Kathleen Hamann in Law360 on Her Move to Pierce Atwood
By William Gorta, Law360
An internationally recognized authority in the field of white collar enforcement — and self-described rugby fanatic — traded jerseys last week, leaving White & Case LLP after two years to join Pierce Atwood LLP, the firm said.
Kathleen Hamann, whose return the firm announced on Aug. 3, spent a decade with the U.S. Foreign Service before becoming a lawyer and later served as a U.S. Department of Justice trial attorney and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act expert. She said that she is excited to make the move to Pierce Atwood, which is building a “really nimble and flexible practice.
"[Pierce Atwood] is thinking more strategically about pricing, packaging services and having a great bench — skill sets that complement each other,” Hamann told Law360.
Hamann will assist clients in transnational matters, conduct global risk assessments, design compliance programs, and address multijurisdictional investigations that require deep knowledge of conflicting national laws, the firm said in a press release.
“We are pleased that Kate has chosen to bring her talent and expertise to Pierce Atwood’s D.C. office,” David E. Barry, Pierce Atwood’s managing partner, said in a statement. “Her practice complements, expands and strengthens the firm's current areas of expertise and will be very valuable to our clients.”
The Colorado native will remain in the District of Columbia as a white collar partner as the company expands its footprint in the nation’s capital, but over time expects to see more of the Northeast, given the firm’s deep New England roots.
“I just love Boston,” she said.
Not as much as rugby, though. Hamann, who saw her first major rugby match — England versus Ireland — at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Less thrilling was watching the American Eagles rugby team lose to Samoa in the Rugby World Cup. Still, she says she is a fanatic for the game.
“I run a Six Nations rugby pool,” she said, adding quickly, “No money, just pride.”
Hamann worked as an anti-corruption policy counsel and trial lawyer at the DOJ starting in 2006, and during her tenure she successfully prosecuted criminal matters involving the FCPA and ran multijurisdictional investigations in several industries, including medical devices.
She also helped to design and negotiate the first simultaneous settlement between the DOJ and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Office of Foreign Assets Control and two different parts of the U.K. Serious Fraud Office at the conclusion of the DOJ's case against international chemical company Innospec Inc., which pled guilty in 2010 to defrauding the United Nations, violating the FCPA and violating the U.S. embargo against Cuba.
While in the Foreign Service, Hamann was a diplomat and negotiator. She served as an expert on international law enforcement policy and most of her work was focused in Latin America.
Hamann completed her undergraduate studies at Carleton College in Minnesota. She earned her JD from Georgetown University Law Center.
Reprinted with permission from “Pierce Atwood Adds White Collar Partner From White & Case” by William Gorta, August 9, 2016, Law360.