Mr. Goodman is the Co-Chair of the firm’s Commercial Litigation Group, a senior member of its White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group and a leader of the firm’s Healthcare & Life Sciences Practice, and he spent six years as a member of the firm’s Management Committee. He is a seasoned trial lawyer who represents clients in a broad variety of matters, with emphasis on complex civil litigation, white collar criminal defense and internal investigations. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.
Mr. Goodman routinely advises corporate boards and board committees, including on issues relating to compliance and governance, and he has conducted numerous internal investigations. He frequently gives advice in high-risk matters involving the interplay of civil litigation, criminal liability and fiduciary obligations. He is admitted to practice before the New York State Courts, the U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York and two U.S. Courts of Appeals.
Mr. Goodman is recommended by Chambers USA (2010–2024), where clients describe him as “careful, thorough and experienced,” “a seasoned litigator with impressive common sense” and “very intelligent, pragmatic and thoughtful.” He is said to be an “outstanding lawyer” with a “great combination of street smarts and book knowledge” and “very smart, collegial and analytical” in his approach to complex cases. He is further commended by his peers for his “good judgment and excellent courtroom instincts.” Mr. Goodman is also recognized as a Leading Lawyer by The Legal 500 US (2024), where he has been described as “super smart and super dedicated,” “a very talented lawyer who provides excellent client service,” “a stellar attorney,” “an outstanding litigator and advisor” and “an excellent communicator.” He has been recognized as a National and Local Litigation Star in the IFLR Benchmark Litigation Guide (2010, 2012–2022) and as a LMG Life Sciences “Star” (2018-2022).
Mr. Goodman is a co-editor and co-author of Defending Corporations and Individuals in Government Investigations (Thomson Reuters, 2022-2023), and he authored a chapter on Limited Liability Companies for New York Business Litigation (The New York Law Journal, 6th Edition, 2018). He also routinely authors various articles for major publications, including Law360, among others.
After graduating from the New York University School of Law in 1987, Mr. Goodman served as a law clerk to the Hon. Leonard I. Garth, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. He joined Debevoise as an associate in 1988. From 1992 to 1995, Mr. Goodman served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (Criminal Division). As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Goodman participated in and supervised numerous investigations and prosecutions involving, among other crimes, securities fraud, bank fraud, mail and wire fraud and money laundering. He was the lead prosecutor in 10 trials to verdict. Mr. Goodman returned to Debevoise in 1996 and became a partner in 1997.
For 10 years, Mr. Goodman served on the Criminal Justice Act panel in the Southern District of New York and handled the firm’s pro bono federal criminal cases. Mr. Goodman currently serves as Vice-Chair of the Board of the Legal Aid Society and previously served as Chair of the Board of Sarah Lawrence College.