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    Home /  Lawyers /  Alexander J. Willscher

    Alexander J. Willscher

    Partner

    Alexander J. Willscher Headshot Photo Portrait backdrop

    New York

    +1-212-558-4104

    |

    willschera@sullcrom.com

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    Alex Willscher is the Deputy Managing Partner of the Firm’s Criminal Defense and Investigations Group. A distinguished former prosecutor with two decades of experience, Mr. Willscher has advised the world’s biggest companies in navigating high-stakes government investigations and civil litigation. Mr. Willscher handles a wide range of white-collar and securities matters, including accounting fraud, antitrust, congressional investigations, insider trading, and FCPA violations. He has secured declinations and favorable settlements in major investigations for clients such as Morgan Stanley and JPMorgan. He serves as lead counsel in a variety of civil lawsuits and trial matters. Mr. Willscher has tried 10 criminal jury cases in federal court.

    Recognized as a leader in the field, Mr. Willscher has been described by Chambers USA as an advocate who “knows how to be tenacious without being offensive”; “His skill is absolutely remarkable.”

    Mr. Willscher served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York from 2004 through 2010. He clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy.

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    Spotlight

    Alex Willscher and Sam Bonafede Author Bloomberg Law Article on Interlocutory Appeals

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    Nic Bourtin and Alex Willscher Discuss S&C’s Law360 ‘Practice Group of the Year’ Win for White Collar

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    awards_483-x-180_silver

    S&C Obtains Dismissal for RBC Entities of ‘Gilts’ Bonds Antitrust Case

    Read More

    Nicolas Bourtin, Alexander J. Willscher, and Sabrina Solow Author Bloomberg Law Article on the Constitutionality of Criminal Enforcement of Section 1 of the Sherman Act

    Read More
    • Experience
    • Rankings and Recognitions
    • News
    • Publications, Videos and Podcasts
    • Credentials
    • Related Practices
    Experience

    Experience

    Trading Practices

    • Morgan Stanley & Co. in securing a non-prosecution agreement from the DOJ, and a resolution with the SEC, in an investigation of employees’ conduct in connection with the sale of large blocks of equities
    • JPMorgan Chase & Co. in reaching coordinated resolutions with the DOJ, CFTC, and SEC, resolving investigations of alleged “spoofing” by former traders in the precious metals and U.S. treasuries markets, and manipulation of precious metals barrier options
    • Barclays in persuading the DOJ not to bring criminal charges relating to allegations that bank employees used confidential merger information to front-run trades and enable the bank to profit at a client’s expense. In a major policy shift, this marked the first time that the DOJ had been willing to extend its declination program for companies outside of the FCPA context
    • Barclays plc in the investigation and resolution with the DOJ and other regulators relating to a criminal conspiracy to manipulate the price of currency exchanged in the global FX Spot Market
    • Major financial institution in regulatory settlement relating to bank’s electronic trading platform and “last-look” functionality
    • Barclays in the resolution with the CFTC of matters relating to the ISDAFIX benchmark rate

    Securities investigations

    • A major international financial institution in an SEC investigation relating to fraudulent pricing of bonds
    • Better.com in SEC investigation, regarding whistleblower allegations of violations of U.S. securities laws, which concluded with no action taken against the company
    • Internet company in SEC investigation relating to a short seller’s report alleging money laundering violations

    AML/OFAC Sanctions

    • A major global financial institution, in persuading the DOJ to drop a money laundering investigation
    • Multiple major financial institutions in investigations relating to money laundering and potential BSA/AML violations, including in connection with the FIFA scandal, the Panama Papers, and the Russian and Azerbaijani Laundromats
    • Mashreq Bank in the October 2018 consent order with the New York Department of Financial Services in connection with examinations and an investigation by the DFS into its AML program in its New York branch’s U.S. dollar clearing operations
    • HSBC Holdings plc in the investigation and resolution with the DOJ, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, and the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control related to OFAC sanctions and anti-money laundering compliance

    Antitrust

    • A leading international industrial company in securing a declination in a DOJ criminal antitrust investigation
    • Royal Bank of Canada as lead counsel in lawsuit accusing five major financial institutions of participating in a purported conspiracy to manipulate the prices of UK government bonds
    • Financial company in DOJ investigation of no-poach agreements
    • Royal Bank of Canada as lead counsel in successfully defeating a lawsuit accusing major banks of rigging the roughly $9 trillion SSA government agency bond market
    • Major financial institution in a DOJ investigation into possible conspiracy to manipulate of the U.S. Treasuries market

    Accounting

    • The audit committee of a major financial institution in connection with a whistleblower complaint filed with the SEC raising concerns about various accounting practices
    • A global financial institution in successfully resolving investigations by the DOJ and SEC concerning allegations raised by a former senior employee on the company’s whistleblower hotline and in the media
    • A Fortune 500 company in achieving a SEC declination in investigation of allegations of improper earnings management
    • A major technology company in achieving DOJ and SEC declinations in investigations of revenue recognition practices
    • Senior executive of a healthcare company in DOJ/SEC investigation of allegations of channel stuffing and other accounting irregularities

