Bass, Berry & Sims PLC Expands Internal Investigations and Government Enforcement Practice with New Member Eli J. Richardson

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Nov. 3, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Bass, Berry & Sims PLC is pleased to announce the addition of Eli J. Richardson to the firm’s Nashville, Tennessee office.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20101103/PH93718 )

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Richardson, former Criminal Chief of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee and former Resident Legal Advisor to Serbia under the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and its Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), joins the firm as a Member in the Internal Investigations and Government Enforcement Practice.

“Eli’s arrival is an important moment for Bass, Berry & Sims, signaling the continued expansion of one of our key practice areas,” said Wally Dietz, co-chair of the firm’s Internal Investigations Practice.  “Eli’s experience will be very valuable to clients who face any type of government investigation or enforcement proceeding, ranging from healthcare billing issues to foreign corruption issues, including those resulting in white-collar criminal prosecutions.”

Richardson has nearly 20 years of legal experience, including a rich background in government enforcement and regulatory matters, having served in key positions with the DOJ, the United States Attorney’s Offices in New Jersey and in the Middle District of Tennessee, as well as with the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

“I am thrilled to become a part of such a team-oriented and entrepreneurial firm and to be able to enhance the growth of its Internal Investigations and Government Enforcement Practice,” said Richardson. “Bass, Berry & Sims is the ideal fit for me both culturally and professionally, and I look forward to starting this new phase of my career.”

Richardson served as Resident Legal Advisor to Serbia from March 2009 to September 2010. He was stationed at the U.S. Embassy Belgrade and provided training, advice, and legislative drafting assistance to Serbian judges, police, and prosecutors in a number of significant criminal justice areas, including organized crime, corruption, criminal procedure, and war crimes.

Prior to his time in Serbia, Richardson served as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of Tennessee from 2004 to 2009. While there, he also held the titles of Criminal Chief from January 2008 to February 2009, Deputy Criminal Chief from May 2006 to January 2008, and Anti-terrorism Coordinator from March 2004 to May 2006. He was honored with the Director’s Award in December 2009, for superior performance by an Assistant U.S. Attorney during the public corruption case, United States v. John Ford.

Richardson also served as Assistant U.S. Attorney in the United States Attorney’s Office in the District of New Jersey, from 2002 to 2004. He was a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Newark Division from 1998 to 2002. While at the FBI, he served on the public corruption squad and was later named as the division’s Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) Coordinator.

Richardson began his career as a lawyer at Warner, Norcross & Judd in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1993 where he was a member of the Commercial Litigation Practice at Rogers & Hardin.  In 1995, Richardson started his own firm, Richardson & Associates, in Conyers, Georgia, where he focused on corporate, compliance, employment, bankruptcy, and intellectual property matters.

About Bass, Berry & Sims

With more than 200 attorneys representing numerous publicly traded companies and Fortune 500 businesses, Bass, Berry & Sims has been involved in some of the largest and most significant litigation matters and business transactions in the country. For more information, visit www.bassberry.com.

SOURCE Bass, Berry & Sims PLC