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Scott Wilson

Scott R. Wilson

Partner
Scott Wilson's knowledge of corporate investigations is invaluable.
Source quoted in Legal500
About

Scott Wilson advises clients in government and internal investigations, white collar criminal matters, and complex litigation, often with an international component.

Companies, boards and senior executives rely on Scott to handle sensitive and multi-dimensional matters involving the government, the courts and the media. He has represented some of the most successful multinational companies in the world as lead counsel in a wide range of white collar and regulatory investigations, before DOJ, SEC, CFTC, OFAC and State Attorneys General. He regularly advises clients in matters involving bribery and corruption, fraud, and extortion.

In addition to his government-facing practice, Scott represents clients in complex business disputes in federal and state courts and domestic and international arbitration. He has significant experience representing global financial institutions in matters involving credit derivatives and structured financial products.

Scott previously served as Senior Advisor and Special Counsel to the New York Attorney General (NYAG). As a member of the NYAG's executive staff, Scott helped oversee a wide range of civil and criminal investigations, negotiated high-profile settlements and served as a liaison to other state and federal agencies in connection with the Residential Mortgage-Backed Securities (RMBS) Working Group co-chaired by the NYAG. In the courtroom, Scott served as trial counsel and argued appeals in enforcement proceedings brought under New York's anti-fraud, consumer protection and not-for-profit corporate governance laws.

In 2021, Scott was one of five attorneys nationwide selected by Law360 for its annual list of Compliance Rising Stars. In 2019, Scott was named to the Euromoney Legal Media Group shortlist for its Americas Rising Star Awards for "best in white collar crime."

Scott co-chairs DLA Piper’s State Attorneys General practice and is a co-head of the firm's global Private Fund Disputes practice.

Bar admissionsNew York
CourtsUnited States District Court for the Eastern District of New YorkUnited States District Court for the Southern District of New York
He is an incredibly good lawyer and a great negotiator, and really thinks about the issues he discusses.
— Source quoted in Chambers

EXPERIENCE

Investigations and Compliance Highlights

  • A Fortune 100 consumer goods company in a multi-year DOJ investigation relating to foreign commercial bribery and related internal investigation in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South America, and the US
  • A global asset manager in a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigation by SEC and DOJ and related internal investigation in the UK, Ireland and US
  • NIKE, Inc. in connection with a DOJ investigation into corruption in NCAA basketball
  • A Bay Area technology and life sciences company in an investigation by the NYAG relating to customer data privacy
  • An offshore bank in an investigation by OFAC concerning compliance with the Venezuela-related sanctions program, which concluded with the issuance of a Cautionary Letter
  • A Fortune 100 food company in connection with a CFTC investigation relating to position limits on trading in agricultural commodities and cash position reporting  
  • A merchant cash advance company in connection with an NYAG investigation into alleged unfair and deceptive business practices and compliance with criminal usury laws
  • The Mayor of Mount Vernon, New York, in a public corruption prosecution in Westchester County and related civil litigation regarding the scope of the NYAG's criminal jurisdiction
  • A global financial institution in a CFTC investigation relating to ISDAFIX and trading in interest rate swaptions 
  • A US financial institution in an investigation by the NYAG relating to reverse mortgage servicing
  • A Fortune 100 consumer goods company in connection with an NYAG antitrust investigation relating to geographic restrictions in real estate leases
  • An Academy Award-nominated actress in connection with an extortion scheme 
  • A Fortune 100 company in connection with an investigation by the Ethics Board of the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) into financial corruption at a national sports federation in Africa
  • The CEO of an asset manager in a Professional Conduct Program investigation by the CFA Institute 
  • A Fortune 100 company in connection with an internal investigation of whistleblower allegations concerning a C-level executive 
     

Litigation and Arbitration Highlights 

  • Pacific Investment Management Company (PIMCO) and Allianz Asset Management of America in employment litigation filed by former PIMCO CIO William H. Gross in California state court
  • The Cayman Islands issuer of a trust preferred collateralized debt obligation (CDO) in litigation concerning replacement of a collateral manager, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York 
  • An alternative asset management firm and three Cayman Islands affiliates in litigation over the acquisition of a collateralized loan obligation (CLO)  manager, in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court 
  • A large publicly-traded Brazilian consumer goods company in ICC arbitration in São Paulo relating to a share purchase agreement governed by Brazilian law
Languages
  • English
  • French
Education
  • J.D., Columbia University
    Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
  • Master, Global Business Law, Institut d'Études Politique de Paris (Sciences Po) / Université Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne
  • A.B., Social Studies, Harvard College
    magna cum laude

Awards

  • Chambers United States
    • Band 3 ranking for High-Net-Worth 2023: Art and Cultural Property Law
  • The Legal 500 United States
    • Recommended, State Attorneys General (2023)
    • Recommended, Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense (2021)
  • Scott was one of five attorneys nationwide selected by Law360 for its annual list of Compliance Rising Stars (2021)
  • Scott was named to the Euromoney Legal Media Group shortlist for its Americas Rising Star Awards for "best in white collar crime" (2019)

Bylines

  • Co-author, "New York Department of Financial Services calls on financial institutions to consider climate change risk," Thomson Reuters, November 13, 2020 (with Jeffrey L. Hare, Jesse Medlong and Dante Alessandri)
  • Co-author, "SFO Cooperation Guidance Merits Cautious Welcome: Part 2," Law360, October 16, 2019 (with Matt Getz)
  • Co-author, "SFO Cooperation Guidance Merits Cautious Welcome: Part 1," Law360, October 15, 2019 (with Matt Getz)
  • Co-author, "INSIGHT: Lessons on Privilege from Landmark English Ruling," Bloomberg Law, Sept. 25, 2018 (with Matt Getz and Prateek Swaika)

Media Mentions

Prior Experience

Scott served as Senior Advisor and Special Counsel to the New York Attorney General from 2011 to 2013. Following his government service, Scott was appointed by the Illinois Department of Insurance as an outside compliance examiner for insurance companies and reinsurers, in connection with multi-state supervisory colleges.

Memberships And Affiliations

Scott serves on the Legal Programs & Events Committee of the Brazilian-American Chamber of Commerce. He previously served as the Secretary of the Council on Criminal Justice and as a member of the Art Law Committee of the New York City Bar Association. 

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