Former SEC Chair and U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White to Lead Firm’s Crisis Teams

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP today announced the launch of a Strategic Crisis Response and Solutions Group, bringing together a deeply experienced global team to help organizations and boards navigate their most critical issues by anticipating and responding to problems and investigations with strategic defenses and solutions.

Led by former SEC Chair and former United States Attorney Mary Jo White, Debevoise’s Strategic Crisis Response and Solutions Group will leverage the expertise of six elite teams of internationally recognized lawyers. As organized, the Group’s crisis teams are fully equipped for swift deployment to help clients avert legal and reputational harm, while addressing the precipitating causes of the crisis.

“We’re extremely pleased to launch our Strategic Crisis Response and Solutions Group, which will allow us to mobilize more quickly than ever the judgment, experience and savvy needed to help businesses respond to almost any significant matter and reputational emergency,” said Presiding Partner Michael W. Blair.

“After years of seeing ‘really big messes’ unfold from just about every vantage point, I know how vital it is to be able to quickly bring the right team to bear. In putting together this truly talented Group, we can offer organizations and boards a rapid response team whose wisdom, background and knowledge are matched to the specific challenge at hand,” said Mary Jo White, partner and Senior Chair of the firm.

Debevoise’s Strategic Crisis Response and Solutions Group brings together rapid response crisis teams from a range of disciplines and aligns their experience and expertise to a particular crisis. These teams feature, in addition to Ms. White, preeminent practitioners, including former federal regulators, lawyers and judges, with many decades of combined experience managing a wide range of crises and investigations.

• Financial and Securities Crisis Team – Features former SEC Director of Enforcement and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew J. Ceresney, partners Matthew L. Biben and Jonathan R. Tuttle and Ms. White.


• Corporate Investigations and International Corruption Crisis Team – Features Ms. White, Mr. Ceresney, former Iran/Contra Independent Counsel investigative team member and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bruce E. Yannett, former Acting Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Criminal Division David A. O’Neil and partners Sean Hecker and Andrew M. Levine in the U.S.; partner Karolos Seeger in London; and partner Mark Johnson in Hong Kong.


• Parallel Civil Litigation Crisis Team – Features former U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark P. Goodman and partners Maeve O’Connor and Maura Kathleen Monaghan.


• Cybersecurity & Privacy Incidents Crisis Team – Features former DOJ Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security Luke Dembosky and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jim Pastore in the U.S., and international counsel Jane Shvets in London.


• Sensitive and Personal Allegations Crisis Team – Features Debevoise’s Litigation Department Co-Chair Mary Beth Hogan, former Assistant U.S. Attorney Helen V. Cantwell, and Ms. White.


• Monitorships – Features former U.S. District Court Judge John Gleeson, former U.S. Attorney General and U.S. District Court Judge Michael B. Mukasey and Ms. White.

“Every crisis is different, and every crisis response should be too. Our Strategic Crisis Response and Solutions Group is designed to reflect this reality, as we understand that experienced judgment is often key to successfully addressing government investigations while overcoming the glare of tremendous public and Congressional pressure and scrutiny,” added Ms. White.

With decades of both public and private sector experience, the Debevoise Strategic Crisis Response and Solutions Group is well-versed in managing challenges posed by prosecutors, regulators and legislators in the Beltway, the boardroom, and the marketplace.

Among Debevoise’s elite crisis team members, there are 16 former Assistant U.S. Attorneys or Department of Justice attorneys; the former Chair of the Securities and Exchange Commission; the former SEC Director of Enforcement; the former Acting Assistant Attorney General for the DOJ Criminal Division and the former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for National Security; and a former leading federal district court judge. In addition, Debevoise is also the only law firm with two former Attorneys General: Lord Goldsmith KC, the former Attorney General of the UK who serves as the firm’s Co-Managing Partner in London and Chair of European and Asian Litigation; and Judge Michael B. Mukasey, former U.S. Attorney General and U.S. District Court Judge, currently of counsel at the firm.

About Debevoise & Plimpton LLP

Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. We deliver effective solutions to our clients’ most important legal challenges, applying clear commercial judgment and a distinctively collaborative approach.