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Renowned Trial Lawyer Preston Burton Joins Buckley Sandler

WASHINGTON, DC (June 1, 2016) – Buckley Sandler LLP, a premier financial services, government enforcement, and litigation law firm, announced today that renowned trial and white collar criminal defense lawyer Preston Burton, has joined the firm as a Partner in its Washington, DC office, effective June 1, 2016. Burton, who has more than two decades of criminal law experience, will join Buckley Sandler’s already robust White Collar Defense Practice, and is one of six former Assistant United States Attorneys currently at the firm. Mr. Burton joins the firm fresh from being part of a trial team that obtained complete acquittals in a public corruption trial in the Eastern District of Virginia on April 25.

Burton has an extensive criminal law background both as a defense attorney and as a federal prosecutor. He has tried more than 50 criminal cases to verdict, representing individual and corporate clients in complex federal white collar criminal cases, governmental and civil proceedings and internal investigations. Burton has handled more than 10 appeals before the D.C. Court of Appeals, D.C. Circuit and Fourth Circuit.

“Buckley Sandler has built its strong reputation as a leading financial services firm while simultaneously developing a robust white collar/financial crimes and civil enforcement litigation practice to assist our clients as they navigate a regulatory environment of increased scrutiny and heightened enforcement,” said Andrew L. Sandler, Buckley Sandler Chairman and Executive Partner. “Preston is clearly one of the country’s top trial lawyers specializing in high profile cases and he further strengthens our extensive capabilities to assist clients in addressing government enforcement initiatives.”

Burton’s work includes numerous front-page cases, representing such high-profile clients as Monica Lewinsky, former CIA intelligence agent Aldrich H. Ames, and former FBI Special Agent Robert Hanssen. He has also represented business executives and companies in investigations and trials regarding public corruption, criminal antitrust matters, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and export control violations, False Claims Act cases and procurement fraud. Many of his cases have involved cross-border investigations including extradition requests and multi-jurisdictional enforcement actions. He has also handled congressional investigations as well as numerous matters involving national security issues, including the representation of several intelligence agency officials and serving most recently as an amicus appointed by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

“I’m thrilled to be joining such an outstanding group of trial attorneys such as David Krakoff, Ben Klubes, Chris Regan, Andrew Schilling and Laurie Randell whose successes continue to bolster the firm’s reputation as a go-to firm for white collar/financial crimes and civil enforcement matters,” said Burton.

Burton joins Buckley Sandler from Poe & Burton PLLC, a boutique litigation firm where he had practiced since 2011. “Buckley Sandler is the perfect blend of the capabilities usually found only in large firms, and the agility, innovation and attention to client service that has been their guiding principle,” Burton continued. “I look forward to being a part of this dynamic team and to practicing elbow-to-elbow with this uniquely talented group, which includes trusted and respected colleagues that I have known and worked with for nearly thirty years.”

Prior to Poe & Burton, he led the litigation practice of the Washington, D.C. office of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP. Following law school Burton served as a law clerk for the Honorable Boyce F. Martin Jr., on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, and served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Burton received his JD from the University of Virginia School of Law, and his AB (magna cum laude) from Duke University.

BUCKLEYSANDLER: Buckley Sandler LLP provides premier legal counsel to protect and support the nation’s leading financial services institutions, corporations, and individual clients. With more than 150 lawyers in Washington, DC, Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and London, it offers a full range of litigation, transactional, compliance, and regulatory services. "The best at what they do in the country." (Chambers USA). Online: buckleyfirm.com | Twitter: twitter.com/buckleysandler.