Find Lawyers in Kentucky, United States for Criminal Defense: White-Collar
Practice Area Overview
“White-collar defense” captures a broad set of substantive areas of the law, all of them arising from the myriad ways that local, state, federal, and foreign governments regulate businesses and entrepreneurs — what they say to investors and the general public about their own successes and failures (securities law); how they compete with one another (antitrust law); how they win business, deliver services, and seek payment when governments are themselves the customers (False Claims Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act); how businesses treat the environment; and whether they comply with general laws against theft, fraud, bribery, tax evasion and corruption. Public officials must navigate similar rules and thus present similar types of issues included under the broad category of white-collar defense.
The practice demands particularly versatile lawyers who deliver a range of services. White-collar lawyers try cases in court. They also specialize in risk management and compliance, training businesses and their individual employees about ways to minimize potential criminal and civil liability. Corporations engage white-collar lawyers to conduct internal investigations of their own business practices to assess and prepare for the risk of criminal and civil liability. Individuals and corporations demand white-collar representation as much when they are merely witnesses to alleged wrongdoing as when they are accused of it. White-collar litigation also involves assessing victims’ damages and their potential remedies as well as representing those accused of wrongdoing in administrative and court proceedings.
White-collar practices also must anticipate and prepare for the potential trajectory of a white-collar case. For example, an internal investigation identifying potential criminal or civil issues can lead to government enforcement actions and follow-up civil claims by alleged victims or competitors — all arising from the same conduct. The risk of criminal punishment and civil fines and liability potentially running into the billions of dollars, increase the complexity of white-collar matters and the demand for sophisticated counsel.
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Cities
J. Guthrie True was born in Shelbyville, Kentucky, and was raised on the family farms in Franklin and Shelby Counties. He graduated from Franklin County High School in 1977. Guthrie is a summa cum laude graduate of Georgetown College in Georgetown, Kentucky, where he received his Bachelor of Science in business and economics in 1981. He was a member of Phi Kappa Tau fraternity and served as his chapter’s president. Guthrie has maintained his connection to his alma mater serving on the G...
Kent Westberry is a Senior Partner at Landrum & Shouse LLP, with over 35 years of criminal and civil litigation experience in federal and state courts. From 2004 to 2005, Kent served as President of the Kentucky Bar Association. From 1981 to 1987, Kent served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky. Kent is listed in the Best Lawyers in America under White Collar Criminal Defense, Commercial Litigation, Personal Injury Defense, Municipal Litigation and ...
Josh Barnette is an attorney in the firm’s Atlanta and Lexington offices. He is a member of the Torts & Insurance Practice Service Group and an affiliate member of the Business Litigation Service Group. Josh focuses his practice on torts, insurance, white collar criminal defense, civil rights, products liability, and general business litigation. Recent News, Articles & Speaking Engagements Stites & Harbison and Tucker Ellis Obtain Defense Verdict in Wrongful Death Mesothelio...
Philip Coleman Lawson was born in Pineville, Bell County, Kentucky, the son of two lawyers. He attended high school at The McCallie School in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Thereafter, he attended Centre College in Danville, Kentucky. While at Centre, he was a member of the Varsity Baseball and Golf Teams while being an active member of his fraternity, Sigma Alpha Epsilon. After a summer internship, at the Washington, D.C. office of former United States Representative, A.B. (“Ben”) Chand...
Whitney True Lawson was born in Frankfort, Kentucky and attended Franklin County Public Schools until she graduated from Western Hills High School with a 4.0 GPA. Thereafter, she attended Transylvania University and graduated, cum laude, with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in German. While at Transylvania University, she was an active member of her sorority, Phi Mu. Between her junior and senior year at Transylvania University, she interned with former United States Representative, A.B. Chandler, ...
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