Robb C. Adkins

Partner

San Francisco
T +1.415.659.2650
F +1.415.659.2601
Los Angeles
T +1.310.979.8450
F +1.310.820.8859

"[Robb]'s the go-to crisis response attorney in California. It doesn't matter what's going on, any large incident which needs boots on the ground with the immediate response, he's the guy to call."

— Chambers USA 2022

Overview

Robb Adkins is a litigation partner in BakerHostetler's San Francisco and Los Angeles offices, and serves as the head of the San Francisco office. His white collar and litigation practice is bolstered by his experience as a federal prosecutor and trial lawyer in private practice, enabling him to knowledgeably guide clients through internal investigations, corporate compliance, complex civil litigation and government enforcement defense. As a nationally recognized trial attorney, he has experience handling both complex criminal and civil litigation. He also has significant experience counseling clients on their most complex white collar matters, including those involving the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission and various federal and state enforcement agencies.

Robb previously held numerous leadership positions within the DOJ, including as the Executive Director of the Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force. As head of the Task Force, which was formed by the President and chaired by the U.S. Attorney General, he was responsible for directing the largest coalition ever assembled to combat financial fraud, working closely with the highest leaders of the DOJ, SEC, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and more than 25 other federal and state fraud enforcement and regulatory agencies. Prior to that role, Robb served as a federal prosecutor in U.S. Attorney's Office for the Central District of California, where he was lead counsel in more than 50 prosecutions and numerous complex fraud trials, and served as the Chief of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Orange County. From 2005 to 2007, Robb was a member of the Enron Task Force, serving as a trial attorney in the landmark criminal trial against Enron CEOs Kenneth Lay and Jeffrey Skilling.

A sought-after speaker on corporate compliance and white collar matters, Robb has provided lectures and training to prosecutors and regulators, testified before Congress and given presentations to companies, board members, professional associations, conferences and academic institutions throughout the U.S. and abroad.

Select Experience

  • Tried a federal civil class action brought under California’s Private Attorney General Act, resulting in a defense verdict for a Fortune 500 client.
  • Led an internal investigation for the board of an international company related to potential FCPA and anticorruption issues in Europe and Asia.
  • Led an internal investigation of a large mortgage servicing company regarding a whistleblower complaint.
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Experience

  • Tried a federal civil class action brought under California’s Private Attorney General Act, resulting in a defense verdict for a Fortune 500 client.
  • Led an internal investigation for the board of an international company related to potential FCPA and anticorruption issues in Europe and Asia.
  • Led an internal investigation of a large mortgage servicing company regarding a whistleblower complaint.
  • Conducted an assessment and complete overhaul of the compliance policies at a large financial entity.
  • Represented a target at a Fortune 500 company in a federal grand jury investigation and subsequent criminal prosecution related to alleged Clean Water Act violations. After meeting with federal authorities, proposed charges against client were dropped.
  • Oversaw a three-year monitoring agreement with a major foreign-based financial institution in lieu of prosecution.

Recognitions and Memberships

Recognitions

  • Benchmark Litigation: California Litigation Star, Antitrust, General Commercial Litigation, and White Collar Crime (2015, 2020)
  • The Best Lawyers in America® (2023 to Present)
    • California: Criminal Defense: White-Collar
  • The Legal 500 United States (2018)
    • Recommended in Corporate investigations and white collar criminal defense
  • Chambers USA: Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in California (2012 to 2023)
    • Band 3 (2020 to 2023), Band 4 (2012 to 2019)
  • Northern California "Super Lawyer" (2015 to 2020)
    • Northern California Super Lawyer "Rising Star" (2006 to 2009)
  • Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service
  • California Daily Journal, "Top 20 Under 40" (2006)

Memberships

  • American Bar Association, White Collar Crime Committee
    • Executive Co-Director (2021 to present)
    • National Co-Chair (2019 to 2021)
    • National Vice Chair (2018 to 2019)

Featured Video

Fraud and Government Enforcement in Times of Crisis
Play Video

Listen to a discussion on the topic of lessons learned from past crises.

Industries

Prior Positions

  • U.S. Department of Justice
    • Office of the Deputy Attorney General, Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force: Executive Director
    • U.S. Attorney's Office, Orange County, Calif.: Chief, Southern Division
    • Enron Task Force: Trial Attorney
    • Assistant U.S. Attorney
  • The Honorable Rhesa Barksdale, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit: Judicial Clerk

Admissions

  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fourth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Central District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Northern District of California
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of California
  • California

Education

  • J.D., Georgetown University Law Center, 1997; Tax Lawyer, Publications Editor
  • B.A., Political Science, with honors, Stanford University, 1993