Described by Chambers USA as a “real trial lawyer,” “a giant in the legal community,” and a “creative thinker and problem solver,” Brian Hennigan is consistently recognized as one of the nation’s leading litigators. Over the course of his career, he has focused on complex litigation, with an emphasis on white collar criminal defense and investigations. For more than 20 years, Mr. Hennigan has successfully represented individuals and corporations facing a wide array of challenges presented by federal prosecutors and investigating agencies. Recent matters have resulted in the successful representations of individuals facing allegations under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission Act, the Internal Revenue Code, and the Sherman Act. He has also represented Fortune 500 corporations in a variety of civil disputes, including antitrust, trade secret, and unfair competition litigation.
A founding partner of Hueston Hennigan, Mr. Hennigan is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, an invitation-only fellowship of “exceptional trial lawyers” who have “demonstrated the very highest standards of trial advocacy, ethical conduct, integrity, professionalism and collegiality.”
Mr. Hennigan has earned significant praise from clients and colleagues for his white collar practice. Chambers USA has ranked him every year since 2008 in the White Collar Crime & Government Investigations category, lauding him as a “creative thinker and problem solver” and “a terrific attorney because of his great ability to communicate with judges and juries.” The Legal 500 recently recognized him as a leading lawyer and a “Hall of Fame” lawyer. In 2019, Mr. Hennigan was honored by the Loyola Law School Innocence Project as a “Lawyer of the Year” for his work in obtaining the release of Maria Mendez, a criminal defendant who was wrongfully convicted by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office. Benchmark Litigation has also recognized him as a “Top 20 Trial Lawyer in California” and named him among the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America.”
Prior to entering private practice, Mr. Hennigan served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Central District of California, where he was an assistant division chief for the office’s Criminal Division. In this position, he conducted numerous grand jury investigations, served as lead trial counsel in more than 30 trials, and successfully represented the U.S. in multiple appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Mr. Hennigan received commendations for his work in the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the U.S. Department of Justice and numerous other government agencies.
Updated Sep 2024
