Thursday, September 22, 2011
Page 3
Venable Adds Handzlik to White Collar Practice in Los Angeles Office
By KENNETH OFGANG, Staff Writer
Venable LLP yesterday announced the addition of Jan L. Handzlik to the firm’s Los Angeles office as a partner in its national SEC/White-Collar Group.
Handzlik, who made the lateral move from Greenberg Traurig, said he was attracted to Venable since it “has one of the nation’s leading litigation and business crime defense practices.”
He added that he has “known and worked with many of the firm’s highly respected lawyers for years,” and was impressed by their “extensive experience directing sensitive investigations, responding to enforcement actions, defending against criminal prosecutions and handling sophisticated civil litigation matters.”
Venable’s Managing Partner Karl Racine, who is also a member of the white collar group, praised Handzlik as “one of the country’s preeminent white collar defense attorneys, with an enviable trial experience and track record of winning successful outcomes for clients,” who is “particularly adept at managing matters that involve intense media scrutiny and reputational risks for clients.”
Handzlik’s practice includes matters involving allegations of environmental crimes, antitrust violations, tax fraud, financial institution fraud and healthcare fraud, in addition to foreign bribery, government contract and export control matters, according to the firm release.
He also handles complex civil business litigation and has experience conducting corporate internal investigations, designing law-compliance programs and advising public companies on corporate governance, disclosure and reporting issues.
Over the course of his career, Handzlik has taken nearly 100 jury trials to verdict and lectured widely on trial practice, professional ethics and business fraud, a firm spokesperson said.
The attorney has served as independent monitor of a publicly traded company’s compliance with the FCPA and U.S. securities laws, and as an assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles.
He also served as counsel to the Independent Warren Christopher Commission, and deputy general counsel to the Independent William Webster Commission in investigations of the Los Angeles Police Department; deputy general counsel to the Rampart Independent Review Panel’s investigation into police corruption and officer-involved shootings; and as a member of the Rampart After-Action Assessment Panel.
Handzlik began his career as a clerk for U.S. District Judge Francis C. Whelan of the Central District of California after graduating from USC and UCLA’s law school, and joining the State Bar in 1971.
The attorney is also active in the International Bar Association, serving as a member of its working group on the United Kingdom’s Bribery Act of 2010 and as vice-chair of its Business Crime Committee.
He is chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on the Attorney-Client Privilege & Work Product Doctrine, a member of that section’s governing council.
Handzlik additionally participates on the Federal Courts Coordinating Committee for the Los Angeles County Bar Association.
Copyright 2011, Metropolitan News Company