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Our team includes former state and federal prosecutors, former regulatory enforcement lawyers, and more. Learn about our government attorneys.

Case Studies

Brave New World: The Rule of Law in 2025

Navigating DEI: Mitigating Risks and Protecting Corporate Values

The Case Against Eric Adams and Company: How Bad Is It Really and What Comes Next?

Join MoFo for a CLE Webinar on Key 2023 Life Sciences and Healthcare Regulatory, Compliance, and Enforcement Developments and Predictions for 2024

Association of Inspectors General 2023 Annual Training Conference

MoFo's Multidisciplinary Team Provides Insights on Ransomware and the Health Care Industry for HCCA

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True Facts About False Claims: MoFo's FCA Newsletter (April 2025)

2024 State AGs Year in Review

MoFo’s State + Local Government Enforcement Newsletter (February 2025)

CFPB Signals Continued Involvement in Litigation with State Attorneys General

How California’s AG Will Shape Enforcement Landscape in 2025

NYAG Enforcement Outlook – What to Expect in 2025

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White-collar attorneys see acute changes under Trump administration

Brian R. Michael and Purvi G. Patel named Top 100 Lawyers by Los Angeles Business Journal for 2025

Carrie H. Cohen and Jamie A. Levitt Recognized as Notable Litigators & Trial Attorneys by Crain’s New York Business

MoFo Flags Key Legal Risks as State AG Actions Surge

Daily Journal Names MoFo Partner Bonnie Lau to Top 100 Lawyers List

Two Partners Named as Winners of Corporate Counsel’s Women, Influence & Power in Law Awards

