Matthew Galeotti, Former Acting Assistant Attorney General of DOJ’s Criminal Division, Joins Kirkland & Ellis

Kirkland & Ellis announced today that Matthew Galeotti joined the Firm as a partner in its Litigation Practice Group, strengthening the Firm’s market-leading government, regulatory and internal investigations capabilities.

Mr. Galeotti most recently served as Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, where he oversaw federal criminal enforcement nationwide, including corporate enforcement, foreign bribery, sanctions and money laundering, cybercrime, healthcare fraud and other complex matters. He established key enforcement policies concerning corporate investigations, digital assets, and the proper scope of corporate resolutions. He also advised the Attorney General and Deputy Attorney General on the Criminal Division’s most significant criminal matters and supervised more than 1,300 attorneys and staff across the Division.

Before his appointment at Main Justice, Mr. Galeotti was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, where he prosecuted significant business and securities frauds, cybercrime, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, organized crime and other complex cases, and served in leadership roles within the office. Mr. Galeotti received numerous awards for his achievements in public service, including the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Award for Superior Performance.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Galeotti practiced at an international law firm representing companies and executives in criminal and regulatory investigations, trials and compliance matters. He also clerked for the Honorable Pamela K. Chen in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

“Matthew brings a rare combination of senior Justice Department leadership and deep trial and investigations experience,” said Mark Filip, a litigation partner and member of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “He has helped shape national enforcement priorities and has led some of the most complex matters in the Criminal Division. He is highly respected by both career DOJ personnel and the most senior leaders of DOJ. His perspective will be invaluable to our clients facing high-stakes government and internal investigations.”

Jacquelyn Kasulis, a Kirkland litigation partner and former Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, added: “I’ve known and worked with Matthew for many years. He is a very talented and widely respected attorney who will be a tremendous asset to our clients and to our litigation team. We’re excited to welcome him to Kirkland.”

Mr. Galeotti said: “It’s been an honor to serve my country at both the U.S. Attorney’s Office and at DOJ. I’m looking forward to returning to private practice alongside the terrific team at Kirkland.”