He also advised a publishing and media company in connection with a criminal investigation in the Eastern District of New York relating to circulation fraud, and negotiated a non-prosecution agreement on behalf of the company that avoided prosecution of the company and its subsidiaries.

In addition to his experience in the white-collar defense and regulatory areas, his practice also has included work on a variety of civil matters, including general corporate and complex commercial litigation, and banking-related matters.

Mr. Souther graduated from Bucknell University in 1980 and received his law degree from Fordham University School of Law in 1984.

Representative Engagements

• Served as the independent monitor of a fixed-income fund pursuant to a cease and desist order entered by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as part of a settlement agreement between the SEC and the fund.
• Representation of a global compliance officer of a foreign bank in connection with a criminal and regulatory investigation of alleged violations of OFAC regulations.
• Internal investigation of an international network solutions company in connection with allegations of accounting irregularities and the timing of income and expense recognition.
• Representation of a compliance officer of a U.S.-based global financial institution in connection with a grand jury investigation of certain trading activity at the institution.
• Representation of a former employee of a foreign bank in connection with a criminal and regulatory investigation of alleged violations of OFAC regulations and U.S. sanctions.
• Representation of a former employee of a pharmaceutical company in connection with a criminal and civil investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice of alleged violations of the anti-kickback statute.
• Representation of a developer of a luxury resort in connection with a criminal investigation related to wire fraud and money laundering, and subsequent criminal forfeiture proceedings.
• Representation of a senior executive of a foreign bank in connection with a criminal investigation of alleged violations of OFAC regulations.
• Representation of an individual charged with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy in connection with a government loan program.
• Representation of a hedge fund principal in connection with a criminal investigation of alleged insider trading.
• Representation of several hedge funds in connection with various criminal and regulatory investigations arising out of the 2008 financial crisis.
• Representation of several current and former employees of a pharmaceutical company in connection with a criminal and civil investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice of alleged off-label drug promotion.
• Representation of a senior executive in the U.S. office of a foreign bank in connection with a criminal and regulatory investigation involving the bank and several of its customers.
• Representation of several senior executives and members of the board of directors of a public company in connection with an internal investigation of related party transactions; representation of the executives and directors in subsequent shareholder derivative litigation.
• Representation of senior management of a foreign-based global financial institution in connection with an internal and regulatory investigation relating to anti-money laundering policies and procedures.
• Representation of a former employee of a foreign bank in connection with an internal investigation and subsequent criminal investigation of alleged violations of OFAC regulations.
• Internal investigation of a major industrial supply company in connection with allegations of related party transactions.
• Representation of the former controller of a major equipment leasing company in connection with an internal investigation, and subsequent SEC and criminal investigations, of alleged securities fraud.
• Representation of a major accounting firm and its employees in connection with criminal and regulatory investigations of alleged backdating of options at a public company.
• Representation of hedge funds in connection with various investigations by the New York Attorney General relating to alleged violations of the Martin Act.

John D. Behnke   [Download VCard]
Of Counsel

Eugene R. Sullivan II   [Download VCard]
Partner

Eugene R. Sullivan II is a partner at Freeh Sporkin & Sullivan, LLP, in its Washington, D.C. Office.

Mr. Sullivan represents businesses and individuals facing investigation by federal and state law enforcement authorities and provided counsel on compliance and control issues. He has served as counsel to a court-appointed monitor reviewing Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance issues in the global operations of a Fortune 100 company

He served on the investigative team of the independent, internal investigation of publicized allegations of sexual abuse at the facilities of a major university and the alleged failure of the university’s personnel to report such sexual abuse to appropriate police and government authorities.

He has also conducted an internal investigation for an international governing body into allegations of bribery and corruption.

Mr. Sullivan also was a litigator at Howrey, LLP in its International Trade and Intellectual Property Litigation Division. He specialized in patent litigation in U.S. district courts and before the International Trade Commission under Section 1337 of the Tariff Act of 1930. Mr. Sullivan also has worked in the London office of a global law firm where he specialized in U.K. and U.S. intellectual property litigation. He has represented multinational entities in disputes relating to infringement of intellectual property rights, protection of confidential information and licensing.

After graduation from the London School of Economics, Mr. Sullivan held judicial clerkships in London with Master Michael McKenzie, Q.C. of the Royal Court of Appeal (Criminal Division) and with His Honor Judge Graham Boal, Q.C. of the Central Criminal Court (The Old Bailey). After graduating from Columbia Law School, he served a judicial clerkship with Chief Judge H.R. Mayer in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Mr. Sullivan co-founded and was the first General Counsel of the No Greater Sacrifice Foundation, a nonprofit that provides college scholarships to the children of military members killed in action in the war against terrorism.

