Breon Peace’s practice focuses on a range of high-stakes complex litigation, regulatory and enforcement matters, government and internal investigations, and white-collar defense.

He represents domestic and multinational corporations and business executives in sophisticated, high-profile regulatory and criminal investigations involving, among other things, allegations of fraud, insider trading, money laundering, and corruption. He regularly conducts sensitive internal investigations on behalf of boards of directors and management of leading corporations as well as advises board and audit committees on crisis management, corporate governance issues, and compliance programs.

Breon frequently handles matters involving authorities in the United States, including the Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, various state attorneys general, and the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission. In addition to domestic representations, he handles significant cross-border compliance and enforcement matters and investigations involving various constituencies and stakeholders.

From 2021-2025, Breon served as the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, leading one of the largest and most prominent U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the nation and overseeing some of the most significant prosecutions in the country involving national security, complex financial fraud, corruption, civil rights, violent crime and international criminal organizations, and cartels. These included historic enforcement actions encompassing violations of export control laws, sanctions and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), complex securities fraud, cartels, money laundering, cybercrimes, and provision of material support of designated terrorist organizations. Breon also oversaw major cases in civil practice areas, including False Claims Act, Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act, healthcare fraud, consumer protection, civil rights, and environmental justice, as well as the defense of federal government interests in cases involving immigration, torts, medical malpractice, and civil rights. During his tenure as a U.S. Attorney, Breon was appointed by the Attorney General to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC), which advises the Attorney General on matters of policy, procedure and management impacting the U.S. Attorney’s Offices. He also served as Chairperson of the AGAC White Collar Fraud Subcommittee, which played a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes, including bank fraud and wire fraud. As U.S. Attorney, Breon initiated policies encouraging and rewarding corporate cooperation and focused on crime prevention through community outreach, programming, and relationship-building initiatives.

Breon first joined the firm as an associate in 1996. He was a law clerk to the Honarble Sterling Johnson, Jr., United States District Judge for the Eastern District of New York from 1997 to 1998. Thereafter, he served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York where he handled a wide array of federal criminal investigations and prosecutions trying cases to verdict and arguing appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. From August 2002 to July 2003, Breon was an Acting Assistant Professor of Clinical Law at New York University School of Law where he taught the Prosecution Clinic. In 2003, he returned to the firm and was elected partner in 2007.

Following his service as a U.S. Attorney, Breon rejoined the firm as a partner in 2025.

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Notable Experience

White-Collar Defense and Investigations

Because of the nature of Breon’s assignments, many of his successful matters have not resulted in public charges and remain confidential.

  • HSBC in various parallel investigations being conducted by, among others, the DOJ, the CFTC, the SEC, the UK Financial Conduct Authority, the European Commission, and other authorities in Latin America, Europe, and Asia regarding allegations of manipulation and collusion in the foreign exchange market, as well as in similar investigations relating to LIBOR and other benchmark reference rates.

  • BHP Billiton, Vale, and Samarco to conduct the investigation into the cause of the collapse of the Fundão tailings dam in Brazil.

  • A Brazilian citizen and senior executive in DOJ criminal investigation concerning FIFA bribery scandal.

  • A former executive of Avon Products Inc. in connection with the DOJ’s FCPA investigation of that company.

  • Internal investigation for a major medical institution into potential FCPA violations related to payments to Saudi officials.

  • A major financial institution in a DOJ criminal money laundering investigation.

  • A major financial institution in criminal investigations by DOJ, UK Serious Frauds Office, and other authorities into potential bribery and money laundering by Unaoil in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

  • Many clients in insider trading investigations that focus on trading in advance of particular transactions or announcements.

  • IMAX Corporation in SEC investigation into alleged accounting fraud.

  • Paradigm Capital Management in its settlement with the SEC resolving an investigation into a series of tax loss trades and related disclosures, resolving the first-ever charge of whistleblower retaliation by the SEC.

  • The audit committee of a leading fine jewelry retailer in internal and SEC investigations of accounting issues that resulted in a financial restatement.

  • A significant hedge fund with operations in the U.S., Europe, and Asia in connection with a review of its anti-corruption compliance program.

