Listen to this articleSills Cummis Gross continues to expand its white collar practice with the addition of the former federal chief of economic crimes unit at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
As a member of the group, Jonathan Fayer will represent individuals and corporations in significant civil, criminal and regulatory matters, and internal investigations. The Newark-based full-service commercial law firm announced the hire in a Nov. 17 press release.
The news comes about four months after Sills Cummis welcomed former acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna as chair of the white collar practice.
Prior to joining Sills Cummis, Fayer spent six years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Most recently, he served as chief of the economic crimes unit. In that role, he supervised the office’s complex white collar investigations and prosecutions involving securities fraud, accounting fraud, money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act violations, market manipulation, corporate fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations.
As a federal prosecutor, he investigated and tried numerous complex cases. His experience includes serving as lead prosecutor on a seven-week jury trial involving a $90 million Ponzi scheme that resulted in guilty verdicts for securities fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and obstruction of justice.
Fayer’s background also spans matters involving the Securities and Exchange Commission, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Federal Reserve Board, Federal Housing Finance Agency, the New Jersey Office of Attorney General and other regulators, Sills Cummis noted.
‘A powerful advocate’
Max Crane, managing partner of Sills Cummis & Gross, believes Fayer’s prosecutorial experience and trial record in high-stakes economic crime matters “make him a powerful advocate for our clients.”
“His arrival strengthens our practice as we enhance our services for companies, boards, executives, and individuals facing government investigations and complex enforcement actions,” Crane said.
Earlier in his career, Fayer practiced at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison in New York. The New York University School of Law and Georgetown University alumnus also clerked for Judge Arthur Spatt in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
