January 6, 2022
Kevin Frankel, who led high-profile investigations and prosecutions as an assistant attorney general for the state of New York, has joined McGuireWoods’ financial services litigation practice as a partner in San Francisco.
Frankel joins a McGuireWoods team that represents some of the world’s most prominent financial institutions in litigation and government investigations. He has nearly 15 years of experience in public service and private practice, including more than five years supervising civil and criminal matters in the New York State Office of the Attorney General. He also served as a special district attorney with the Major Economic Crimes Bureau of the New York County District Attorney’s Office.
Frankel investigated and prosecuted white collar crimes allegedly committed by public servants and high-profile elected officials, leading large teams of lawyers, investigators, auditors, and analysts. He was first-chair trial counsel for public corruption jury trials, including a two-month straw donation trial, a six-week bribery trial, and a four-week grand larceny trial. Frankel received the 2021 Louis J. Lefkowitz Award, the highest commendation bestowed by New York’s Attorney General for superior service.
“Kevin has skillfully handled complex and highly sensitive matters as a prosecutor and in private practice,” said Dion Hayes, McGuireWoods’ deputy managing partner for litigation. “His sound judgment and insight enhance our capabilities in financial services litigation, government investigations and white collar defense.”
Before joining the New York AG’s office in 2016, Frankel was a litigator at Am Law 100 firms in New York and San Francisco. He recently served as an adjunct professor at the Columbia University School of Law, where he received his J.D. in 2007.
“Kevin is an outstanding lawyer with an insider’s perspective on regulation and enforcement and in-depth knowledge of the pressures and challenges confronting our clients,” said Cheryl Haas, chair of the firm’s Financial Services Litigation Department.
“Kevin’s government investigations experience adds an important dimension to the strong financial services litigation team we have in San Francisco,” noted David Powell, managing partner of the firm’s San Francisco office.
McGuireWoods was among an exclusive group of law firms that corporate counsel identified as a commercial litigation powerhouse in “BTI Litigation Outlook 2022: Post Pandemic and Beyond.” Law360 has twice named McGuireWoods a “Banking Practice Group of the Year” for excellence representing financial services institutions in litigation, regulatory, and transactional matters.
“McGuireWoods has one of the nation’s most respected litigation practices, and I look forward to helping the firm build on its strengths in California and nationwide,” Frankel said.