The National Law Journal (NLJ) named WilmerHale Partners Ronald Machen, Erin Sloane and Anjan Sahni to its annual list of Criminal Law Trailblazers for its 2020 edition. It was the first time the publication recognized lawyers in this category.
NLJ has described trailblazers as “legal professionals who have made significant marks on the practice, policy and technological advancements in their sector.”
Mr. Machen’s Trailblazer profile highlights some of his significant achievements. This includes his time as US Attorney for the District of Columbia, the nation’s largest US attorney’s office, where he became its longest-serving leader. During his tenure, he launched the first cyber laundering and money laundering units in DC, among other initiatives.
Mr. Machen currently serves as co-chair of the firm’s white-collar practice and is a member of the firm’s management team. A member of the firm’s Executive Diversity and Inclusion Committee, he helped recruit seven equity partners to the firm in the past year and serves as a mentor to minority and women lawyers. “Diversity is critical in presenting a different perspective and approach. So, I’m proud that the firm and our group have laid a foundation for generations to come,” he said.
Ms. Sloane’s Trailblazer profile highlights why she chose to work in the area of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Introduced to it after law school, “I loved everything about FPCA work—the travel, the cultural overlays and the back and forth with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities Exchange Commission,” she said.
The profile mentions her recent appointment by the DOJ to serve as the independent FCPA compliance monitor for a global health care company. She is one of the only several women ever selected for that important role.
The NLJ spotlighted Mr. Sahni’s role in achieving a victory for Rohan Ramchandani, a foreign exchange trader from the UK who was charged with price fixing in the Eurodollar market. Mr. Sahni was a key member of the team that secured an acquittal for Mr. Ramchandani, saving him from prison so he could return to his family in Britain. In his trailblazer profile, Mr. Sahni explains why this case was important to him both professionally and personally.
Describing one of the challenges of white-collar defense work, Mr. Sahni said: “These are frequently cases where what is in dispute is an individual’s intent and mental state,” says Sahni. “As the DOJ brings the criminal law to bear in increasingly sophisticated white-collar cases, issues of intent are absolutely vital to explain simple terms to a jury.”