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Daniel Collins, White Collar and Internal Investigations partner, was featured in Chicago Lawyer regarding his career, why he chose to come to Katten and what are some of his predictions for upcoming legal and government enforcement trends.
With a storied 10-year career as a federal prosecutor, Dan noted that his strong sense of empathy has made his transition to the defense bar enjoyable. He stated, "One of the things that I strived to do as a prosecutor was to see the gray and to approach a set of circumstances with some understanding of that complexity, the potential for ambiguity. [I wanted] to approach it with some empathy, so you appreciate the gray. So my transition to representing individuals [and] companies that are now being investigated was pretty easy because of that viewpoint."
On joining Katten, Dan stated that both opportunities here and the relationships he has with other Katten attorneys inspired him to join. "In white collar investigations often there is an effort to have some communication amongst the defense lawyers, especially when there are multiple people being investigated. In those opportunities you can really see how smart, strategic and up front somebody is in dealing with other counsel. There are lawyers here at Katten that have stuck out to me as being pure pros. I have always had good respect for them."
The cryptocurrency space is one area where he anticipates increased enforcement activities ahead. Dan expects cases involving allegations of fraud in crypto transactions, as well as regulations to safeguard its use by money laundering organizations, as a starting point for litigation. "At the end of the day, it just boils down to has somebody been straight with a counterparty about what’s going on. A lot of cases, regardless whether they are hyper complex because of the particular investments or not, it comes down to whether someone was being straight."
Priorities of the Biden administration regarding antitrust and cross-border corruption matters also present areas of growth for white collar practitioners. Dan noted that "[it's] less about the Biden administration and more about just a trend we've seen now for some time. That's a focus on corruption, specifically corruption that is overseas. There's been a lot of talk about how the US government has improved its ability to investigate conduct that took place overseas. As we know, there are a lot of companies who are trying to expand their markets and sell their products or services overseas. When you do that there are a lot of vagaries in those jurisdictions that create — I hate to go back to it — ambiguous circumstances."
The article notes that Dan has a reputation for having a "good bedside manner" with clients. Showing how he values empathy, Dan stated, "I have clients who are often immersed in the most challenging situation that they'll ever have in their life. I try to make sure I stay calm and that we think practically. We try to guide the client to the best results, always appreciating the stress they and their family are under. I keep that at the forefront, whether things get heated or not." ("Gray matters: Having empathy allows Katten's Dan Collins to stand out in white collar defense practice," December 15, 2021)
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