Gerardo Gomez Galvis is a partner in the firm’s Investigations + White Collar Group in the New York office who focuses on conducting internal and government-facing investigations, global compliance exercises, and related civil litigation, with particular experience in matters involving Latin America.

Gerardo has deep experience representing multinational corporations, financial institutions, and business executives in investigations and white collar defense matters alleging Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, anti-money laundering violations, accounting and disclosure fraud, insider trading, manipulation of foreign exchange rates, misrepresentations and false statements, marketplace lending issues, and federal securities law violations, among other areas. He also regularly evaluates and enhances compliance programs related to the same. Gerardo’s investigations matters have included inquiries and enforcement actions led by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), U.S. Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), state attorneys general offices, U.S. Congress, and a number of non-U.S. law enforcement agencies across Latin America, Europe, and Africa. His work on high-profile investigations and white collar defense matters has earned him recognition by Best Lawyers in the Criminal Defense: White Collar category, and he has also been named to the National LGBTQ+ Bar Association’s 2024 Top 40 Under 40 list and Crain’s New York Business’s 2024 Notable LGBTQ Leaders list for his significant contributions to LGBTQ+ equality in the workplace and larger legal community. 

He also has deep experience representing clients in administrative regulatory actions, securities class actions, and commercial litigation in both federal and state courts.

Gerardo was born and raised in Colombia and is fluent in Spanish. He has conducted investigations in Spanish throughout Central and South America, including in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela.

Before joining Morrison Foerster, Gerardo worked for another international law firm, where he handled corporate investigations and securities litigation, and he also served as a judicial intern to the Honorable Denny Chin of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in New York. Gerardo graduated from New York University School of Law, where he was a recipient of an AnBryce merit scholarship and was active as an editor of the New York University Law Review. Prior to that, he received a B.A. summa cum laude from Florida International University, where he was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and the Honors College.

Select Experience

FCPA + Global Anti-Corruption

• Serving as a key team member for the independent compliance monitor as appointed by the DOJ and two separate multilateral development banks for Odebrecht S.A. (now known as Novonor) in the wake of a multijurisdictional resolution worth billions of USD. 
• Representation of a multinational consulting firm in a cross-border investigation into allegations of bribery and corruption in South Africa, which involves investigations on multiple continents by DOJ and the National Prosecuting Authority in South Africa, parliamentary inquiries, and a Judicial Commission of Inquiry in South Africa.
• Representation of a privately held corporation in an investigation of potential FCPA violations concerning payments to government officials in Latin America, which included conducting an extensive internal investigation and assisting the company in self-reporting the matter to DOJ. DOJ is currently investigating the matter along with the U.S. Commodity and Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
• Representation of an executive in a DOJ-led FCPA investigation involving allegations of bribery in Latin America.
• Representation of a business executive in an investigation being led by DOJ and non-U.S. authorities into alleged money laundering and Travel Act violations involving Latin America.

SEC Accounting + Disclosure Fraud Investigations

• Representation of a large private fund that invested in a publicly traded company in an SEC investigation into COVID-19-related insider trading, which resulted in successful negotiation with the SEC to narrow the fund’s production obligations.
• Representation of a global technology company in an SEC accounting fraud investigation.
• Representation of a senior employee of a private company in an accounting fraud investigation being led by SEC and DOJ.

Select Other Corporate Investigations + Compliance Counseling and Litigation Matters

• Representation of an international consulting firm related to its work for opioid manufacturers, which involves complex, multidimensional work involving state attorneys general, DOJ, and congressional investigations, as well as more than 140 civil lawsuits that are now in a Multi-District Litigation.
• Representation of a major consulting firm related to its pandemic work for the State of New York and certain government investigations including the EDNY and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and related investigations by the NYAG. 
• Representation of a global company in advising on compliance issues related to document preservation and collection. 
• Representation of a private equity fund in conducting various compliance-related due diligence exercises on investments involving Latin America, including complex anti-corruption, OFAC sanctions, and anti-money laundering assessments.
• Representation of several offshore companies in litigation arising out of investments made with Bernard L. Madoff.
• Representation of a Fortune 500 multinational company in conducting a post-acquisition risk assessment throughout Latin America in relation to its acquisition of a major agricultural company.
• Parker v. United Industries Corp. (S.D.N.Y.) Won summary judgment for United Industries Corp. in a consumer class action concerning United Industries’ Cutter Natural Insect Repellent, where client sought nearly $100 million in damages. (2020)

Memberships

• Federal Bar Council's Diversity Taskforce

• Inaugural Board Member for the Brazil-U.S. 40 and Under White Collar Lawyers Initiative