Markenzy Lapointe, Former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, Rejoins Pillsbury’s Corporate Investigations & White Collar Defense Practice

“Mark is an acclaimed prosecutor who as U.S. Attorney has deftly litigated some of the country’s most noteworthy legal cases,” said Firm Chair David Dekker. “As government enforcement efforts continue to evolve, his sterling reputation and wide-ranging experience in complex white collar defense matters, internal investigations and high-stakes trials will serve our clients well.”

Lapointe, a U.S. Marine and Gulf War veteran, is the first Haitian-born American lawyer to serve as U.S. Attorney. In the SDFL, he led one of the largest and most prolific U.S. Attorney’s offices in the country, overseeing a team of 500 attorneys and support professionals. Under Lapointe’s guidance, that team was responsible for the investigation, prosecution, and litigation of a variety of complex criminal and civil cases, including matters relating to national security, hate crimes, narcotics trafficking, international corruption, fraud and money laundering, cybersecurity and public safety. Some of Lapointe’s most notable cases include:

• Leading the investigation, indictment, and initial prosecution of Ryan Wesley Routh in the attempted assassination of then-candidate Donald J. Trump;
• Serving a crucial role in disrupting Blackcat, the sophisticated ransomware group whose remote kidnappings of computer networks caused tens of millions of dollars in losses globally;
• Overseeing the largest-ever FCC federal fraud case, which resulted in a $100 million guilty plea;
• Securing convictions in an ongoing prosecution relating to the assassination of then-Haitian president Jovenel Moïse; and
• Successfully prosecuting Victor Manuel Rocha, a former U.S. Department of State principal, for acting as a foreign agent against the United States.

Lapointe was previously a partner in Pillsbury’s Miami office between 2017 and 2023, during which time he not only handled a range of criminal investigations, but also commercial cases involving high-exposure product liability, professional malpractice and other business disputes. He also served as Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida between 2002 and 2006, working on criminal investigation matters, negotiating agreements, and collaborating with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Department of Homeland Security, and other federal agencies.

“We are delighted to welcome Mark to Pillsbury again,” said Deborah Baum, Pillsbury’s Global Head of Litigation. “He is a formidable trial lawyer whose first-hand knowledge and experience—particularly in matters relevant to national security, increasingly a focal point for the Department of Justice—will be incredibly valuable to those we represent. Beyond his impressive talents as a lawyer, those of us who have worked with Mark before also know what a great colleague he is, and we are just thrilled to have him back in the fold.”

Lapointe’s return to Pillsbury continues an impressive and ongoing expansion of the firm’s Corporate Investigations & White Collar Defense practice. Notably, he is the second former U.S. Attorney to join Pillsbury since 2021—following the arrival of former U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and former U.S. Acting Deputy Attorney General Richard Donoghue in New York—and the twelfth lateral over that time with experience as a federal prosecutor. That list includes former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Chris Caffarone in New York; former National Coordinator of the DOJ’s Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Program Mark Krotoski in Silicon Valley; former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California Dylan Aste in San Diego; former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida and former Assistant State Attorney for Miami-Dade County Stephen Demanovich in Miami; Ronald Cheng, a former U.S. Attorney’s Office Division Chief and U.S. Department of Justice Resident Advisor in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing and former federal prosecutor Kimberly Jaimez in Los Angeles; appellate partner Anne Voigts in Silicon Valley, who previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central and Northern Districts of California; Tony Phillips, Meta’s former Integrity lawyer and a  former trial attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice’s Public Integrity Section, in Washington, DC; and, most recently, Jeffrey Izant, former Acting Chief of Staff in the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division, in Washington, DC.

“There aren’t many trial lawyers of Mark’s caliber out there,” said Miami Office Managing Partner Jennifer Altman. “I’ve known and worked with him for more than 20 years— when Pillsbury opened its office in Miami, he was one of the first people I recruited. He is incredibly skilled in the courtroom and relentlessly dedicated to those he represents. I’m just so happy to have him back at Pillsbury.”

“I am thrilled to rejoin Pillsbury and its world-class Litigation team,” Lapointe added. “In my prior time here, I saw what great lawyers—and great people—this firm has to offer. It left a lasting impression, and while my time as U.S. Attorney in Florida was the honor of my life, it feels really good to come home again.”

Pillsbury’s award-winning team of more than 200 litigators works with clients around the world to help them successfully resolve disputes, in trial and out of court, at home and in jurisdictions around the globe. The firm has garnered dozens of top-tier recognitions as a result of its exceptional litigation prowess and is regularly identified as one of the most feared law firms CLOs and GCs come up against in litigation according to BTI Consulting Group.