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Litigation

  • BNP Paribas in federal court litigation related to the Madoff Ponzi scheme and the bankruptcy of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities in which over $1 billion is being sought.

  • CARBO Ceramics in a federal securities class action litigation under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 in securing dismissal of the complaint.

  • IMAX Corporation in federal securities class action litigation relating to accounting errors that led to a restatement.

  • HSBC in federal class action antitrust and market manipulation litigations concerning the setting of benchmark interest rates in Singapore and the setting of the Bank Bill Swap Rate in Australia.

  • Doral Financial Corporation in federal securities class action litigation, arising out of earnings restatements.

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Selected Activities

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  • Appointed by the Honorable Nicholas Garaufis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York to serve as a Special Master in the U.S. and The Vulcan Society, Inc., et al. v. City of New York discrimination case involving the Fire Department of the City of New York

Publications

“The Changing Landscape in Brazilian Investigations Since Lava Jato,” The Guide to Managing a Corporate Crisis, Latin Lawyer, Breon Peace, Jonathan Kolodner, and Lisa Vicens, February 1, 2021

“Beware Atty Ethics Rules When Reporting COVID-19 Fraud,” Breon S. Peace and Jennifer Kennedy Park, Law360, November 19, 2020.

“CFTC Division of Enforcement Releases Guidance on Evaluating Compliance Programs,” Joon H. Kim, Colin D. Lloyd, Breon S. Peace, Jennifer Kennedy Park, Rachel Lerner, Robin M. Bergen, and Nowell D. Bamberger , Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, September 15, 2020; republished by the New York University School of Law Compliance & Enforcement Blog, September 17, 2020

“Supreme Court Upholds, with Limits, the SEC’s Authority to Seek Disgorgement,” Breon S. Peace, Alexander Janghorbani, Robin M. Bergen and Matthew C. Solomon, Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, June 25, 2020

“The CARES Act and Mitigating False Claims Act Risk,” Breon S. Peace, Jennifer Kennedy Park, Jonathan S. Kolodner, Lisa Vicens, and Charity E. Lee, Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, April 13, 2020; republished by Pratt’s Government Contracting Law Report, July 2020

“SEC and CFTC Chairs Sign Enhanced Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding Expanding Cross-Border Enforcement Cooperation,” Breon Peace, Nowell D. Bamberger, Alex Janghorbani, Martine B. Forneret, and Alison Bitterly, Cleary Enforcement Watch blog post, June 3, 2019.

“CFTC Division of Enforcement Releases First Public Enforcement Manual,” Breon Peace, Robin M. Bergen, and Nowell D. Bamberger, Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, May 13, 2019.

“DOJ Issues Guidance on Cooperation In False Claims Act Investigations,” Breon Peace, Jennifer Kennedy Park, and Lisa Vicens, Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, May 9, 2019; republished by the New York University School of Law Compliance & Enforcement Blog, May 20, 2019

“Second Circuit Holds General Statements of Regulatory Compliance Cannot Sustain Securities Fraud Claim,” Breon Peace, Alexis Collins, Roger A. Cooper, Jared Gerber, Matthew D. Slater, and Lisa Vicens, Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, March 8, 2019; republished by the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, March 23, 2019

“SDNY Judge Finds Government ‘Outsourcing’ of Investigation to External Counsel Runs Afoul of Fifth Amendment,” Breon S. Peace, Victor Hou, Jennifer Kennedy Park, Rahul Mukhi, and Nowell D. Bamberger, Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, May 7, 2019.

“Roundtable: Lava Jato and Its Impact on Investigations in Latin America,” in The Guide to Corporate Crisis Management - First Edition, published by Latin Lawyer, January 2019.

“CFTC Approves Amendments to Whistleblower Rules Including Significant Enhancements of its Anti-Retaliation Protections,” Breon Peace, Jennifer Kennedy Park, Robin M. Bergen, and Nowell D. Bamberger, Cleary Gottlieb Alert Memorandum, May 25, 2017.

