Robert J. McGahan Joins Goodwin Procter’s West Coast White Collar Crime & Government Investigations Practice

For Immediate Release: 2.21.2008

Contact:
Jill Reilly
617.570.8783

Former Assistant United States Attorney and Prosecutor of Milberg Weiss Joins Goodwin Procter’s Los Angeles Office

BOSTON, Mass., Feb. 21, 2008 – Goodwin Procter LLP, one of the nation’s leading law firms with 850 lawyers nationwide, announced the addition of partner Robert J. McGahan, former Acting Deputy Chief for Major Frauds for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California. McGahan will practice from Goodwin Procter’s downtown Los Angeles office, located at 601 S. Figueroa.

McGahan is recognized as one of California’s top white collar crime and governmental investigation lawyers, having acted as lead counsel in more than a dozen trials and arbitrations. Most recently, McGahan served as a lead prosecutor for the US Attorney’s Office in United States v. Milberg Weiss LLP, in which he played a pivotal role in the criminal investigation and prosecution of one of the most well-known plaintiff’s law firms in the country. The case resulted in the conviction of seven lawyers, including three former named partners of Milberg Weiss.

“Robert’s extensive experience as a trial lawyer and his involvement in the most complex of civil and criminal matters cements Goodwin Procter’s White Collar Crime & Governmental Investigations practice as a bi-coastal force,” said Regina M. Pisa, Goodwin Procter’s Chairman and Managing Partner. “His practice melds perfectly with our East Coast White Collar practitioners, and his presence is further evidence of the momentum we possess in executing our strategic vision of providing best in class counsel with best in class counselors.”

McGahan’s 14 years of criminal and civil trial and appellate experience includes his five years of service in the US Attorney’s Office. He has prosecuted cases involving securities fraud, RICO, mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, tax fraud, government program fraud, obstruction of justice, perjury, commercial bribery and embezzlement.

McGahan joins Goodwin Procter’s White Collar Crime & Government Investigations Practice, nationally renowned for its wide-ranging expertise. The group comprises nearly two dozen former Assistant US and Department of Justice Attorneys, including a former US Associate Attorney General (the third-highest position in the Department of Justice); the former Chief of the Major Crimes Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, New York’s Southern District; the former Chief of the Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Massachusetts and the former Principal Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New York’s Eastern District.

“We’re very proud to have Bob join Goodwin Procter’s Los Angeles office as our newest partner, after he served so effectively in the US Attorney’s office. His experience is perfectly suited to helping corporate and individual clients who are dealing with today’s turbulent credit, securities and mortgage environment,” said Lewis G. Feldman, Goodwin Procter’s Los Angeles Chair. “Personally and professionally, lawyers as skilled as Bob McGahan don’t come along very often. And when they do, we want them on our client’s side of the table.”

“I join Goodwin Procter because I’m a builder by nature,” said McGahan. “I’m excited and determined to contribute my litigation skills and energy to a law firm that’s becoming a major powerhouse on the West Coast through its focus on attracting and retaining the highest quality lawyers. I look forward to being a meaningful part of that success.”

About Goodwin Procter
Goodwin Procter is one of the nation’s leading law firms with more than 850 attorneys in offices in Boston, Los Angeles, New York, Palo Alto, San Diego, San Francisco, and Washington, D.C. The firm’s core areas of practice are corporate, litigation and real estate, with specialized areas of focus that include financial services, private equity, technology, REITs and real estate capital markets, intellectual property, tax and products liability.

The attorneys in Goodwin Procter’s White Collar Crime & Government Investigations Practice conduct internal investigations and defend clients in bet-the-company cases, advise on corporate governance issues, structure compliance programs and guide clients safely through government inquiries. The firm has successfully defended clients in False Claims Act and whistleblower lawsuits, many of which have sought hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.

In recent years, Goodwin Procter has represented mutual fund companies, financial institutions, broker-dealers, public companies, and their officers and employees in a range of investigations and cases in the securities arena. In addition, the firm’s Securities Litigation Practice defends securities class action suits, shareholder derivative claims, SEC and stock exchange investigations and enforcement actions, enforcement actions brought by state Attorneys General and the US Department of Justice, minority shareholder claims, contests for corporate control, alleged breach of fiduciary duties, post-closing disputes, and other complex and high-stakes matters. Information may be found at www.goodwinprocter.com.

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