Wiggin and Dana Adds Veteran Federal Prosecutor to its White Collar and Art Law Practice Groups

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September 10, 2013 // Franchising.com // Wiggin and Dana is pleased to announce that David L. Hall has joined the firm as a partner in its Philadelphia office. Mr. Hall will be a member of the firm's Litigation Department, including the Defense, OFAC, and Export Compliance Group, the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group, and the Art Law and Museum Practice Group.

David Hall is a trial lawyer. He will draw upon his years of experience as a highly-respected federal prosecutor in his representation of corporations and individuals in investigations and prosecutions conducted by the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the State Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and other federal and state regulators.

"David is a highly-respected and credentialed lawyer with a distinguished career as an Assistant United States Attorney," said Bob Benjamin, Chair of the firm's Executive Committee. "With David's arrival, we add a new dimension to our White Collar Defense practice by expanding our geographic coverage and providing new skill sets that nicely complement what we already do."

David, who joins the firm after a distinguished 23-year career as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Department of Justice, will focus on representing clients in the defense, financial, art, and health care industries.

James Glasser, Chair of Wiggin and Dana's Litigation Department, noted that "David has had an extraordinary career with the Justice Department and was widely regarded as Justice's top investigator and prosecutor of violations of the International Traffic in Arms Regulations and violations of export control laws, as well as art and antiquities crimes. David adds to the existing strengths of our White Collar Practice Group and will help serve new and existing clients, particularly in the defense industry."

A significant focus of Mr. Hall's prosecutorial career with the Justice Department was the investigation and prosecution of weapons proliferation and technology transfer matters. Among the highlights was the successful prosecution of the Armaments Corporation of South Africa (ARMSCOR), Kentron, and Fuchs Electronics for violations of the Arms Export Control Act during the apartheid era. Another highlight was the successful prosecution of Amir Ardebili, an Iranian arms procurement agent working in Shiraz, Iran, acquiring components for the F4, F14, and other military aircraft, as well as microchips for use in phased array radar. Mr. Hall led an undercover investigation and successful prosecution of Xiang Li, a Chinese software pirate. Xiang Li's Chengdu, China-based operation sold over $100 million in cracked software products with multiple high-tech applications, including telecommunications, explosive simulation, aerospace, satellite tracking, and flight simulation. The Xiang Li case is believed to be the largest criminal copyright infringement case ever prosecuted to a guilty verdict, and the only instance in which a Chinese software pirate was lured out of China for prosecution.

"David's experience is also an excellent fit for the firm's Art Law and Museum Practice," said Glasser. "Lawyers in our art law practice group have represented foundations, universities, individuals, companies, insurers, and sovereign nations in complex disputes, including one that involved a famous Vincent Van Gogh painting against a claim that Russia nationalized it in violation of international law. Our group has also represented a university in a highly publicized dispute over the ownership of ancient artifacts, and many other similar matters. David's considerable experience will bolster our well-respected practice in this highly specialized area."

When he was with the Justice Department, Mr. Hall served as the Special Prosecutor for the FBI's Art Crime Team where he successfully investigated and prosecuted many cultural property crimes. He negotiated the return of stolen Norman Rockwell paintings from Brazil and led the successful undercover investigation and prosecution of Marcus Patmon, an art thief who sold stolen works by Picasso, valued at nearly $500,000. Shortly after the death of iconic American artist Andrew Wyeth, forged Wyeths found their way to market. Mr. Hall seized and forfeited them, including "Snow Birds," which was offered for sale at a major auction house with an expected price of between $300,000 and $500,000. Mr. Hall forfeited and returned to Iraq a collection of Mesopotamian artifacts, and effected the return to Peru of a gold Moche monkey head (circa 300 A.D.) that had been looted from the royal tombs of Sipan. Mr. Hall also seized, forfeited, and returned to Peru four stolen Spanish colonial paintings of the Cuzco School. Mr. Hall successfully prosecuted Wyatt Yeager, a museum curator who embezzled nearly $1 million in rare coins and seized and forfeited the Rosenberg Diary, the long-lost diary of Alfred Rosenberg, Nazi propagandist and Reich Minister for the occupied eastern territories. The Rosenberg Diary is now part of the Holocaust Museum collection.

"I am excited to join Wiggin and Dana. I was particularly impressed with the Litigation Department's expansive capabilities and client-base, as well as the firm's collegial culture and entrepreneurial spirit," Hall stated.

Mr. Hall has served in the United States Navy Reserve for nearly thirty years as an intelligence officer, attaining the rank of Captain. He has commanded three intelligence units and served with the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Office of Naval Intelligence, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in addition to numerous Navy commands. He was awarded the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and numerous other personal awards, unit citations, and service awards.

While in federal service, Mr. Hall received the Director's Award for Superior Performance, numerous Special Act Awards, and other awards and commendations from government agencies, including the FBI, CIA, DEA, and ATF. He has also been recognized with the DHS/ICE Excellence in Law Enforcement Award, the DHS/ICE International Achievement Award, and the SAFE Beacon Award.

Mr. Hall earned a BA from Dartmouth, an MBA from Yale, and JD and MA degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, where he was an editor of the law review. Following graduation from law school, Mr. Hall clerked for the Honorable Walter K. Stapleton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

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