Chief SDNY Counsel Craig Stewart Rejoins Arnold & Porter

Arnold & Porter has rehired Craig Stewart, former prosecutor and chief counsel for the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, as a partner in the firm’s New York white collar practice.

Stewart previously worked for the firm, serving for a time as head of its New York office, before being appointed to the U.S. attorney’s office in 2019.

“Craig is returning to the firm at a time when we see strong demand for his expertise in investigations and enforcement, scrutiny of COVID-related government programs, and new enforcement priorities,” Arnold & Porter chairman Richard M. Alexander said in a statement.

Stewart said in an interview he felt lucky to be able to return to his “professional home,” where he will represent companies and individuals facing federal and state investigations and work on civil and appellate litigation matters.

He said he expects to see enforcement matters increase in the coming months, given the slowdown at the beginning of the pandemic and the economic downturn this year.

“Historically it has been the case that in times of economic downturn there has been an increase in investigative work,” Stewart said.

He added that an incoming Biden administration would also likely increase enforcement matters, though it remains unclear what that would look like until a new attorney general and new enforcement agency directors are named.

“We’re looking at a period coming up where we could see an increase in criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement,” he said. “I do think everything is in play.”

Before joining Arnold & Porter in 1998, Stewart spent 11 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Manhattan, serving in both the civil and criminal divisions. In the criminal division, he held positions as chief appellate attorney, deputy chief of the criminal division, and chief of the narcotics unit.