Addition of Federal Prosecutor Bolsters Securities Fraud Expertise in Firm’s Government Investigations Group
NEW YORK, March 3, 2008 – The national law firm of Alston & Bird LLP announced today that Craig Carpenito has joined its New York office in the nationally recognized Government Investigations and Compliance Group, which is part of the firm’s Litigation and Trial Practice group. Mr. Carpenito previously was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Securities and Health Care Fraud Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey. Prior to that, he was senior counsel at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division in New York City.
Mr. Carpenito brings with him substantial litigation experience in federal securities fraud and health care cases, including numerous cases related to accounting and financial fraud, insider trading, market manipulation, bank conversion fraud and disclosure obligations of publicly traded companies. While serving in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he (and a colleague) successfully prosecuted the former Chairman and Vice Chairman of Cendant Corporation for conspiracy to commit securities fraud and making false statements to the SEC (U.S. v. Walter A. Forbes). The prosecution resulted in a $3.2 billion restitution order, believed to be the largest restitution order ever imposed. At the SEC, Mr. Carpenito handled several important enforcement actions concerning securities fraud and insider trading.
“Craig brings both tremendous depth and breadth of experience as a federal prosecutor and SEC enforcement attorney who has litigated a wide range of securities cases,” said Mark Calloway, leader of the firm’s Government Investigations and Compliance Group at Alston & Bird.
Nelson Boxer, a partner in Alston & Bird’s New York office, said, “Craig’s health care and securities expertise, coupled with his industry-wide respect, will further help our clients in these areas. We’re thrilled to add him to our team.”
At Alston & Bird, Carpenito joins a nationally recognized group of attorneys in the Government Investigations practice, which is comprised of over two dozen former Assistant United States Attorneys and Department of Justice trial attorneys as well as numerous former lawyers and federal officials from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Homeland Security, and the Internal Revenue Service.
Mr. Carpenito’s recent cases also include U.S. v. Alfred S. Teo, Sr. (successful prosecution of former Cirrus Logic director on insider trading) and U.S. v. Stewart Kaiser, et al. (successful prosecution of pump and dump scheme touting anti-terrorism device shortly after 9/11 attacks).
Mr. Carpenito is a frequent speaker on securities enforcement topics, most recently lecturing at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s 2007 Chief Enforcement Conference. He is admitted to the New York and New Jersey State bars, and the U.S. District Courts for the District of New Jersey and the Southern District of New York. He obtained a B.A. in political science from Rider University in 1996 and a J.D. from Seton Hall University School of Law in 2000.