Joiner, Scott D.

Scott D. Joiner

Partner

scott.joiner@lw.com
    Joiner, Scott D.

    Scott D. Joiner

    Partner

    scott.joiner@lw.com
    Leading Global Cyber Lawyers

    Lawdragon 500 2024-2025

    Profile

    Scott Joiner, a first-chair trial lawyer and former federal prosecutor, represents clients in high-stakes white collar matters and complex commercial litigation.

    Scott represents global corporations, emerging companies, boards of directors, executives, and entrepreneurs in highly sensitive commercial disputes and regulatory matters, including:

    • Complex civil trial litigation
    • White collar criminal litigation
    • Government investigations 
    • Internal corporate investigations
    • Regulatory investigations and enforcement actions brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), state attorneys general, and district attorneys, including matters implicating novel consumer protection and data privacy issues
    • Class action defense

    Scott draws on his broad government experience and trial work to represent clients in a range of industries. Complementing his professional experience, he brings a sophisticated understanding of the digital assets and Web3 ecosystem to advise companies in Silicon Valley and beyond on complex technology-related disputes.

    Prior to joining Latham, Scott served as an Assistant US Attorney for the Northern District of California, where he was a member of the Corporate & Securities Fraud Unit and the Organized Crime Strike Force. During more than seven years at the US Attorney’s Office, he worked on a wide range of matters, including cases involving securities fraud, insider trading, public corruption, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act offenses, FCPA violations, and money laundering and cryptocurrency investigations.

    From 2004 to 2008, he served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, deploying to Ramadi, Iraq in 2007 with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines.

    Before joining the Marine Corps, Scott practiced with an international law firm, where he focused on complex commercial litigation and white collar matters.

    Scott participates in events and panels on digital asset regulation and enforcement, including the Cambridge Forum. He also maintains an active pro bono practice, particularly related to safeguarding children’s rights, and serves on the firm’s Bay Area pro bono committee.

    Experience

    Scott’s experience includes representing:

    Commercial and White Collar Defense

    • Prominent investors and entrepreneurs in connection with various DOJ and SEC cryptocurrency and DeFi investigations and related litigation, including SDNY’s investigation into Tornado Cash
    • Wag Hotels in the successful defense of a putative consumer class action
    • An AI-powered technology company in the successful defense of an FTC Section 5 investigation 
    • The audit committee of a Fortune 500 technology company in a sensitive internal investigation
    • An online commerce provider in FTC Section 5 investigation regarding artificial intelligence and machine learning. Matter closed without enforcement action 
    • A technology company and online retailer in FTC Section 5 investigation regarding online apps and gaming
    • A payment processor and ISO in FTC Section 5 and Telemarketing Sales Rule investigation 
    • A fintech company in FTC Section 5 investigation into alleged deceptive marketing practices
    • The board of directors of an emerging energy storage company in an internal investigation regarding allegations of accounting fraud
    • A former BP officer and director in multidistrict securities litigation, a Presidential Commission investigation, and a federal criminal probe related to the Deepwater Horizon explosion*
    • Sony in a federal criminal antitrust matter, parallel civil class actions, and cross-border investigation*

    Government Prosecutions

    • U.S. v. Williams, et al., as lead trial counsel in a four-month, five-defendant jury trial, securing convictions against all defendants based on RICO charges involving multiple murders, attempted murders, and child trafficking*
    • U.S. v. Nuru, as lead prosecutor in the high-profile public corruption investigation that charged the former San Francisco Public Works’ director, three companies, and 11 other individuals (including two department heads and another high-ranking city official) with multiple bribery and money laundering offenses, securing multiple convictions*
    • U.S. v. Chapin, a successful criminal case that convicted the defendant of bank fraud, wire fraud, and securities fraud for engaging in several ploys to lure individual investors, a venture capital firm, and a bank into providing millions of dollars’ worth of capital and credit to his digital advertising company based on false information*

    *Matter handled prior to joining Latham & Watkins 

    Qualifications

    Bar Qualification

    • California

    Education

    • JD, Georgetown University Law Center, 2002
      cum laude
    • BA, University of California, Los Angeles, 1999
      magna cum laude

    Practices

    Recognition

    News & Insights

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