“Cleary Gottlieb Reviews CFTC’s New Cooperation Guidelines for Enforcement Actions,” Breon Peace, Jennifer Kennedy Park, Robin M. Bergen, and Nowell D. Bamberger, Columbia Law School’s Blog on Corporations and the Capital Markets, February 6, 2017

“The Future of SEC Administrative Proceedings,” Breon Peace, Lisa Vicens, and Darryl Stein, Law360, January 4, 2017

“Fighting the SEC on Its Home Turf,” Breon S. Peace and Elizabeth Vicens, Law360, October 28, 2016 republished in Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance and Financial Regulation, November 12, 2016

“Ethical Considerations When Outside Counsel Conduct Internal Investigations,” Breon S. Peace, Elizabeth Vicens and Sue S. Guan, Westlaw Journal White-Collar Crime, February 2015, pp. 3-6.

“Ex-Duane Reade CEO Case A Model For VWPA Restitution,” Lewis J. Liman and Breon S. Peace, Law 360, October 8, 2014.

“Why Financial Statements Matter: Enforcement and Litigation Implications,” Breon S. Peace, Jonathan S. Kolodner, and Tamara J. Britt, The Banking Law Journal, October 2013, pp. 794-812.

“A Timely Update on Recovering Legal Fees And Costs Through Criminal Restitution,” Lewis J. Liman, Breon S. Peace, and Benjamin J.A. Sauter, The White Collar Crime Report, Vol. 08, No. 08, April 19, 2013, pp. 1-5.

“The New FCPA Guidance: Key Points for CCOs” Breon S. Peace and Jonathan Kolodner, Compliance Reporter, December 3, 2012, pp. 10-11.

“The FCPA Statute of Limitations—a Way Out for Wal-Mart?” Breon S. Peace, Ryan T. Becker, and Elizabeth M. Hanly, The United States Law Week: Case Alert and Legal News, September 25, 2012, pp. 433-441.

“Unanswered Questions: The SEC v. Urban Case Creates Significant Uncertainty Around In-House Counsel’s Liability as Supervisors,” Giovanni Prezioso, Breon S. Peace, and Steven A. Haidar, International Financial Law Review, April 2012.

“The Impact Of EU Data Protection Laws On U.S. Government Enforcement Investigations,” Breon S. Peace and Jennifer Kennedy, The International Adviser and The Lawyer’s Brief, June 2008.

