Darren LaVerne counsels and represents individuals and companies in sensitive, complicated and often high-profile matters involving criminal and regulatory trials, hearings, investigations and related civil proceedings. Mr. LaVerne has successfully advocated for his clients in criminal and civil matters involving allegations of, among other things, securities fraud, accounting irregularities, money laundering, defamation and breach-of-contract.

Mr. LaVerne previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, where he led many successful criminal prosecutions involving wire fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, bribery, money laundering, racketeering, crimes of violence, environmental crimes and other offenses. For more than three years, he was part of the core team of prosecutors who built and charged the case against more than 40 FIFA soccer officials and sports marketing executives, one of the most significant and complex prosecutions in the history of the office. While at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. LaVerne conducted several jury trials, all of which resulted in convictions, including a month-long racketeering trial in which he served as lead counsel.

During his years at Kramer Levin, Mr. LaVerne has been actively involved in pro bono matters. From 2006 to 2010, he was part of the Kramer Levin team representing several members of a Muslim minority group from western China who were wrongfully imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. Mr. LaVerne traveled to Guantanamo Bay four times during the course of the representation, which ultimately resulted in the release by the U.S. government of all of the firm’s clients.

Mr. LaVerne has served as pro bono co-counsel to the Legal Aid Society, representing indigent clients in criminal matters. He has twice been awarded the Pro Bono Publico Award by Legal Aid for his efforts, in the course of which he has briefed and argued cases in the Appellate Division and Court of Appeals, New York State’s highest court.