Distinguished Litigator Sara Lord Joins Arnall Golden Gregory's White-Collar Defense Team

ATLANTA, June 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sara M. Lord, an award-winning former federal prosecutor in New York, has joined Arnall Golden Gregory LLP as a partner in the Litigation and Healthcare groups and on the Government Investigations and Special Matters team. 

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Her practice focuses on internal corporate investigations, responses to government audits and investigations, white-collar criminal defense  -- including grand jury representations -- and appellate matters.

During her 18-year tenure as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of New York, Ms. Lord served in a number of positions, including Health Care Fraud Coordinator, Financial Institutions Fraud Coordinator, and Professional Responsibility Officer. 

She received the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service for her work investigating and prosecuting a large-scale alien smuggling network that operated in China, Thailand, Canada and the U.S. 

In 2008-2009, Ms. Lord served as a Resident Legal Advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine, working with representatives of the Ukrainian government to create an anti-corruption program.

Prior to her term at the U.S. Attorney's Office, Ms. Lord was a trial attorney and Senior Litigation Counsel for the Public Integrity Section of the Justice Department, where she received the Justice Department's John Marshall Award for Litigation.

At Arnall Golden Gregory, Ms. Lord will work closely with former federal prosecutors Aaron M. Danzig (leader of the Government Investigations and Special Matters team) and Allen I. Hirsch, as well as Daniel M. Formby, a former Deputy Attorney General for the State of Georgia, and several teams of litigators having in-depth experience in various highly regulated industries. The Firm has extensive experience in representing companies and individuals in grand jury investigations, regulatory inquiries, trials and appeals. It has successfully represented clients in civil and criminal investigations brought by the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Attorneys' Offices, SEC, FDA, EPA, USDA, various OIGs, and other federal and state regulatory and enforcement agencies.

Ms. Lord's expertise in dealing with fraud in the areas of healthcare, banking, pensions and mortgages, and in combating public corruption and answering international investigative demands, adds firepower to an already strong group of lawyers at Arnall Golden Gregory.

"This is a challenging time for companies in the healthcare arena and other regulated industries," Mr. Danzig said.  "As government enforcement activities increase, we are delighted to add Sara to an AGG team dedicated to defending companies and individuals in regulatory and enforcement actions.  Sara's vast experience in healthcare fraud and other fraud cases complements and further expands the firm's capabilities."

Arnall Golden Gregory Managing Partner Glenn P. Hendrix said, "Our firm has continued to see a big uptick in government investigations and healthcare work.  Sara will be a tremendous asset to our clients in both areas."

Among Ms. Lord's accomplishments:

• Establishing a multiagency healthcare fraud task force and a financial crimes task force for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Albany, N.Y.
• Leading the investigation and prosecution of one of the first cases prosecuted under the bankruptcy fraud statutes
• Investigating the Iraqi loan scandal involving Banco National Lavoro/BNL-Atlanta

Ms. Lord is a summa cum laude graduate of Yale University and a graduate of Harvard Law School.  She also studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.  Ms. Lord is working out of Arnall Golden Gregory's Washington office.

About Arnall Golden Gregory
Arnall Golden Gregory LLP is a law firm with offices in Atlanta, Miami and Washington, D.C., that serves the business needs of growing public and private companies.  Its areas of focus include real estate, healthcare, corporate, litigation, international, employment, life sciences, global logistics, privacy and intellectual property law.  With the help of Arnall Golden Gregory's experienced attorneys, clients across a broad range of industries and around the globe turn legal challenges into business opportunities.

Contact: Kevin Duffy
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404-873-8131

SOURCE Arnall Golden Gregory LLP