Attorneys > William F. Johnson

William F. Johnson

William F. Johnson is head of the Firm's White Collar Criminal Defense practice.   He is also co-head of the White Collar Criminal Defense and Securities Enforcement practice group and is co-head of the Internal Investigations and Monitoring practice area.  He represents institutions and individuals in white-collar criminal and regulatory matters, including investigations and litigation involving the United States Department of Justice, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and other federal, state and local agencies.  Mr. Johnson conducts internal investigations for institutions and audit committees.  Mr. Johnson also advises institutions on anti-corruption matters.

Among Mr. Johnson's recent notable representations are:

• An individual in connection with international antitrust and antifraud investigations involving LIBOR rates.
• A global investment bank in an internal and an SEC investigation involving credit derivatives trading.
• Individual employees of a global investment bank in connection with DOJ and SEC investigations involving residential mortgage-backed securities.
• A global investment bank in SEC and FINRA investigations involving a high-profile investment.
• A global investment bank in SEC and DOJ investigations involving a high-profile investment manager.
• Individual employees of an investment adviser in an SEC investigation relating to collateralized debt obligations.  The investigation was terminated favorably as to all clients.
• Individuals in DOJ and SEC investigations into alleged insider trading.  The investigation was terminated favorably as to all clients.  

Prior to joining Fried Frank in 2009, Mr. Johnson served a combined total of nearly 17 years as a prosecutor at the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and as an attorney at the SEC. 

Mr. Johnson was the Chief of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force in the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York, where he led a unit of prosecutors, law enforcement agents and staff in all aspects of fraud investigations, trials, appeals and other litigation.  During his tenure as Chief and Deputy Chief from 2005 to 2009, Mr. Johnson oversaw the investigation and prosecution of many notable cases, including:

• Galleon Group/Raj Rajaratnam
• Bernard Madoff
• Marc Dreier
• Refco
• Adelphia

These cases and others involved insider trading, fraudulent investment schemes, corporate financial fraud, and options backdating.

From 1996 to 2005, Mr. Johnson served as an Assistant United States Attorney and Special Assistant United States Attorney, during which time he personally investigated and prosecuted some of the nation's highest-profile securities fraud cases, including, among others:

• Former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers and CFO Scott Sullivan
• Steven Madden
• Michael Milken

Mr. Johnson also has extensive courtroom trial and appellate experience, having successfully tried a number of complex securities fraud cases to verdict, including WorldCom, and successfully litigated numerous appeals. 

Mr. Johnson is currently serving as an Independent Monitor of the US Virgin Islands Police Department (VIPD), following selection by the US Department of Justice and the Virgin Islands Attorney General.  He leads a team of experts in evaluating the VIPD's compliance with a federal consent decree mandating improvements to its policies and procedures.

Prior to joining the United States Attorney's Office, Mr. Johnson served on the staff of the SEC, as Senior Counsel leading investigations and litigation involving federal securities law violations in the Division of Enforcement, New York Regional Office, and in the Office of the General Counsel, Appellate Litigation Group.