Press Release

Potter becomes sixth former federal prosecutor to join Firm’s White Collar Defense & Investigations Team

Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler LLP is pleased to announce that Lauren Schorr Potter, a former Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, has joined the Firm as a partner in the Litigation department. Ms. Potter will focus her practice on white collar defense and investigations and complex civil litigation.

Prior to joining Patterson, Ms. Potter served for more than six years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York, where she was most recently co-chief of the Violent and Organized Crime Unit. As co-chief, Ms. Potter supervised more than 25 Assistant U.S. Attorneys in investigations, prosecutions, and trials involving racketeering (RICO), organized crime, sex trafficking, and gang-related and drug-related violence, among other offenses. In this capacity, she worked closely with federal and state agencies, including the FBI, HSI, ATF, and the NYPD, coordinating substantial cross-agency investigations. Ms. Potter also served as a line assistant in the Public Corruption and Violent and Organized Crime Units, where she investigated and prosecuted a range of cases including those involving bribery, wire fraud, health care fraud, and racketeering. Her extensive litigation experience includes leading six federal criminal trials, and arguing several appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Before joining the U.S. Attorney's Office, Ms. Potter was an associate at an international law firm in New York, where she handled white collar and commercial litigation matters.

“We are thrilled to welcome Lauren to our Firm,” said Patterson Belknap Co-Chair and Managing Partner, Lisa E. Cleary. “She is a stellar addition to our Litigation department and to our White Collar Defense and Investigations practice. Lauren’s trial and appellate experience, as well as her experience conducting sensitive investigations, will provide enormous value to our clients.”

Co-Chair of Patterson’s White Collar and Defense Investigations group, Daniel S. Ruzumna, added, “Lauren will be the sixth former federal prosecutor to join our growing team. She has significant trial and supervisory experience as a line assistant and as a chief in the Southern District, and she will add depth and tremendous talent to our representation of clients in all industries across the globe.”

Ms. Potter earned her J.D. magna cum laude in 2009 from Georgetown University Law Center, and her B.A. summa cum laude in 2006 from the University of Pennsylvania. Ms. Potter previously served as a law clerk to the Hon. Legrome D. Davis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and to the Hon. Ronnie Abrams of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.