David P. Burns is a partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. His practice focuses on white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations, regulatory enforcement and litigation matters. Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Burns served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York.
Mr. Burns represents corporations and individuals in federal and state court, as well as before the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the New York Attorney General’s Office and other federal and state agencies. His areas of expertise include securities and accounting fraud, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), criminal antitrust violations, government procurement fraud and public corruption investigations. As part of his FCPA practice, in addition to representing clients in internal investigations and government investigations, Mr. Burns also develops and implements FCPA compliance and training programs, and regularly counsels clients on FCPA matters in corporate transactions.
Government Experience
As a federal prosecutor, from 2000 to 2005, Mr. Burns tried more than a dozen federal criminal jury trials and argued numerous appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He investigated and prosecuted cases involving a wide array of offenses, including money laundering, bribery, embezzlement, material support of terrorism, large-scale visa and immigration fraud, violations of the Armed Export Control Act, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, RICO and murder. Mr. Burns served as a member of the Organized Crime and Terrorism Unit, as well as the General Crimes and Narcotics Units. In 2004, he received the Department of Justice's Director's Award for superior performance as an Assistant United States Attorney.
Recent Significant Engagements
Conducted an internal FCPA investigation in China for a financial services company.
Conducted an assessment of a multinational corporation’s anti-corruption compliance program in Russia.
Represented a large healthcare company in an investigation conducted by the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission involving the United Nation’s Oil-for-Food Program in Iraq.
Represented a special committee of the board of directors of a Canadian pharmaceutical company relating to allegations of accounting fraud.
Represented an executive of a freight forwarding company in an investigation conducted by the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.
Defended a marine company executive in a criminal price fixing case prosecuted by the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.
Represented a large engineering and infrastructure company in an investigation conducted by the Public Integrity Section of the Department of Justice.
Represented a United States Congressman in a public corruption investigation conducted by a United States Attorney’s Office.
Represented a software company executive in a Department of Justice False Claims Act investigation.
Represented an investment bank in an investigation conducted by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority involving initial public offering allocations.
Represented the controller of a large public company in an FCPA investigation conducted by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Represented the president of a Brazilian tobacco company in an FCPA investigation conducted by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Represented a senior officer of an investment bank in an insider trading investigation conducted by the New York Attorney General’s Office.
Represented the former chief financial officer of a large commercial bank in an accounting fraud investigation conducted by the Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Defended the president of a Canadian manufacturing company in a criminal antitrust prosecution brought by the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice.
Prior to becoming a prosecutor, from 1995 until 2000, Mr. Burns was an associate in the Washington, D.C. office of Howrey LLP, where he worked on complex civil litigation and antitrust matters.
Mr. Burns graduated in 1995 from Columbia Law School, where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and an Articles Editor of the Columbia Business Law Review. He received his bachelor of arts degree in economics from Boston College in 1991. Mr. Burns is a admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland; and the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.