Mr. Sullivan is a graduate of Duke University (B.A. history), the London School of Economics (LL.B. with upper second class honors) and Columbia Law School (LL.M).

Mr. Sullivan is a member of the New York and District of Columbia bars.

James R. Bucknam   [Download VCard]
Of Counsel

The Honorable Stanley Sporkin (Ret.)   [Download VCard]
Senior Counsel

Judge Sporkin is a former partner at Weil, Gotshal, & Manges, LLP and recently retained as ombudsman to British Petroleum (North America). In addition, his extensive career path includes twenty years of dedicated service with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the last seven as Director of Enforcement, and five years as General Counsel to the CIA. Appointed by President Reagan as U.S. District Judge for the District of Columbia, Judge Sporkin presided over a number of very notable cases during his fourteen year tenure.

Judge Sporkin's awards and commendations include President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service. Current practice consists of corporate counseling in the area of securities and regulatory matters, mediation and arbitration services, and crisis management consultations. Judge Sporkin earned Certified Public Accountant certificate (inactive), attended Penn State University, and received his law degree from Yale University.

Blake Coppotelli   [Download VCard]
Of Counsel

Matthew Dolan   [Download VCard]
Of Counsel

Thomas Melvin   [Download VCard]
Of Counsel

Ronald Noble   [Download VCard]
Partner

Ronald K. Noble joined FSS as Senior of Counsel on 8 July 2016.

He is also the founder of RKN Global DWC-LLC, a risk management and business development firm enhancing the security of countries, their citizens, and businesses.

Between 2000-2014, Noble was elected three times to serve as INTERPOL Secretary General. He was elected two times unanimously, and he became the first official to visit all of its 190 member countries. He transformed INTERPOL into a global, 24/7 enterprise–regularly deploying Incident Response Teams (IRTs) worldwide to confront serious crimes, terrorist attacks, and natural disasters.

Between 1993-1996, Noble served as Assistant Secretary and then Under Secretary for Enforcement of the US Treasury Department, with direct responsibility for the US Secret Service, US Customs Service, FinCEN, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco & Firearms, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and other agencies. He was unanimously confirmed as Treasury Assistant Secretary by a Democrat-controlled U.S. Senate in 1993 and then as Treasury Under Secretary by a Republican-controlled U.S. Senate in 1995. Upon his departure, he received the U.S. Treasury Department’s highest award – the Alexander Hamilton medal.

Between 1996 and 2014, Noble was also a law professor at New York University; he became a fully tenured professor in 1999.

Between 1984 and 1989, Noble served first as an Assistant US Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and then served as a Chief of Staff and Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.

Noble received his BA from the University of New Hampshire and Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School. He served as Articles Editor on the Stanford Law Review and was elected President of his graduating class in 1982.

Noble was named to France’s Legion of Honor, knighted by the Vatican and received high honors from several countries. He received the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s highest honor in November 2014 and was awarded the Ellis Island Medal of Honor in June 2016.

Noble is married to Marjam Lindsbro and has one son, Maximillian.

Robert O’Neill   [Download VCard]
Of Counsel

Robert (“Bobby”) E. O’Neill has been a Managing Director with Freeh Group International Solutions, LLC (“FGIS”) since 2013. Prior to joining FGIS, Bobby served as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida since his appointment by President Barack Obama on October 5, 2010. Bobby previously served as the United States Attorney in the Middle District of Florida from 2007 to 2008 under President George W. Bush.

Since joining FGIS, Bobby has had several notable assignments, including:

• Conducted a compliance review and temporarily served as the Chief Compliance Officer for a publicly held corporation.
• Conducted internal reviews of the Internal Affairs Division and the Narcotics Division for a law enforcement agency.
• Provided global due diligence reviews for domestic and international companies.
• Consulted on behalf of a major gaming concern in its negotiations with the United States Government.
• Conducted an internal investigation of a member of the Board of Directors of a private company.
• Retained by a law enforcement agency to assist in an investigation involving public corruption.

In addition to his service as the United States Attorney in the Middle District of Florida, Bobby has also served as: an Assistant United States Attorney in both the Southern and Middle Districts of Florida; a Trial Attorney in the United States Department of Justice; an Associate Independent Counsel on two occasions in the Office of Independent Counsel; and an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. Bobby was also engaged in the private practice of law in New York City. Bobby was recognized for his achievements as a trial lawyer when he was inducted as a fellow into the American College of Trial Lawyers.

