Cooley Picks Up Federal Corruption Prosecutor Russell Capone

Cooley, continuing to expand its global litigation capabilities, is bringing aboard Manhattan federal prosecutor Russell Capone.

Capone has spent more than a decade in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, including as chief counsel and head of the public corruption unit.

He succeeded Cooley lawyer Andrew Goldstein in the public corruption role, overseeing 17 attorneys and leading a number of high-profile prosecutions, including of Michael Cohen, Jeffrey Epstein, and Michael Avenatti, as well as Rudy Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman. Capone also successfully prosecuted corporate executives and NCAA basketball coaches in a pay-to-play bribery scandal.

Capone is one of the firm’s several recent lateral hires from senior government positions, competitors, and technology companies. He will focus his practice on white collar defense and internal investigations, complex litigation, and trial work.

“We have been working over the past several months to build one of the most talented white-collar practices around the city, and around the country,” said Goldstein, head of Cooley’s white-collar defense and investigations practice group, in an interview.” Russell has investigated and prosecuted the most high-profile and complex cases in the Southern District of New York.”

The firm, Goldstein said, has one or more major practitioners in the white-collar area in its offices in California, Chicago, New York, Washington and London.

“Our core clientele includes next generation tech companies in the life sciences area, fintech, and technology. And we are prepared for an increase in enforcement, in regulatory and other areas,” he added.

In his most recent job as chief counsel to U.S. attorney Audrey Strauss, Capone advised on significant criminal and civil matters, including white collar and cybercrime, securities fraud, public corruption, terrorism, civil rights violations, violent crime, and sex trafficking.

Capone said he worked across the table from Cooley lawyers during his prosecutorial stint.

“This is the perfect opportunity to reenter private practice, and I’m excited to leverage my trial skills as part of a diverse team that guides our clients through their most significant legal challenges.”

Michael Attanasio, chair of Cooley’s global litigation department, added, in a statement, that “Russell’s extensive experience successfully handling sensitive and high-stakes matters further enhances our growing white-collar defense & investigations practice, and adds to our impressive roster of first-chair trial lawyers.”