Ryan Patrick, the former United States Attorney in Houston, has joined Haynes and Boone, LLP as a partner in the White Collar and Government Investigations Practices. He will be based in the firm’s Houston office.
“As U.S. Attorney, Ryan worked with the Department of Justice, FBI and other federal agencies to successfully handle many complex criminal investigations,” said Haynes and Boone Managing Partner Taylor Wilson. “The knowledge he gained in these cases, along with his experience as a state district judge, give him a unique set of skills that will benefit our clients.”
Patrick began his career as an Assistant District Attorney in Harris County. In 2012, he was appointed Presiding Judge of the 177th state district court and was later elected to a full four-year term.
Patrick became the 23rd presidentially appointed U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, which has one of the busiest criminal dockets in the country. During his time as U.S. Attorney, prosecutors in his office charged nearly 25,000 defendants in almost 22,000 cases, consistently ranking as the top or second highest district nationally in overall criminal prosecutions. Patrick led a staff of more than 450 people (including more than 200 lawyers), with an annual budget of more than $40 million.
Patrick oversaw a diverse docket of white-collar cases, including False Claims Act, Qui Tam, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and money laundering investigations involving public officials and corporate defendants in the banking, biotech, energy, and space industries. His office had a particularly active healthcare fraud unit, consistently ranking as one of the highest in the nation in healthcare fraud prosecutions. The office also began a partnership with the Western District of Texas and the DOJ for a joint Rio Grande Valley/San Antonio healthcare fraud strike force.
Patrick said he was drawn to Haynes and Boone because it has a national footprint with deep roots in Texas and because of its growing, complementary practices across the country and internationally that serve key sectors, including oil and gas, aviation, biotech, healthcare, and other areas.
“I look forward to the opportunity to help Haynes and Boone continue to grow its White Collar and Government Investigations Practices,” he said. “I know how the DOJ and federal prosecutors handle investigations, and I know many of the key players involved, both in Texas and in Washington, D.C. I look forward to putting this knowledge to use on behalf of Haynes and Boone’s clients.”
Drawing on the collective experience of former high-ranking federal prosecutors, including both the former director and assistant director of the Southwest Region of the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice and the former director of the Atlanta Regional Office of the SEC, Haynes and Boone has a long track record of representing clients facing investigations and criminal proceedings involving serious allegations of fraud, conspiracy, and financial crimes.
Haynes and Boone is an international corporate law firm with offices in Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, providing a full spectrum of legal services in energy, technology, financial services and private equity. With 600 lawyers, Haynes and Boone is ranked among the largest U.S.-based firms by The National Law Journal, The American Lawyer and The Lawyer. It also was recognized across the board for excellence in the BTI Consulting Group’s 2020 “A-Team” report, which identifies the law firms that in-house counsel commend for providing superior client service.
The following news outlets reported on Patrick's move to Haynes and Boone:
Reuters
Bloomberg Law
Texas Lawyer
The Texas Lawbook
Law360
Law360
The American Lawyer
Houston Chronicle
Global Investigations Review
Commercial Dispute Resolution
The Daily Docket