Events

  • Participated in, “Redefining the Path to Criminal Justice and Safe Communities,” hosted by the University of Connecticut Law School, November 2024
  • Participated in the Cryptocurrency Fraud Symposium, hosted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York, November 2024, October 2023, and November 2022
  • Keynote speaker at the Conference of Counsel, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank, May 2024
  • Keynote speaker at Enforcement Leadership Conference, hosted by the SEC Enforcement Division, May 2024
  • Keynote speaker at the 2024 Cambridge Forum on Financial Institutions Enforcement, May 2024
  • Participated in the “Community Partnerships Panel,” at the 2024 Convention of National Action Network, April 2024
  • Participated in, “Emerging Threats to National Security & Elections Through Foreign Influence and Technology,” hosted by NYU School of Law’s Goldstock-Jacobs Faculty Seminar (April 2024)
  • Participated in the Charlotte E. Ray Lecture and White-Collar Crime Conference, hosted by Howard University School of Law, March 2024 and March 2023
  • Participated in the “Federal Perspectives: U.S. Attorneys in Dialogue,” hosted by University of California, Berkeley School of Law, February 2024
  • Keynote speaker at the 10th Annual Black History Month Gala, hosted by Stanford Law School, February 2024
  • Participated in the 2024 International Conference on Cyber Security, hosted by Fordham Law School, January 2024
  • Participated in the Fireside Chat, hosted by SEC New York Regional Office, September 2023
  • Keynote speaker at the Sponsors for Educational Opportunity Law Diversity Reception, June 2023
  • Participated in the New York Council of Defense Lawyers Luncheon, May 2023
  • Keynote speaker at the Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement Spring Conference, hosted by New York University School of Law, April 2023
  • Participated in the United States Attorneys’ National Security Conference, March 2023
  • Keynote speaker at, “The Future of Prosecution,” at the Fordham Urban Law Journal 50th Anniversary Celebration, hosted by Fordham Law School, March 2023
  • Participated in the Black History Month Event, hosted by the Federal Bar Council, February 2023
  • Keynote speaker at Black History Month Celebration, hosted by the Queens County District Attorney’s Office, February 2023
  • Participated in the Naturalization Ceremony, hosted by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, January 2023
  • Keynote speaker at the EPA Task Force Meeting, hosted by the Environmental Protection Agency, December 2022
  • Keynote speaker at the International White Collar Crime Symposium, hosted by the New York City Bar Association, November 2022
  • Participated in, “United Against Hate: Identifying, Reporting and Preventing Hate Crimes,” hosted by Fordham Law School, November 2022
  • Participated in the Fireside Chat hosted by Brooklyn Bar Association, November 2022
  • Participated in the 2022 Northeast Regional Securities Conference, hosted by the SEC, September 2022 
  • Keynote speaker at the 2022 Practising Law Institute White Collar Program, hosted by PLI, November 2022
  • Participated in the Criminal Practice Committee Meeting, hosted by the Federal Bar Council, May 2022
  • Participated in, “My Brother’s Keeper/My Sister’s Keeper,” hosted by 2022 Fellowship Summit, April 2022
  • Participated on a panel entitled, “Ethical Considerations for Corporate Investigations in the World of COVID-19, hosted virtually by the New York City Bar, September 16, 2020
  • Participated on a panel entitled, “Internal Investigations: Protecting Your Client While Placating the Government,” at the PACDL 2019 White-Collar Practice event in Philadelphia, PA, November 22, 2019
  • Participated on a panel entitled “A responsabilização dos conselheiros em casos de corrupção (The Accountability of Directors in Corruption Cases),” in São Paolo, Brazil, May 4, 2018
  • Participated on a panel entitled “Cross-Border Investigations: Navigating an Increasingly Challenging Landscape,” hosted by the Association of Corporate Counsel in Zurich, Switzerland, June 13, 2017.
  • Participated on a panel entitled “Whistleblower Psychology,” at the New York City Bar Association’s 6th Annual White Collar Crime Institute, May 11, 2017.
  • Participated on a panel entitled “Compliance and Corruption Concerns: how to keep them from killing your M&A deal,” at Latin Lawyer’s 7th Annual M&A Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 3, 2016.
  • Participated on a panel entitled “Dealing with Compliance, Corruption Issues,” at Latin Lawyer’s 6th Annual M&A Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, December 4, 2015.
  • Participated on a panel at a conference entitled “The Anticorruption Law’s first year: lessons, regulatory trends, and preventive strategies,” in São Paolo, Brazil, November 5, 2014.
  • Participated on a panel entitled “Assessing the Regulators: Enforcement,” at Latin Lawyer’s 3rd Annual Corporate Finance Conference in São Paolo, Brazil, March 27, 2014.
  • Participated on panels entitled “Ethical Considerations for Corporate Investigations” (September 15, 2011; September 29, 2014; September 10, 2015; September 21, 2016; and September 27, 2017); “Anatomy of a Trial: Tips & Strategies To Win Your Cases” (November 14, 2013); “Securities Enforcement Update: Department of Justice Investigations and Prosecutions” (June 9, 2011); and “Standards for Prosecuting Corporate Fraud by Federal & State Agencies—The Impact of the Revised Justice Department Charging Guidelines,” (June 23, 2009) for the New York City Bar Association.
  • Presented on “Financial Statements in Legal Practice: Enforcement and Litigation Implications and Recent Cases,” as part of PLI’s How to Read Financial Statements April 2013, March 2014 and April 2015 CLE programs.
  • Participated on the “Enforcement and Compliance” panel at PLI’s Tenth Annual Directors’ Institute on Corporate Governance, September 12, 2012.
  • Participated in the Conference Board’s Corporate Governance and Compliance Crash Course and presented on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and U.K. Bribery Act: “What Do They Mean for Board Oversight?” June 9, 2011.