Leif Dautch is a partner in Morrison Foerster’s Investigations + White Collar Defense practice group.

Leif draws on nearly 15 years of experience as a federal and state prosecutor advising clients on government investigations and enforcement matters. His experience spans all phases of criminal matters, from investigation through trial and appeal.

Leif focuses his practice on guiding clients through complex investigations, enforcement actions, and strategic advice, informed by his experience overseeing wide-ranging investigations and prosecutions. He advises companies and individuals on white-collar, financial, and cybersecurity-related matters, with particular strength in navigating parallel proceedings, responding to government scrutiny, and addressing evolving regulatory and enforcement challenges.

Most recently, Leif served as chief of the Organized Crime Strike Force in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, where he led a team of prosecutors and staff handling racketeering and complex conspiracy cases. As an assistant U.S. attorney, he worked closely with federal law enforcement agencies to investigate and prosecute more than 200 federal criminal cases involving fraud, cyber intrusion, cryptocurrency, money laundering, RICO, import/export controls, and drug and firearms trafficking. Leif handled a wide array of jury and bench trials, receiving the U.S. Attorney Award for Outstanding Trial Achievement and being nominated for the FBI Director’s Award for Outstanding Criminal Investigation following a three-month racketeering jury trial.

Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Leif was a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, where he litigated more than 400 cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts, including the California Supreme Court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He also served in a supervisory role and worked closely with the Attorney General’s policy and legislative teams on initiatives pertaining to cybercrime, data transparency, and money laundering.

Leif began his legal career as a litigation associate at an international law firm. He earned his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School and his B.A. magna cum laude in ethics, politics, and economics from Yale University.