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<p>Carrie H. Cohen is global co-chair of the Investigations + White Collar Defense practice group and the firm’s State + Local Government Enforcement team. Prior to joining the firm, Carrie served in the New York State Attorney General’s Office as Chief of the Public Integrity Bureau and an Assistant Attorney General in the Civil Rights Bureau where she received the Louis J. Lefkowitz Memorial Award for outstanding service. Carrie also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York (SDNY) where she prosecuted public corruption and securities matters, including obtaining the first trial conviction of former Speaker of the New York State Assembly Sheldon Silver.</p><p>As a former state and federal prosecutor, Carrie routinely represents corporations, boards, and c-suite executives in government-facing investigative and regulatory matters with a particular focus on state and local government matters. Carrie’s extensive trial experience and distinguished record of success in high‑stakes, white collar defense matters cement her position as a leading lawyer who often is called upon as trial counsel for particularly sensitive matters. Carrie’s trial and white collar expertise have been recognized by a variety of organizations including <em>Chambers USA</em>, which describes her as “. . . a terrific trial lawyer with great judgment and timing, [who] knows how to present complex cases in a digestible way.” Carrie also routinely prepares clients who are called to testify before Congress and state and city legislatures and works on matters that involve multijurisdictional investigations and significant media attention. </p><p>Carrie is a recognized industry expert in public corruption and state and local government actions. Carrie frequently is selected by government agencies to serve as independent counsel and issue public reports, which has included her appointment as Independent Monitor for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Special Counsel to the New York City Council, Special Independent Counsel to the City of Rochester, and Counsel to the California Attorney General’s Office (CA AG) as well as being part of the Monitorship Team appointed by DOJ for the global Odebrecht corruption matter. She also was appointed by Governor Kathy Hochul to the Metropolitan Transit Authority Inspector General’s Board and serves as its Acting Chair as well as having been appointed by the Chief Judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York as Counsel to the Court’s Grievance Committee. Carrie also is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she teaches a seminar on Public Corruption and the Law. </p><p>Carrie serves on multiple bar committees and task forces as part of her effort to promote the rule of law. She was appointed Chair of the New York State Bar Association’s (NYSBA) Task Force on Domestic Terrorism and Hate Crimes and served as a member of the NYSBA Task Force on Wrongful Convictions. As a leader of the Bar, Carrie serves as a Vice President and Trustee of the Federal Bar Council and President of its Inn of Court and was appointed Co-Chair of the Federal-State Judicial Advisory Council as well as prior service as a Vice President of the New York City Bar, Chair of its Executive Committee, and member of its Nominating Committee. Carrie also is a member of the Board of Directors of Volunteers of Legal Service, an organization that provides pro bono legal services to the New York community, and was appointed by the SDNY to its Criminal Justice Act Panel to serve as counsel to indigent defendants in federal criminal cases. </p><p>Carrie has long been dedicated to advancing women in the legal profession, both in the United States and globally. She co-chairs Morrison Foerster’s Women’s Strategy Committee, a group that works with firm leaders to ensure the advancement of women remains a strategic priority, and serves as a member of the New York City Bar’s Cyrus R. Vance Center for International Justice, where she spearheads a professional development program for women lawyers in Latin America and South Africa. She is also a member of the Women’s Forum of New York and the Belizean Grove, both of which are by nomination only and are comprised of a diverse group of recognized women leaders in their respective fields.</p><p>Carrie co-authored the acclaimed NYSBA report adopted by the American Bar Association “If Not Now, When? Achieving Equality for Women Attorneys in the Courtroom and in ADR” and the follow-up report “The Time is Now: Achieving Equality for Women Attorneys in the Courtroom and in ADR.” She serves on the Steering Committee of the When There Are Nine Scholarship Project, which she co-founded with other SDNY alumnae to honor the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg by providing law school scholarships and mentorship.</p><h4>Representative Experience</h4><ul><li><strong>Government Appointments/Public Corruption</strong>. Appointments as independent counsel for federal, state, and local government agencies. Represents elected and appointed public officials, public entities, and individuals doing business with the government in a variety of public corruption-related matters with a focus on public-facing reports.</li><ul><li>Independent Monitor for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation related to workplace issues.</li><li>Special Independent Counsel to the New York City Council related to investigations of certain Council Members for misconduct and corruption.</li><li>Special Counsel to the MTA related to an examination of time, attendance, and overtime, which included presenting a report to the MTA Board.</li><li>Independent Counsel to the CA AG to conduct a review of its public release of confidential personal information associated with firearms permit holders and applicants, which included the preparation and release of a public report.</li><li>Service on the DOJ-appointed Monitorship Team for the global Odebrecht corruption matter.</li><li>Trial counsel for Rochester Mayor Lovely Warren for campaign finance charges; Hon. John A. Michalek for public corruption offenses; Hon. Sylvia Ash for obstruction of justice charges; County officials related to allegations of official misconduct and bid rigging.</li></ul><li><strong>Financial Institutions/Securities Matters</strong>. Represents banks and other financial institutions in investigations of regulatory and consumer-related matters. Represents corporations and individuals in a variety of criminal investigations and regulatory matters involving federal and state securities laws.</li><li><strong>Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)</strong>. Represents corporations in FCPA investigations across industries and in numerous jurisdictions. Service on the DOJ-appointed Monitorship team in the criminal prosecution of Odebrecht.</li><li><strong>Workplace Misconduct</strong>. Conducts investigations for corporations and boards related to workplace misconduct and #MeToo issues and provides related advocacy and legal advice.</li><li><strong>Cybersecurity</strong>. Conducts investigations of cybersecurity incidents and represents companies in related government and regulatory matters concerning disclosure of data and privacy issues.</li><li><strong>RICO/Civil Fraud/Commercial Litigation</strong>. Represents a wide variety of public and private corporations in civil fraud, RICO, and commercial litigation including at trial. Represented UPS at trial in SDNY in a case brought by the NYAG and the City of New York alleging illegal transportation of untaxed cigarettes.</li></ul>

