NEW YORK, April 27, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- WilmerHale is pleased to announce that Sharon Cohen Levin, Chief of the Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit in the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), is joining the firm as partner in the New York office. Ms. Levin joins the Financial Institutions Practice, further expanding the firm's presence in the anti-money laundering (AML) and economic sanctions space. In addition to nearly 25 years at the SDNY, Ms. Levin also worked at the US Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia and Main Justice in Washington DC.
"Sharon is a leader in the industry, having overseen and led many successful prosecutions during a long and successful tenure at the SDNY," said Susan Murley, co-managing partner of WilmerHale. "She has personally worked on the Department's most complex and significant AML and sanctions cases throughout her service. Her experience will contribute greatly to the core strengths of the Financial Institutions Practice, and we're pleased to have her join the team."
WilmerHale's Financial Institutions Practice is well regarded for assisting high-profile clients in challenging and complex federal regulatory and legislative litigation, enforcement and business transaction matters. Ms. Levin joins the practice's elite roster of attorneys who have previously held senior-level positions in federal agencies, Congress and the Executive Branch.
"I am delighted to be joining a team of exceptionally talented attorneys who have built a credible name through extraordinary litigation successes," said Ms. Levin. "Landing here at WilmerHale provides a platform to grow my practice, as there will be many opportunities to work on the matters that are currently having the most influence on the industry."
In addition to the Financial Institutions Practice, Ms. Levin will also be a member of the firm's Investigations and Criminal Litigation and Securities Litigation and Enforcement Practices, joining the firm's roster of trial and white-collar lawyers. She is the newest addition to the practice following the recent hiring of Ronald C. Machen, Jr., former US Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Anjan Sahni, outgoing Chief of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force at the US Attorney's Office for the SDNY.
Ms. Levin was recently selected by the National Law Journal to its list of Outstanding Women Lawyers. She is featured as one of 75 of the "most accomplished female attorneys working in the legal profession today," joining Co-Managing Partner Susan Murley and Partner Jamie Gorelick, chair of WilmerHale's Regulatory and Government Affairs Department.
About Sharon Levin
Ms. Levin began her career as a Trial Attorney in the Civil Division of the Department of Justice, Torts Branch. She then moved to the US Attorney's Office in Washington DC, serving as Assistant US Attorney in the Civil Division. During her time at the US Attorney's Office in Washington, Ms. Levin defended constitutional challenges to government actions, medical malpractice, employment discrimination and class action lawsuits.
After six years in the Civil Division, Ms. Levin moved to the SDNY in 1991, where she became Chief of the Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Unit—a position she held for nearly 20 years. Throughout her long and successful tenure at the SDNY, she led and supervised the prosecution of complex money laundering, economic sanctions and forfeiture cases. In 2014 alone, under her leadership, the SDNY forfeited in excess of $7.25 billion on behalf of the United States. This was the largest amount collected in any year by any US Attorney's Office since the United States Assets Forfeiture Fund was established in the 1980s.
Ms. Levin is a graduate of the University of San Diego Law School and Tulane University.
About Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP
WilmerHale provides legal representation across a comprehensive range of practice areas that are critical to the success of its clients. The law firm's leading Intellectual Property, Litigation/Controversy, Regulatory and Government Affairs, Securities, and Corporate and Transactional Departments participate in some of the highest-profile legal and policy matters. With a staunch commitment to public service, the firm is renowned as a leader in pro bono representation. WilmerHale is 1,000 lawyers strong with 14 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. For more information, please visit www.wilmerhale.com.