    FinTech/Consumer Protection

    • Worldwide payment processing company in FTC investigation of the operators of an alleged credit card debt relief scheme
    • Worldwide payment processing company in agreed resolution with the Federal Trade Commission related to allegations regarding insufficient controls and transaction monitoring of a wholesale independent sales organization (ISO), and its downstream merchants and affiliates
    • Payments processor in various investigation by the DOJ, SEC, and FTC

    Insider Trading

    • Major insurance company in connection with trading in company securities by a Section 16 reporting officer
    • The CEO of public company in securing successful declination by the SEC of its insider trading investigation
    • The chairman of the board of a healthcare company in securing a declination for a joint DOJ/SEC insider trading investigation

    Securities and complex commercial litigation

    • International venture capital fund in civil litigation for fraud against company founder
    • Major financial institution in civil litigation for fraud against loan borrower
    • Credit Agricole in lawsuit alleging violations of the U.S. Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA)
    • The Boeing Company in obtaining the dismissal of a putative securities fraud class action related to delays in the first flight of the company’s 787 Dreamliner aircraft
    • HSBC Bank USA in successfully obtaining the dismissal of an action seeking over $2.7 billion plus interest in sanctions against HSBC, in connection with a default judgment that plaintiffs had obtained against the government of Iran
    • HSBC Bank USA in successfully wining dismissal with prejudice of a putative class action seeking $5 billion in damages on behalf of persons whose personal property allegedly had been stolen, converted to cash, and eventually deposited in accounts at HSBC

    Congressional investigations

    • Executive-branch officials in connection with the investigation of the U.S. House Select Committee as to the events of January 6, 2021
    • Senior Executive-branch official in connection with the Special Counsel investigation regarding interference in the 2016 United States elections

    Cryptocurrency

    • Cryptocurrency exchange in multiple DOJ investigations

    FCPA

    • A major international oil company in DOJ and SEC investigations of possible FCPA violations
    • Executive of a major conglomerate in DOJ and SEC investigations of potential FCPA issues

    Professional Activities

    • The Federal Bar Council
    • The New York City Bar, Professional Ethics Committee
    • The Supreme Court Historical Society
    • Member, Criminal Justice Act Panel, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (2014–2023)
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    Rankings and Recognitions

    Rankings and Recognitions

    • Chambers USA – Recognized in the area of White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations—Band 2 (2017–2024)
    • Euromoney’s Benchmark: America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys – Recognized as a Future Star (2016–2023) and Litigation Star (2024–2025)
    • New York Super Lawyers (2013–2022)
    • Lawdragon – Recognized as one of the “500 Leading Litigators in America” (2023–2025)
    • The Legal 500 United States – Recommended in Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense (2017)
    • Global Investigations Review Top 40 Under 40 (2014)
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    News

    News

    • S&C Obtains Dismissal for RBC Entities of ‘Gilts’ Bonds Antitrust Case

      September 25, 2024
    • Nic Bourtin and Alex Willscher Join Cambridge Forums Conference on Financial Institutions Enforcement

      May 9, 2023
    • Nic Bourtin and Alex Willscher Join Cambridge Forums Event on Financial Institutions Enforcement

      October 7–8, 2021
    • S&C Helps Royal Bank of Canada Secure Favorable Ruling by Second Circuit in SSA Bond Antitrust Litigation

      July 26, 2021
    • S&C Wins Dismissal for RBC Capital Markets of Antitrust Lawsuit Accusing Banks of Rigging $9 Trillion Bond Market

      March 27, 2020
    • Alex Willscher Speaks at the ABA’s 8th Annual London White Collar Crime Institute

      October 14, 2019
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    Publications, Videos and Podcasts

    Publications, Videos and Podcasts

    • Alex Willscher and Sam Bonafede Author Bloomberg Law Article on Interlocutory Appeals

      Articles April 10, 2025
    • Nicolas Bourtin, Alexander J. Willscher, and Sabrina Solow Author Bloomberg Law Article on the Constitutionality of Criminal Enforcement of Section 1 of the Sherman Act

      Articles July 17, 2023
    • Alex Willscher Co-Authors Chapter in White Collar Crime: Business and Regulatory Offenses Treatise

      Articles November 3, 2021
    • Supreme Court Limits FTC’s Remedial Authority in AMG Capital Management v. FTC

      Podcasts April 26, 2021
    • S&C Litigators Author Bloomberg Article on Employee Communications Practices During COVID

      Articles April 6, 2021
    • S&C Litigators Examine Impact of Classified Information Law on Prosecutions

      Articles March 16, 2021
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    Credentials

    Credentials

    Education

    • The University of Chicago Law School, J.D., 2000
    • Dartmouth College, A.B., 1996

    Bar Admissions

    • New York
    • District of Columbia
    • New Hampshire

    Clerkships

    • The Honorable Anthony M. Kennedy, United States Supreme Court, 2001-2002
    • The Honorable J. Harvie Wilkinson III, United States Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit, 2000-2001
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    Related Practices

    Related Practices

    • Litigation
    • Antitrust
    • Consumer Financial Services
    • Criminal Antitrust
    • Criminal Defense & Investigations
    • Cybersecurity
    • Economic Sanctions and Financial Crime
    • FCPA & Anti-Corruption
    • Financial Services Investigations & Litigation
    • International Arbitration and Global Dispute Resolution
    • National Security
    • Securities & Commodities Investigations
    • Supreme Court and Appellate
    • Workplace Investigations
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