Eric Sussman is a former federal prosecutor who focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense, securities enforcement matters, internal investigations, and complex commercial litigation. He is a highly accomplished trial lawyer who has defended numerous sophisticated civil and white collar criminal matters for corporations and executives in courts throughout the United States.
Having tried over 35 federal and state cases, briefed and argued many cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, handled arbitration proceedings before the International Court of Arbitration, and directed hundreds of complex investigations, clients – through Chambers and Partners – cite Eric as "a remarkable individual" who is "very intelligent and ... thoughtful in his analysis."
Eric’s extensive government and private practice experience in the white collar space provides him with a unique ability to support clients through internal investigations involving Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), False Claims Act (FCA), SEC violations and antitrust violations; Dodd-Frank whistleblower investigations; insider trading issues; and health care fraud matters, including False Claim Act and Anti-Kickback allegations.
He also represents individuals and corporations in investigations and litigation with state attorneys general, the Department of Justice (DOJ), Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Departure of Agriculture (USDA) and other governmental agencies. Additionally, Eric has successfully defended clients in proceedings involving the DOJ’s FCPA unit and Antitrust Division – receiving multiple declinations of prosecution.
Eric was a deputy chief in the Financial Crimes and Special Prosecutions unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois in Chicago for over nine years. He most recently served as the first assistant state’s attorney for Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx, where he supervised over 800 lawyers and investigators in the criminal, appellate and juvenile justice bureaus as well as the civil actions bureau.
While serving as deputy chief, Eric successfully handled prosecuting numerous high-profile white collar criminal cases, including:
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The embezzlement of millions of dollars from the corporation involving Conrad Black and other top executives of Hollinger International
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The willful violation of Occupational Safety and Health Administration regulations by one of the largest electrical contracting companies in the country
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Fraud and USDA food safety violations for storing tons of adulterated food products by the largest food-storage warehouse company in the Midwest and its president
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The operations of a multi-million dollar jewelry theft ring by former, and convicted, Chicago Police Department’s chief of detectives and other organized crime associates
