Mark E. Bini

"Mark Bini is an incredible communicator with the ability to provide creative and thoughtful solutions to the most sophisticated problems. He is an absolute legal mastermind when crafting strategy."
Chambers USA, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations client

"He is whip-smart and very effective."
Chambers USA, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations client

"Mark is an excellent investigator and trial lawyer."
Chambers USA, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations client

"Mark is excellent in the courtroom."
Chambers USA, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations client

Mark is a former federal and state prosecutor who represents corporations and individuals in connection with government investigations, internal investigations, criminal and regulatory proceedings and related civil litigation. Mark has tried 26 cases, including some of the Department of Justice’s most complex financial fraud trials in recent years, and led multiple multi-year cross-border investigations of corporations and individuals. He has also successfully represented companies and high-net-worth individuals in complex cross-border and white-collar extradition cases. Mark has particular experience in investigations involving securities fraud, crypto fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, health care fraud, cyber-crime, bank fraud, money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) violations.

Prior to joining the firm, Mark served in the Department of Justice for nearly 10 years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York (EDNY) and the Middle District of Florida, where he specialized in investigating and prosecuting financial and corporate crime. Before that, Mark served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office for five years. Prior to becoming a prosecutor, Mark clerked for a judge in the Southern District of New York, and worked at a major international law firm in New York, handling complex civil litigation and white collar matters.

As a member of On-Chain: Reed Smith’s Crypto & Digital Assets Group, Mark has extensive knowledge about regulatory and enforcement issues affecting blockchain-based platforms, cryptocurrencies, and other digital assets. His experience in this sector extends back to his time as a federal prosecutor, where he served as a “CHIP,” coordinating EDNY’s response in computer hacking and cryptocurrency fraud cases, and led and moderated multiple training panels on cryptocurrency for EDNY prosecutors. He also investigated and prosecuted multiple crypto fraud cases parallel to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), including Initial Coin Offering (ICO) and crypto investment frauds. Since joining Reed Smith in September 2021, Mark has worked for many crypto clients facing regulatory, criminal and civil issues.

During nearly seven years in the EDNY, Mark tried eight cases to verdict, including the first ISIS terrorism trial in the United States, and six white collar trials. He also successfully argued four appeals before the Second Circuit. Mark held multiple leadership roles at the EDNY, including serving as deputy chief of the International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section, and serving for more than three years as one of EDNY’s CHIP coordinators for EDNY’s response to computer hacking, cyber fraud and cryptocurrency fraud incidents.

During his time as a federal prosecutor, Mark had the chance to work closely and in parallel with many domestic and foreign law enforcement agencies and regulators, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commerce Department, the Department of Justice’s Fraud Section and Money Laundering & Asset Recovery Section, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority and Brazil’s Ministerio Publico Federal.

Mark has been recognized as a leader in the government investigations field by top legal directories. He is ranked in Chambers USA for White Collar Criminal Defense, with clients remarking that “he is whip-smart and very effective” and “an excellent investigator and trial lawyer.” Clients also note that “Mark Bini is an incredible communicator with the ability to provide creative and thoughtful solutions to the most sophisticated problems. He is an absolute legal mastermind when crafting strategy.”

Mark’s deep experience and knowledge about white collar crime has led to him speaking at securities fraud, cybercrime and cryptocurrency symposia, including lectures to EDNY’s Criminal Division, financial services industry events, a New York City bar event and multiple law school classes.

Experience

Representative matters

Internal investigation of a company whose stock is traded on the Nasdaq related to allegations regarding SEC filings.

Internal investigation of a professional sports franchise.

Represent current and former bankers for international investment bank related to a $40 billion securities fraud case in the Southern District of New York, United States v. Hwang et al.

Internal investigation of a company whose stock is traded on the Nasdaq related to allegations regarding SEC filings.

Internal investigation of a professional sports franchise.

Represent current and former bankers for international investment bank related to a $40 billion securities fraud case in the Southern District of New York, United States v. Hwang et al.

Represented Brazilian businessman from whom DOJ seized $7 million and threatened criminal indictment and forfeiture. After multiple presentations, DOJ and the SDFL did not go forward on charges and released all of our client’s funds back to him.