Bobby is a graduate of Fordham University (magna cum laude) and New York Law School (cum laude).

John Rahie   [Download VCard]
Of Counsel

Larry Byrne   [Download VCard]
Of Counsel

Larry Byrne returned to the Freeh Group in September 2018. Larry previously was a Managing Director at FGIS from 2013 to 2014.

From 2014 to 2018 Larry served as the Deputy Police Commissioner and Chief Legal Officer for the NYPD. Larry managed approximately 100 lawyers in the Legal Bureau who handled all of legal matters and issues for the NYPD and its 56,000 employees. Larry also established the Risk Management Bureau for the NYPD which had over 200 personnel and oversaw the full range of risk issues for the NYPD. He also created the Police Action Litigation Section and devised litigation strategies and initiatives to help the NYPD fight meritless lawsuits – resulting in more than a twenty percent drop in new lawsuits and new notices of claims against the NYPD during the past two years. Larry also represented the Police Commissioner on the advisory board of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Global Cyber Alliance which develops tools and strategies to combat all forms of cybercrime and cyberterrorism. Larry was the primary point of contact for various external oversight and legislative bodies overseeing the NYPD. During his tenure the Legal Bureau received a Unit Citation for exceptional service to the NYPD.

For twenty years prior to joining the NYPD Larry was in private practice as a partner at several international law firms. Larry conducted corporate internal investigations for a wide range of clients and represented clients in the full range of complex white-collar criminal, government regulatory and civil litigation matters including FCPA, OFAC, financial fraud, securities, antitrust, bankruptcy, and other commercial and international litigation matters. During those twenty years Larry represented a wide range of companies and institutions, and their Boards and Audit Committees and senior management, in the financial, insurance, technology, energy, retail, defense contracting, construction, real estate, hospitality, manufacturing, pharmaceutical, media, entertainment and professional service sectors. Larry represented clients in matters involving the full range of federal, state and local U.S. prosecutors and regulators and legislative bodies as well as a broad array of foreign prosecutors and financial and antitrust regulators including the UK Serious Fraud Office.

Among the representations described above are the following:

• lead counsel for a leading credit rating agency in a major DOJ investigation into their ratings practices.
• lead counsel for Takeda Pharmaceutical, the largest pharmaceutical company in Japan, in the largest set of criminal and civil antitrust price-fixing cases involving the vitamins industry.
• lead counsel for Royal Ahold in their accounting scandal where they settled with the DOJ and SEC without paying any monetary penalty.
• lead counsel for Deutsche Bank in all of its Enron-related litigations involving class actions and opt-out lawsuits and regulatory matters. Deutsche Bank was dismissed from the main securities class action without making any settlement payment. Enron-related litigations were the largest set of securities fraud litigations in US history.
• lead counsel for Lloyds in their OFAC settlements with the DOJ, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the US Treasury Department.
• lead counsel for a leading European defense contractor in their settlements with the DOJ and the Serious Fraud Office over allegations of FCPA violations.
• lead counsel for LendLease in their prosecution by the EDNY US Attorney’s Office over an alleged billing fraud scheme.
• served as a monitor for the NYC Department of Investigation in the massive Hurricane Sandy “Build It Back” construction program to rebuild thousands of homes damaged or destroyed in the storm.

In 2012 Larry received the Robert M. Morgenthau Award for a Distinguished Legal Career from the NYC Police Athletic League for his work in the private and public sectors. Larry has also been recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, Best Lawyers in America, NY Super Lawyers, and The Legal 500 US, The Irish America, and The Irish Voice’s Top Legal 100, The Irish Echo’s Irish Law, and Order Top 50.

From 1988 to 1992 Larry served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and from 1992 to 1994 he served as the Deputy Chief of the Organized Crime & Racketeering Section of the Criminal Division of U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Larry is the 2018 recipient of the Lumbard Bowl which is awarded by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York to an alumnus of that Office who served with distinction and then went on to serve the public in other significant ways. During his service at the U.S. DOJ Larry received the Director’s Award for Superior Performance for prosecuting the Pizza Connection II international organized crime case and the Special Achievement Award for his work with the FBI and the Italian authorities in the investigation of the assassinations of Italian Mafia prosecutors Giovanni Falcone and Paolo Borsellino.

Larry is a member of the Global Cyber Alliance, the NYPD’s Shield counter-terrorism program and the National Law Enforcement Associates.

Larry is a graduate of Hofstra University and the New York University School of law.