“[A] top-notch litigator; superb legal writer; and skilled wordsmith who transforms complex legal arguments into simple and compelling narratives in the courtroom.” – Benchmark Litigation

Josh Robbins, a former federal prosecutor, is Co-Chair of the Firm’s White Collar and Investigations Practice and has repeatedly been named by the Daily Journal as one of the Top White Collar Lawyers in California, by Benchmark Litigation as a Litigation Star, and by Best Lawyers in America as a leading white collar and securities litigator.

Mr. Robbins has represented companies and individuals in trials, appeals, and government investigations involving hundreds of millions of dollars, typically involving allegations of fraud, kickbacks, RICO violations, or antitrust issues. Many of his cases have received national and international public attention, including matters reported in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Los Angeles Times, CNN, and CNBC. The Daily Journal named his jury trial win in an antitrust and racketeering case one of California’s Top Defense Verdicts of the year.

Mr. Robbins previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Central District of California, where he was lead counsel in various federal jury trials and appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, as well as numerous grand jury investigations of fraud, kickbacks, and corruption. Among other matters, he led the prosecution of a $900 million health care kickback scheme described as the largest insurance fraud case in California history. For his work on a major securities fraud trial, he was awarded the SEC’s Director’s Award for Criminal Coordination.

Mr. Robbins is a graduate of Harvard Law School and Harvard College. After law school, he served as law clerk for the Honorable Stanley Marcus of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

Bar Admissions

• California
• District of Columbia
• New York

Education

• Harvard Law School
• Tufts University, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy
• Harvard College

Significant Accomplishments
<p><strong>Business Trials</strong></p><ul><li>Obtained complete defense jury verdict for multinational water attraction manufacturer in $200 million federal antitrust and RICO lawsuit; <strong>named by the <em>Daily Journal</em> as one of California’s Top Defense Verdicts of the year</strong></li><li>Obtained complete defense jury verdict and affirmance on appeal for behavioral health company in bet-the-company whistleblower retaliation lawsuit alleging termination for reporting fraud</li><li>Obtained complete defense award (with attorney fees) for auto dealership executive in multi-million dollar arbitration against leading national dealership chain</li><li>Obtained complete claimant award (with attorney fees) for multinational technology company in international arbitration against Pakistan contractor regarding theft of trade secrets, breach of contract, and employee raiding scheme</li><li>Obtained favorable defense jury verdict and dismissal of 96% of claims in patent lawsuit between world’s largest waterslide manufacturers</li><li>Defended health technology company in international arbitration relating to licensing issues</li><li>Defended semiconductor company in arbitration relating to sales representative agreement</li></ul><p><strong>Civil RICO, Fraud, and Antitrust</strong></p><ul><li>Defended telecom startup in RICO and fraud lawsuit brought by major international telecom provider</li><li>Obtained favorable settlement for health care network as plaintiff in antitrust lawsuit against major competitor</li><li>Represented plaintiff in RICO lawsuit against global religious organization for human trafficking and forced labor violations</li><li>Represented plaintiffs in RICO lawsuit against city government and officials for public corruption in municipal real estate transaction</li><li>Represented major national marketing company as plaintiff in $100 million arbitration involving fraud in M&A transaction</li><li>Defended artificial intelligence company in RICO and computer fraud lawsuit regarding alleged hacking and harassment campaign against opposing counsel in patent litigation</li><li>Represented Maltese investment company as claimant in $200 million international arbitration against the government of Austria involving allegations of money laundering</li></ul><p><strong>Government Investigations and Enforcement</strong></p><ul><li>Defended one of the nation’s largest COVID-19 testing services companies, which was raided by federal agents in a high-profile DOJ investigation covered by national press, as well as related state Attorney General enforcement actions, involving allegations of over $150 million in fraudulent testing claims</li><li>Defended a major government contractor in a high-profile DOJ public corruption investigation</li><li>Defended a national behavioral health care provider, which was raided by federal agents in a high-profile DOJ investigation, involving allegations of more than $80 million in kickbacks and fraudulent claims</li><li>Defended the former CEO of a leading international environmental services company in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of fraud and FCPA violations</li><li>Defended a national medical supply company in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of kickbacks and fraudulent claims</li><li>Defended the CEO of a national diagnostic laboratory in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of more than $150 million in kickbacks and fraudulent claims</li><li>Defended the CEO of a California-based COVID-19 testing services company in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of more than $75 million in fraudulent claims</li><li>Defended the former CEO of a lobbying organization in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of fraud, tax evasion, and public corruption</li><li>Defended a behavioral health company in investigation by a state attorney general, involving allegations of kickbacks and fraudulent claims</li><li>Defended the COO of an auto equipment importer in a DOJ investigation, involving allegations of customs fraud</li></ul>

