Adam C. Ford - New York, NY

Adam C. Ford is a nationally recognized trial lawyer and one of the country's leading white collar defense attorneys. He is the Founding Partner of Ford O'Brien Landy LLP, a premier litigation boutique he established more than a decade ago that has grown into one of the nation's go-to firms for high-stakes criminal defense, complex commercial disputes, and regulatory enforcement matters. Under his leadership, the firm has earned recognition from Chambers and Partners for its White Collar Crime and Government Investigations practice, and every one of its partners has been named among Lawdragon’s 500 Leading Litigators in America. Adam himself—along with Kevin O’Brien and Robert Landy—has also been recognized as Lawdragon 500 Leading Lawyers, further reflecting the caliber of the team he has built.

Adam represents individuals and corporations in the highest-stakes civil and criminal matters in courts throughout the United States and around the world. He has tried multiple federal jury trials in recent years — averaging one to two major trials per year — and has earned a reputation among clients, peers, and adversaries alike for his relentless preparation, creative strategic thinking, and commanding courtroom presence. Chambers and Partners has recognized Ford O'Brien Landy's White Collar Crime and Government Investigations practice, citing the firm's team as "always prepared" and "very responsive at all times."

Over the past several years, Adam has served as lead trial counsel in a remarkable succession of headline-generating matters. He secured a full acquittal on all counts for the former CFO of Platinum Partners after a nine-week federal jury trial. He tried the defense of a Goldman Sachs Managing Director accused of insider trading in the Southern District of New York. He has spearheaded the firm's representation in one of the most significant civil forfeiture matters in the country — the dispute over a $300 million superyacht seized by the Department of Justice — and led a high-profile defamation trial on behalf of a physician who had been falsely accused of murdering twenty-five patients, a case that generated international media coverage.

Before founding Ford O'Brien Landy LLP, Adam practiced at Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel LLP and Morvillo, Abramowitz, Grand, Iason & Anello, P.C. — two of the most respected litigation and white collar defense firms in the country. He began his career as a law clerk to the Honorable A. Simon Chrein, United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, and served as a trial attorney with the Federal Public Defender's Office in Newark, New Jersey.

Select Trial Experience & Representative Matters

Federal Criminal Trials

- **United States v. Manuel Chang (E.D.N.Y.)** — Lead defense counsel for the former Minister of Finance of the Republic of Mozambique, charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, and FCPA violations in connection with the "tuna bonds" scandal — one of the largest FCPA prosecutions in history. Tried over four weeks before a federal jury in Brooklyn.

- **United States v. Brijesh Goel (S.D.N.Y.)** — Lead defense counsel for a Goldman Sachs Managing Director charged with insider trading and securities fraud arising from the alleged misuse of confidential information regarding mergers and acquisitions.

- **United States v. SanFilippo (Platinum Partners) (E.D.N.Y.)** — Obtained a full acquittal on all five felony counts — including securities fraud, investment adviser fraud, and conspiracy — for the former CFO of Platinum Partners after a nine-week federal jury trial. SanFilippo walked out of the courtroom a free man.

Civil Forfeiture & International Matters

- **Motor Yacht Amadea Forfeiture (S.D.N.Y.)** — Lead counsel in the civil forfeiture proceeding involving the $300 million superyacht Amadea, seized by the Department of Justice as part of its enforcement actions against sanctioned Russian interests. One of the most closely watched forfeiture cases in the country.

- **VTB Bank — MH17 Litigation** — Represents VTB Bank, one of the largest financial institutions in Russia, in connection with civil litigation arising from the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 over Ukraine.

- **Beirut Port Explosion Litigation** — Represents plaintiffs, victims, and survivors of the August 2020 explosion at the Port of Beirut in litigation against a U.S.-Norwegian company alleged to have facilitated the transport of ammonium nitrate to the port as part of a bribery scheme involving Hezbollah.

Regulatory Enforcement & SEC Matters

- Currently represents numerous individuals and companies under investigation by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in connection with securities fraud, insider trading, and market manipulation inquiries.

- Obtained reversal by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals of more than $7 million in disgorgement awards imposed against the CEO of a public company in an SEC enforcement action alleging misappropriation of funds raised through private offerings.

- Successfully negotiated the withdrawal of all SEC claims for disgorgement and civil penalties in an enforcement action alleging a $20 million securities fraud.

- Obtained dismissal of a federal indictment charging a $17 million pump-and-dump scheme.

- Represents the CEO of a public company in SEC civil litigation involving allegations of a $27 million pump-and-dump scheme.

- Represents individuals in three separate civil litigations alleging violations of the short-swing profit rule under Section 16(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

Investigations & Advisory

- Extensive experience representing defendants in both state and federal courts in every phase of white collar prosecutions and regulatory enforcement actions, from investigation through appeal, in matters involving allegations of securities fraud, wire and mail fraud, accounting fraud, money laundering, FCPA and OFAC violations, insider trading, obstruction of justice, false statements, food and drug misbranding, and tax offenses.

- Has guided clients through regulatory investigations and enforcement proceedings involving complex and novel theories instituted by the SEC, FINRA, CFTC, Department of Justice, various Attorneys General offices, District Attorneys offices, the Federal Reserve Board, and state tax departments.

- Extensive experience conducting internal investigations on behalf of corporations and institutions, including a comprehensive review of disclosures made regarding Puerto Rico municipal bond holdings in the lead-up to Puerto Rico's financial crisis.

- Successfully persuaded the New Jersey Attorney General's Office to decline all charges against a large financial advisory firm following a two-year investigation into the sufficiency of its disclosures of Puerto Rico municipal bond holdings.

Defamation & Reputation Management

- Lead trial counsel in the nationally covered defamation action on behalf of Dr. William Husel — a physician falsely accused of murdering twenty-five patients — against the hospital system and executives whose conduct gave rise to the false murder allegations. Dr. Husel had previously been acquitted of all criminal charges.

- Has prosecuted and defended high-profile defamation claims on behalf of individuals and professionals whose reputations have been damaged by false public statements, institutional misconduct, and bad-faith disinformation campaigns, including litigation against prolific short sellers whose campaigns of disinformation caused significant harm to clients' businesses and reputations.

Building Ford O'Brien Landy LLP

Adam founded Ford O'Brien Landy LLP with a singular vision: to build a boutique litigation firm that could deliver the sophisticated, high-quality representation of the nation's largest law firms — but with the agility, focus, and personal commitment that only a boutique can offer. Over the past decade, he has assembled a team of accomplished litigators, many of whom came from some of the country's most prestigious firms, prosecutors' offices, and regulatory agencies.

The result speaks for itself. Ford O'Brien Landy has been recognized by Chambers and Partners for its White Collar Crime and Government Investigations practice. All of the firm's partners — Adam Ford, Robert S. Landy, and Kevin J. O'Brien — have been named among Lawdragon's 500 Leading Lawyers in America, and the firm's associates have been consistently recognized by Super Lawyers and Rising Stars. What Adam built from the ground up has become one of the go-to firms in the country for individuals and companies facing their most consequential legal challenges.