Secured rare Rule 11(c)(1)(C) “time served” plea agreement in SDFL for Florida businessman facing 20-year sentence in what was billed by DOJ as the nation’s largest health care fraud case.

Secured “time served” sentence for foreign businessman charged in $10 million money laundering and FDA fraud scheme.

Represent executives who previously worked at Terra Luna in connection with Government investigations related to collapse of the world’s largest algorithmic stablecoin.

Represent foreign real estate executive victim in a complex, multi-million dollar fraudulent real estate deal in the United States involving domestic and international investors.

Represented Estonian national extradited to the U.S. in a $575 million international cryptocurrency fraud and money laundering case, securing unprecedented pretrial release over DOJ objection.

Secured rare SEC investigation termination letter for investment adviser client, with no enforcement action or penalty recommended.

Conducted internal investigation for leading global investment bank, uncovering and obtaining confessions of over $4 million in misappropriated funds by portfolio company CEO and CFO.

Representing former banker in DOJ Antitrust investigation related to the Archegos Capital collapse, advising on potential criminal price-fixing allegations involving standstill agreements among global banks.

Advising U.S. artificial intelligence company that inadvertently profited $12 million from a fraudulent loan transaction, assisting with collateral and recovery issues.

Advising global e-commerce platform on dawn raid preparedness and developed audit and investigation protocols for federal agency inquiries worldwide.

Represented board member of blockchain analytics company in corporate governance dispute, orchestrating successful proxy fight and board expansion to reverse founder’s actions.

United States v. Mitchell et al. – trial conviction of a stock promoter for a $130 million NASDAQ securities fraud and market manipulation scheme. Eight other defendants pled guilty prior to trial.

United States v. Discala et al. – trial conviction of former minor celebrity who led a $95 million stock market manipulation scheme.

United States v. Petrossi – trial conviction of an investment adviser for investment adviser and securities fraud.

United States v. Willner – conviction of a day trader located in the United States who traded securities in concert with overseas co-conspirators who hacked into victims’ accounts at major brokerage firms to steal millions of dollars in a securities short selling scheme. The day trader paid a portion of his illicit gains to a co-conspirator via bitcoin.

United States v. Sargeant Marine Inc. – corporate guilty plea to FCPA charges and $16.6 million penalty for a Boca Raton based asphalt company that paid more than $5 million in bribes to foreign political officials in Brazil, Venezuela and Ecuador to win hundreds of millions of dollars in business. The corporate guilty plea resulted from a three-year investigation and guilty pleas by eight individuals to FCPA and money laundering charges.

United States v. Vitol Inc. – corporate deferred prosecution agreement to FCPA charges for U.S. affiliate of one of largest energy trading firms in the world. Vitol Inc. paid more than $163 million to resolve with the EDNY, DOJ and a parallel investigation in Brazil. Vitol admitted to paying millions in bribes to foreign officials in Brazil, Ecuador and Mexico to win business in those countries.

United States v. a subsidiary of a major international bank – individual guilty pleas to wire fraud and money laundering charges by three former bankers in connection with a $2 billion syndicated loan and bond offering fraud scheme involving U.S. and international victim investors, where more than $200 million was misappropriated for bribes and kickbacks, including $50 million in kickbacks to the investment bankers. The investigation and prosecutions led to a subsidiary of the financial institution pleading guilty to wire fraud in connection with the case, and the financial institution agreeing to pay approximately $547 million in penalties, fines and disgorgement as part of coordinated resolutions with criminal and civil authorities in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Recognitions

Ranked in Chambers USA for Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (2025)
“Highly recommended” in 2023 edition of the Latin Lawyer 250 – Corporate and M&A
Named on City & State NY’s Responsible 100 list

Credentials

Education

Fordham University School of Law, J.D., cum laude
University of Virginia, B.A.

Professional admissions & qualifications

New York
Florida

Court admissions

U.S. District Court - Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court - Eastern District of New York
U.S. Court of Appeals - Second Circuit
Supreme Court

Professional affiliations

Member, Federal Bar Council
Board member and audit committee chair, AHRC NYC, a non-profit that is one of the largest service providers for the developmentally disabled in New York City.