• When Can Companies Recoup Advancement of Executives’ Criminal Defense Costs? A Recent Decision Highlights Some Limits

  By Joshua M. Robbins |May 2021

• Treasury’s New Bank Secrecy Act Whistleblower Program

  By Joshua M. Robbins |January 2021

• Congress Makes Sweeping Changes to Money Laundering Enforcement

  By Joshua M. Robbins |January 2021

Additional Articles

• The Supreme Court’s Narrowing Of Mail And Wire Fraud May Affect RICO Litigation In The Health Care Industry
• Must the Government Ensure Defendants Equal Access to Overseas Evidence?
• Valeant Ruling May Pave Way For Patent-Based FCA Suits
• Rethinking DOJ’s Silent Goodbye
• Supreme Court’s Remand of FDIC Enforcement Action: Any Larger Impact on Agency Deference?
• The People vs. ChatGPT?
• Ninth Circuit bars cannabis companies from pursuing RICO claims
• In Bittner v. United States, the rule of lenity awaits its renaissance
• The Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act in False Claims Act Cases: The Coming Battleground
• High Court Ruling Boosts Defenses In DOJ Health Care Cases
• Application of Wire Fraud Statute to Digital Asset Insider Trading
• Recent Court Decision Highlights the Risk of Corporate Privilege Waiver when Cooperating with Government Investigation
• Increasing EKRA Enforcement May Expose Gaps in the Statute
• UNLEASHING THE LEVIATHAN: Tips for Companies Referring Cases to Law Enforcement
• When Can Companies Recoup Advancement of Executives’ Criminal Defense Costs? A Recent Decision Highlights Some Limits
• Treasury’s New Bank Secrecy Act Whistleblower Program
• New Whistleblower Program May Lead to Surge in Bank Secrecy Act Enforcement
• SEC Enforcement Expansion May Face Constitutional Limits
• US Congress makes sweeping changes to AML enforcement
• Congress Makes Sweeping Changes to Money Laundering Enforcement
• Enforcement 2020: Telehealth Providers Move to the Top of OIG’s Watch List
• Buchalter COVID-19 Client Alert: SBA Issues New PPP Guidance Regarding Required Approval for a Sale of Assets or Transfer of Ownership of a PPP Borrower; Use of Escrow Accounts to Avoid Requirement of Prior SBA Approval
• Buchalter COVID-19 Client Alert: Entrapment-by-Estoppel: A Potential Future Defense for Lenders in PPP Fraud Cases
• First Circuit Decision Underlines Risk of Criminal HIPAA Enforcement
• From Frying Pan to Fire: Strategic Issues When Reimbursement Disputes Turn Into Criminal Investigations
• DOJ Criminal Health Care Enforcement: It’s Not Just for Federal Programs Anymore
• Flynn Dismissal Raises Bar(r) for False Statements Prosecutions
• COVID-19 Test Providers, Beware Kickback Enforcement Tool
• 5th Amendment Strategy For Parallel Civil, Criminal Litigation
• Taking the Fifth in Parallel Criminal and Civil Proceedings
• New Lessons About Data Breaches And Insider Trading
• Once More Unto The Breach
• Gag Orders on Grand Jury Subpoenas to Banks: The Next First Amendment Frontier?
• In Microsoft Case, the Supreme Court Considers Law Enforcement Power in a Globalized and Digital World
• Growing Risk of Insider Trading on Data Breaches