Former Federal Prosecutor and Senior Treasury Official Alessio Evangelista Joins Freshfields as Litigation Partner

Global law firm Freshfields announced today that Alessio Evangelista has joined the firm as a white collar defense and investigations partner in our Washington DC and New York offices.

Alessio brings more than 18 years of experience serving in the U.S. Department of Justice and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) within the U.S. Department of Treasury. His practice focuses on counseling financial institutions, technology companies, investors and senior executives in high-stakes criminal and civil enforcement investigations and compliance matters involving alleged anti-money laundering, economic sanctions, export controls, and anti-bribery and corruption violations, among other financial crimes. In addition to serving as Head of the Enforcement and Compliance Division at FinCEN, he has also served as deputy chief of the Bank Integrity Unit in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Criminal Division and as Principal Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia.

“Alessio is a highly respected white collar defense and financial crimes compliance  lawyer and we’re thrilled he has joined Freshfields,” said Beth George, head of the firm’s U.S. litigation, arbitration, and global investigations practice. “His triple threat experience spanning leadership positions at Treasury, DOJ’s Main Justice and the DC U.S. Attorney’s Office, makes him a sought-after advisor for leading financial institutions and technology companies navigating high-stakes investigations and financial crime risk issues.”

Alessio’s experience spans a wide array of complex and highly sensitive criminal investigations and civil enforcement matters involving the DOJ, FinCEN, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), federal banking agencies and state regulators. He has represented clients ranging from international banks and investment management companies to multinational technology companies and industrial firms.

Sarah Solum, U.S. Managing Partner noted: “Clients at the center of high-stakes enforcement matters need advisors with genuine, firsthand understanding of how regulators and prosecutors approach these cases. Alessio has operated at the most senior levels of both the DOJ and Treasury — that depth of experience gives our clients a real advantage when the stakes are at their highest.”

Alessio added: “I’m thrilled to join Freshfields and bring my practice to its collaborative U.S. and global platforms. I look forward to bringing my experience to bear as part of the firm’s integrated offering helping clients navigate their most high-stakes criminal and civil enforcement investigations and strategic compliance matters.”

Freshfields’ market-leading global investigations team is uniquely positioned to advise on any compliance investigation clients may face. Its global network of lawyers has decades of unparalleled experience representing parties in highly sensitive and complex investigations around the world. The team includes multiple former U.S. federal prosecutors, who are widely recognized as the preeminent lawyers for clients conducting complex, multi-jurisdictional compliance and governance investigations.