David B. Leland

David Leland represents corporations, officers, directors, and employees in connection with criminal, civil, regulatory and congressional proceedings. His practice focuses on white-collar criminal defense, cross-border government enforcement actions and related complex civil litigation at all stages, from the inception of an investigation through trial.

Mr. Leland has defended corporations and individuals in the United States and abroad against allegations of U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, unlawful antitrust practices and market manipulation, health care fraud, False Claims Act violations, tax evasion, mail and wire fraud, false statements, bank fraud, securities fraud and economic sanctions violations.

He has extensive experience conducting internal investigations on behalf of global corporations, boards of directors and audit committees. As a former senior congressional aide, Mr. Leland also advises clients on congressional investigations and legislative matters.

Mr. Leland has devoted a growing portion of his practice to conducting internal investigations and representing companies in connection with cross-border competition and criminal antitrust matters.

He has represented institutions in DOJ Antitrust Division, CFTC, inspector general (OIG) and state attorneys general investigations relating to bid rigging, collusion and market manipulation.

Mr. Leland also has served as international coordinating counsel for investigations conducted by foreign competition commissions, antitrust enforcement agencies and various related governmental authorities, including in Australia (ACCC and ASIC), Brazil (CADE), Hong Kong (HKMA), Japan (JFSA), Korea (KFTC), Mexico (COFECE), South Africa (SARB and SACC) and Switzerland (ComCo), as well as the European Commission. Some of his representations have included:

• serving as trial counsel in the successful defense of a prominent motorsports attorney acquitted of conspiracy and tax evasion charges in United States v. Helio Castroneves et al.;
• representing a major financial institution in parallel investigations by the DOJ, CFTC, OCC, Federal Reserve, SEC, U.K. Financial Conduct Authority and more than 10 other foreign authorities alleging price-fixing and other anti-competitive practices in foreign exchange (FX) trading;
• representing a financial institution in a CFTC investigation relating to potential collusion, manipulation and/or group boycotts concerning interest-rate swaps;
• conducting an internal investigation for a pharmaceutical company relating to potential bid rigging in connection with government sales in Latin America;
• counseling an international humanitarian organization in an OIG investigation relating to collusion among vendors supplying humanitarian goods in war-torn areas;
• counseling a global foreign corporation on anti-bribery, anti-corruption and general compliance matters while under a DPA and monitorship for FCPA violations;
• representing health care management corporations, medical device companies and government contractors accused of violating the False Claims Act;
• representing a major company involved in congressional investigations into the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill;
• representing insurance companies in criminal investigations and class action litigation in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Prior to joining Skadden, Mr. Leland served as a congressional staff member for nearly eight years. Between 1992 and 1996, he served on the legislative staff of U.S. Rep. William F. Clinger, Jr., chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee. From 1996 until 1999, Mr. Leland worked for U.S. Rep. Charles F. Bass, serving as policy and staff director and the congressman’s top advisor in Washington, managing a staff of legislative, communications and administrative employees. Aside from his managerial duties, he oversaw all legislative and policy initiatives; drafted legislation, speeches and floor statements; devised and implemented legislative, political and press strategies; and served as media spokesman for Rep. Bass.

Education:

• J.D., George Washington University Law School, 2000 (High Honors; Editor-in-Chief, The George Washington Law Review; Order of the Coif; Anne Wells Branscomb Award)
• M.B.A., Finance, Johns Hopkins University, 2007
• B.A., Political Science and Economics, University of New Hampshire, 1992

Admissions:

• District of Columbia
• Virginia

Government Service:

• Legislative Director/Legislative Assistant/Legislative Correspondent, U.S. Rep. William F. Clinger, Jr. (1992-1996)
• Policy and Staff Director/Legislative Director, U.S. Rep. Charles F. Bass (1996-1999)
• Law Clerk, Hon. Thomas Penfield Jackson, U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (2000-2001)
• Law Clerk, Hon. Morton I. Greenberg, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (2001-2002)