For more than 30 years, Lawrence S. Spiegel has represented corporations and their directors, officers and employees in cases involving the most serious and complex criminal and civil claims.
Spiegel has represented clients in both federal and state courts, and in connection with investigations by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and various state attorneys general’s offices, as well as district attorneys’ offices. He has successfully defended many clients in high-profile criminal investigations and indictments, in civil litigations and on appeal. In addition, he has led many corporate internal investigations, including in cross-border contexts, and has advised boards of directors and management of public and private companies on compliance issues and programs, including those related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), anti-money laundering and securities regulations.
Lawdragon Honors
| Honor | Year | Practice |
|---|---|---|
| The 2026 Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management | 2026 | White Collar, Investigations, Litigation |
| The 2025 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators | 2025 | International Litigation & Investigations |
| The Lawdragon 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management | 2025 | White Collar, Investigations, Litigation |
| The 2024 Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators | 2024 | International Litigation & Investigations |
| Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Litigators | 2023 | International Litigation & Investigations |
Spiegel maintains his active practice while serving as the firm’s general counsel and chairing the firm’s Ethics Committee. He also is a member of the firm’s Client Engagement and Risk committees and serves on the firm’s Policy Committee (ex officio).
Examples of Spiegel’s current and past litigation engagements include:
- entities and individuals in investigations related to the award of the FIFA World Cup
- the vice president of the Asian Football Confederation and the Qatar Football Association, in obtaining a complete victory before the FIFA Appeal Committee, which was believed to be the first time in FIFA’s history that the committee overturned sanctions imposed by the Ethics Committee
- a major Brazilian metals producer, in an FCPA internal review and related litigation
- a large Brazilian construction company with international operations in an FCPA-related internal review and in cooperation with the DOJ
- the former chairman of Chilean-based Consorcio Financiero SA in resolving an insider trading investigation by the SEC
- El Pollo Loco in an informal SEC inquiry, which resulted in the agency taking no further action
- the former CFO of Bristol-Myers Squibb in obtaining the dismissal of all criminal charges through a deferred prosecution agreement
- the former head of private banking for Americas at UBS AG in connection with the successful conclusion of an investigation by the DOJ, the IRS and the SEC in which the client was not charged
- various financial institutions in internal investigations, regulatory inquiries and due diligence exercises
- Silverstein Properties, Inc. in its settlement with the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, alleging violation of the Fair Housing Act
- senior executives of Bank Leumi Le-Israel B.M. in a DOJ and SEC investigation regarding the bank’s activities with respect to tax treatment for U.S. taxpayers
- Structured Portfolio Management, a hedge fund specializing in trading mortgage products, in the settlement of an investigation by the SEC
Spiegel has been active in various bar association committees, including the New York City Bar Association Committee on Standards of Attorney Conduct. He also served two terms as a member of the Departmental Disciplinary Committee for the First Judicial Department. Spiegel is on the board of trustees for the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law.
Spiegel also has served as an adjunct professor and lectures at law schools. He also writes about developments in criminal law and in legal ethics. In recognition of his pro bono work, Spiegel was honored by Immigration Equality for successfully leading a mandamus lawsuit against the federal government.