Carrie Cohen

Partner

<p>Haima Marlier is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Investigations + White Collar Defense Group and co-chairs its Fintech practice. Drawing on her experience as a former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) senior trial counsel, Haima represents public and private companies, financial services providers, and executives, directors, and other individuals in SEC, Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), state securities regulator, and internal investigations, as well as in related litigation. She has more than 20 years of experience litigating in federal, state, and administrative courts, leading complex negotiations, and representing her clients in mediation. She also counsels clients regarding securities enforcement developments, trends, and risk mitigation.</p><p>Before joining the firm, Haima spent nearly a decade in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. While at the SEC, Haima served as lead counsel on a number of prominent enforcement litigations and investigations involving public companies, registered investment advisers, broker-dealers, banks, and individuals in matters arising under the federal securities laws. She has also worked closely with foreign securities regulators, numerous U.S. attorneys’ offices, and FINRA.</p><p>Haima is a member of <em>Law360</em>’s Securities Editorial Board, serves on the advisory board of Securities Docket, and is on the Board of Trustees of the SEC Historical Society. She mentors Penn State students of color who aspire to become lawyers and is a member of the board of directors of, and a volunteer running coach for, Girls on the Run New Jersey, a nonprofit dedicated to inspiring girls to recognize their inner physical and emotional strengths. She maintains an active pro bono practice.</p><p>Haima has been recognized by <em>Crain’s New York Business</em>’s Notable Women in Law and Notable Diverse Leaders in Law; <em>Chambers USA </em>for Crypto-Asset Disputes; <em>The Legal 500 US</em> as a recommended lawyer in Securities Litigation: Defense, Investigations and White Collar Criminal Defense, and Fintech; Securities Docket’s<em> </em>Enforcement Elite; and the <em>New York Law Journal</em> for her efforts in the diversity and inclusion space.</p><p>Haima received her J.D. from Boston College Law School and her B.A. from The Pennsylvania State University.</p><h4>Representative Experience</h4><h5>Cybersecurity</h5><ul><li>Successfully resolved an SEC investigation into a global technology solutions company’s cybersecurity risk disclosures and disclosure controls, policies, and procedures, with an acknowledgment by the SEC of the client’s significant remediation and cooperation.</li><li>Representing a global tech service management company in an SEC inquiry into its cybersecurity incidents and disclosures.</li><li>Represented numerous public companies and other clients in the SEC’s SolarWinds cybersecurity enforcement sweep.</li><li>Advising numerous public companies and SEC-registered firms on the efficacy of their cybersecurity disclosure controls and procedures and the materiality of cybersecurity incidents.</li><li>Represented a major technology company in an internal investigation into its cybersecurity statements and controls, policies, and procedures.</li></ul><h5>Fintech & Crypto</h5><ul><li>Represented a nonprofit foundation supporting a major blockchain, as well as two of its senior individuals, in an SEC investigation, with a complete termination letter issued by the SEC.</li><li>Successfully resolved an SEC crypto investigation into anti-money laundering and other compliance and monitoring programs on behalf a former senior bank executive.</li><li>Representing a leading cryptocurrency exchange platform in responding to SEC, CFTC, and state attorney general subpoenas and other requests for information.</li><li>Obtained a successful federal court settlement for a venture capital fund in a securities class action concerning an unregistered digital token offering.</li><li>Advising numerous Fintech companies, from startups to mature organizations, on securities enforcement compliance best practices and enforcement risk mitigation.</li><li>Represented a private investor in an SEC investigation related to a reverse merger involving a cryptocurrency company with no action taken by the SEC.</li></ul><h5>Artificial Intelligence</h5><ul><li>Representing a major tech company in an SEC investigation focused on AI-related disclosures and policies.</li></ul><h5>Accounting & Financial Reporting</h5><ul><li>Represented the former Chief Operations Officer of a major NASDAQ-listed food distributor in SEC and special committee investigations, with a complete termination letter issued by the SEC, as well as in related Delaware Court of Chancery litigation, which was favorably resolved.</li><li>Successfully resolved SEC and special committee investigations into related-party transaction disclosures and accounting issues, as well as related shareholder litigation, on behalf of a former CEO of a NASDAQ-listed company.</li><li>Represented an audit committee of a public company in an internal investigation resulting from a whistleblower complaint alleging accounting and disclosure issues.</li><li>Represented a leading public company in an internal investigation resulting from a whistleblower complaint alleging accounting and disclosure issues.</li></ul><h5>Other Securities Enforcement Matters</h5><ul><li>Represented the former CEO of a major company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in an SEC insider trading investigation with no action taken by the SEC.</li><li>Represented an individual in an SEC investigation concerning the “pay-to-play” rule.</li><li>Represented a private investment fund in a COVID-19 related SEC insider trading investigation with no action taken by the SEC.</li><li>Represented a broker-dealer in a for-cause FINRA examination into anti-money laundering and other issues.</li><li>Represented a leading international company in government investigation into pharmaceutical drug pricing.</li><li>Represented a biotech company in a Massachusetts Securities Division investigation concerning securities registration exemptions and representations to investors regarding securities registration with no action taken by the state regulator.</li><li>Obtained a successful resolution for a pre-IPO biotech company in a wrongful termination lawsuit brought by a co-founder and former CEO terminated by the board of directors.</li><li>Represented the SEC in all stages of federal and administrative proceedings, including at trial and on appeal, in matters involving violations of the federal securities laws.</li></ul>

Haimavathi Marlier

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