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Former Federal Prosecutor Ryan D. McConnell Joins Haynes and Boone White Collar Criminal Defense Practice
07/26/2010

HOUSTON – Former Federal Prosecutor Ryan D. McConnell has joined Haynes and Boone, LLP as of counsel in the firm’s white collar criminal defense practice in Houston.

Mr. McConnell will handle white collar investigations and commercial litigation, as well as corporate compliance issues. He will draw on his extensive experience as an assistant United States attorney in Houston and Baton Rouge, La.

“Ryan has accomplished a lot in a short time,” said Ron Breaux, partner and head of Haynes and Boone’s White Collar Criminal Defense Practice Group. “His work in the United States Attorney’s Office provided great opportunities, experience and a unique perspective that will benefit firm clients. We are thrilled to welcome him to the team.”

During his four-year tenure at the United States Attorney's Office, Mr. McConnell tried over a dozen criminal cases ranging from complex fraud schemes to a plot involving the murder-for-hire of a federal judge. While serving as a federal prosecutor, he prosecuted cases ranging from violations of the U.S. sanctions laws to violations of the mail and wire fraud statutes and U.S. immigration laws. Mr. McConnell has conducted grand jury investigations involving evidence from abroad and dealing with complex trade and securities law issues, and has prosecuted a number of high-profile work-site enforcement cases dealing with employers hiring undocumented workers.

Mr. McConnell joined forces with Haynes and Boone Partner Lawrence D. Finder on research regarding deferred and non-prosecution agreements and compliance. Their work has been featured in news publications ranging from the USA Today to Corporate Counsel and Compliance Week magazines. In 2008, the Houston Chronicle profiled both Mr. McConnell and Mr. Finder and their research on corporate charging.

Mr. McConnell has lectured at the Department of Justice's National Advocacy Center in South Carolina on subjects ranging from trial advocacy to corporate charging. He created a variety of training materials for the Department of Justice on topics ranging from criminal procedure to compliance and deferred and non-prosecution agreements that are used by prosecutors throughout the United States.

Outside of his practice, Mr. McConnell is an adjunct professor at the University of Houston Law Center, where he teaches both criminal procedure and national security law.

Haynes and Boone, LLP is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Washington, D.C., Mexico City and Moscow, providing a full spectrum of legal services. With more than 525 attorneys, Haynes and Boone is ranked among the largest law firms in the nation by The National Law Journal. The firm has been named one of the "Best Corporate Law Firms in America" (Corporate Board Member Magazine, 2001-2009) and recognized as a “Top 20 Law Firm” for culture and for diversity with respect to both women and minorities (Vault, 2011.)