Since opening in January, Reed Smith’s Atlanta office has grown to more than 40 lawyers.
Marrah, who previously served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York, and Perez have worked together for nearly two decades. Both are ranked by Chambers USA for white-collar crime and government investigations litigation. Marrah and Perez have extensive experience in white-collar criminal defense; internal, criminal, SEC, board of directors and special committee investigations; international and cross-border investigations; independent corporate monitorships; and complex commercial litigation involving the False Claims Act.
“The addition of two highly experienced white-collar attorneys to our regulatory enforcement team builds on our strong foundation of leading practitioners and former federal prosecutors at Reed Smith and truly reflects the momentum we have in Atlanta and across our global platform,” said Michael Lowell, chair of Reed Smith’s Global Regulatory Enforcement Group. “Scott and Adria bring extensive experience in cross-border investigations, representing clients under scrutiny from a number of government enforcement agencies. They will bolster our elite, nationwide False Claims Act practice and help reinforce our position as a premier white-collar investigations and enforcement firm.”
“We continue to see tremendous interest from lawyers who want to join our talented Atlanta team,” said Julie Hardin, Reed Smith’s managing partner for the Americas. “Adding experienced lawyers like Scott and Adria strengthens our already impressive bench and enhances our capabilities at a time when the regulatory landscape in Washington is rapidly evolving. Their addition will continue our exciting growth in Atlanta and across the country.”
Among Marrah’s and Perez’s highest profile matters, Marrah recently served as the deputy monitor for anti-fraud, ethics and compliance for Larry D. Thompson, the Volkswagen AG independent compliance monitor and auditor. That team, which included Perez as a senior leader of groups of attorneys, auditors and consultants, oversaw VW AG’s compliance with plea agreement and consent decree obligations arising from parallel criminal and civil cases concerning the company’s diesel-powered cars sold in the United States.
“The Reed Smith lawyers we have met are committed to excellence, client service and collaboration, which aligns perfectly with how we work,” said Marrah. “We wanted to join a firm that is ambitious and strategic in its approach, while bringing our clients practical and creative solutions. We’re excited to be part of the firm’s growth in Atlanta—especially within the Global Regulatory Enforcement team, where the firm’s cross-border and bet-the-company investigations experience will allow us to further support our clients.”
“Regulatory compliance is a complex, multi-dimensional undertaking, and we know that the strength of Reed Smith’s practices and global footprint will be a significant asset for our clients,” added Perez.
Marrah and Perez assist clients in responding to inquiries arising from government investigations conducted by the DOJ, SEC and Office of Inspector General, as well as a variety of other federal agencies. They help clients with government enforcement issues under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act (including those involving higher education, research security, healthcare, government contracting and tax matters), securities fraud allegations, and criminal environmental and antitrust issues.
Marrah received a B.A., summa cum laude, from Ohio State University and a J.D. with honors from Ohio State University’s Moritz College of Law. He clerked for the Honorable Alice M. Batchelder of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit. Perez received a B.A. from Florida State University and a J.D. from Columbia University.
Reed Smith’s Atlanta office opened with market-leading private equity, M&A, finance and technology practices, and has since added finance, employment and white-collar partners.