GeyerGorey LLP announced today that Phillip C. Zane has joined the Firm as of counsel.  Mr. Zane, a former federal appellate clerk, has counseled and defended clients accused of serious crimes and civil offenses for more than twenty years.  He received his law degree cum laude from New York University School of Law, and holds a bachelor’s degree in Economic History from Pomona College.  Proficient in speaking or reading a number of languages a number of languages, including Swedish, Russian, German, Polish, and Spanish, he has conducted internal investigations of alleged wrongdoing in more than twenty countries and has defended companies and individuals accused of participating in international cartels.

Mr. Zane’s practice areas include civil and criminal antitrust law (including litigation and counseling), fraud, money laundering, foreign asset control, public corruption, whistleblower cases, and national security issues.  He will also continue to counsel nonprofit organizations on compliance with tax law and other matters.

Mr. Zane’s work has changed the course of the law.  His representation of one of the nation’s leading law firms led to a clarification and narrowing of the meaning of “arising under an Act of Congress relating to patents,” which resulted in the dismissal of a malpractice claim against that law firm.  His application of game theory to decisions of whether and when a client should plead guilty to a criminal antitrust offense contributed to the adoption of a new statute limiting civil liability for antitrust offenders who accept responsibility for criminal offenses.  His groundbreaking scholarship on criminal procedure and criminal sentencing affected how many  scholars, practitioners, and judges think about maximum fines in cases involving the most serious financial crimes.  In a case he brought on behalf of an indigent client, he convinced the District of Columbia Court of Appeals to recognize a property interest in subsidized housing benefits, establishing a new procedural due process right in the District of Columbia.

“Mr. Zane is truly a lawyer’s lawyer, and we are delighted that he is joining our Firm,” said managing partner Bradford Geyer.

Mr. Zane will be resident in the Washington office.