Jeff Knox, former head of the U.S. DOJ Fraud Section, is Co-Managing Partner of Simpson Thacher’s Washington, D.C. office and Global Co-Head of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice. He represents multinational corporations and independent board committees in high-stakes investigations by the DOJ, SEC, CFTC, CFPB and other federal and state enforcement regulators. He has advised some of the world’s leading financial institutions, energy companies, life sciences companies, and technology firms in navigating criminal and civil investigations relating to the FCPA, securities and accounting fraud, market manipulation, False Claims Act, antitrust, international money laundering, economic sanctions, and environmental crimes. Jeff also represents senior executives who are subjects of enforcement investigations. Jeff has served as a government-appointed independent compliance consultant, and represents companies in government and court-mandated monitorships. Prior to joining the Firm, Jeff served as a federal prosecutor for over a decade, including as the Chief of the DOJ’s Fraud Section in Washington, D.C., and as the Chief of the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York.
Chambers USA recognizes Jeff as a leading FCPA lawyer (Band 1). Jeff was named a White Collar MVP by Law360 in 2021, and is consistently recognized by Chambers, The Legal 500 and Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation, where sources note him as “outstanding, a DOJ veteran and one of the top defense lawyers in DC,” “spectacular, hardworking,” “smart, savvy and practical,” and “a master strategist with a unique insight into the way the DOJ works,” who “presents very charismatically and effectively,” and has “a good combination of substantive expertise and practical knowledge” that “really adds value to the client.” He is a respected voice on corporate compliance and enforcement policy, and serves on advisory boards dedicated to these issues at NYU School of Law and the American Law Institute. Jeff is also a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation.
Jeff ’s representative matters include:
- Energy trading firm in DOJ and CFTC investigations relating to alleged violations of
the FCPA and Commodity Exchange Act;
- Global financial institution in DOJ, SEC, and CFTC investigations of alleged market
manipulation and spoofing in derivatives markets;
- SEC-appointed Independent Consultant to global life sciences company, relating to
FCPA internal control failures;
- Acting Secretary General of FIFA in DOJ investigation relating to the global corruption
scandal; and
- Senior political fundraiser in DOJ criminal FARA investigation.
During his tenure in the Justice Department, Jeff was the recipient of the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service (DOJ’s highest award), the Attorney General’s John Marshall Award for Trial of Litigation, the Attorney General’s Award for Furthering the Interests of U.S. National Security, the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation’s Federal Prosecutor of the Year Award, and the EOUSA Director’s Award for Superior Performance.
Updated Aug 2023
