News
Ryan Prosecutor Joins Latham & Watkins
Zachary Fardon Further Enhances Outstanding Team of Former Prosecutors
Chicago, January 02, 2007 …Latham & Watkins LLP1 is pleased to announce that Zachary T. Fardon has joined the firm's Chicago office as a partner in the Litigation Department, effective January 1, 2007.
Immediately prior to joining Latham, Fardon served as the First Assistant US Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee in Nashville where he was one of the lead attorneys from the US Department of Justice in the successful prosecution of former Illinois Governor George Ryan for corruption.
From 1997 to 2003 Fardon served as an Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) for the Northern District of Illinois and participated in "Operation Safe Road," an extensive investigation of corruption by public officials that led to the indictment of former Governor Ryan. While an AUSA, Fardon assisted in the successful prosecution of Scott Fawell, an aide to former Governor Ryan and Citizens for George Ryan, Ryan's campaign organization. The landmark trial was the first time that a campaign organization was convicted under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
In the Chicago office, Fardon joins several former Assistant United States Attorneys in the White Collar and Criminal Investigations Group. The group includes Bob Tarun, Sean Berkowitz and Deborah Steiner. Tarun, who concluded his decade of service with the US Attorney's Office in Chicago as Executive Assistant US Attorney, joined the firm as a partner in 2003.
Berkowitz, the former Director of the US Department of Justice's Enron Task Force, became a partner at Latham in November. Steiner, who also served as the First Deputy Inspector General for the Illinois Inspector General, joined Latham in 2005.
"Zach is another outstanding addition to our firm," stated Stephen Bowen, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in Chicago. "He is an accomplished lawyer whose talent and experience will further enhance Chicago's litigation practice and Latham's high profile national white collar practice."
"Zach strongly complements our existing roster of white collar and securities litigators," said Peter Wald, Global Chair of Latham's Litigation Department. "We're thrilled that he'll be teaming again with Sean in Chicago, and with our superb network of former AUSAs across the country."
Ken Schuler, Chicago Chair of Latham's Litigation Department, stated, "Zach has a well earned reputation in Illinois and the nation as an intelligent and eloquent attorney with a fierce determination to succeed. We are delighted he will be joining our team in Chicago."
Fardon stated, "The Latham global platform provides me with an outstanding opportunity to further develop my skills as a litigator. The firm has an exceptional reputation for client service and I am very pleased to be able to join the highly respected, hard working attorneys in the litigation team."
Fardon graduated from Vanderbilt University in 1988 and received his law degree from Vanderbilt University Law School in 1992, where he was Articles Editor of the Law Review.
About Latham & Watkins
Latham & Watkins is a global law firm with more than 1,900 attorneys in 24 offices, including Barcelona, Brussels, Chicago, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, Munich, New Jersey, New York, Northern Virginia, Orange County, Paris, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Singapore, Tokyo and Washington, D.C. For more information on Latham & Watkins, please visit the Web site at www.lw.com.
Notes to Editor
1. Latham & Watkins operates as a limited liability partnership worldwide with an affiliate in the United Kingdom and Italy, where the practice is conducted through an affiliated multinational partnership.
Contacts
Stephen Bowen, Chicago Office Managing Partner, (312) 876-7652
Peter Wald, Global Chair, Litigation Department, (415) 395-8006
Ken Schuler, Chicago Chair, Litigation Department, (312) 876-7659