Robert C. Blume is a partner in the Denver office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. His practice focuses on internal investigations, compliance, business crimes, and complex civil litigation. Mr. Blume spent more than seven years as a federal prosecutor with the United States Department of Justice and earned four Special Achievement Awards from the Attorney General. In 2012 and 2013, Chambers USA recognized Mr. Blume in the area of Litigation: White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations. Mr. Blume was also recognized by Best Lawyers in 2013, 2014, and 2015 in the categories of Criminal Defense: White-Collar; Commercial Litigation; and Litigation: Securities.
Mr. Blume represents corporations and individuals in local, state, and federal court and helps clients interface with government agencies around the country. In that capacity, Mr. Blume has defended local and international clients in enforcement actions and investigations brought by the United States Department of Justice, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and various state law enforcement agencies. These investigations have involved allegations of accounting and securities fraud, mortgage and settlement service kickbacks, money laundering, Medicaid fraud, promotion of off-label medical devices, improper use of computer and electronic data, breach of consumer trust and protection, improper payments to government officials, illicit dumping and environmental crimes, and illicit price-fixing and anti-competitive activities. Mr. Blume also defends numerous companies facing civil and criminal False Claims Act exposure.
As a focus of his practice, Mr. Blume helps many clients navigate through Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") investigations and compliance initiatives. He has been retained as outside compliance counsel for a number of publicly-traded companies, has drafted anti-corruption policies under the FCPA and the UK Bribery Act, and has led M&A due diligence investigations in China and elsewhere. Mr. Blume has investigated alleged misconduct in Europe, the Far East, Asia, Africa, India, the Middle-East, Central America, and South America. Mr. Blume works directly with Audit Committees, Boards of Directors, and management regarding company practices, internal compliance programs, disclosure issues, human resource concerns, and remedial measures for improving compliance.
Finally, Mr. Blume advises on U.S. export control and OFAC sanction issues. He has successfully represented individuals in matters dealing with the Iranian Transaction Regulations and the Export Administration Regulations. He also has advised on matters involving the Arms Export Control Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and its implementing regulations.
Mr. Blume has lectured and published on many topics, including the FCPA, the False Claims Act, Internal Investigations, Electronic Evidence, and the unique role of a corporations’ Internal Audit group. He also serves as a faculty member and instructor at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s Advanced Trial Advocacy Program in Washington, DC and has lectured at a number of law schools and universities on various legal and investigation topics.
Before joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Mr. Blume served with distinction as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Assigned to the Homicide/Major Crimes Section, Mr. Blume investigated and tried more than fifteen homicide trials and twenty drug and violent crime trials in local and federal courts. Mr. Blume also spent four years with the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, where he investigated and tried a number of Organized Crime and white collar cases involving RICO, mail and wire fraud, securities fraud, credit card fraud, insurance fraud, computer security breaches, FCPA violations, obstruction of justice, money laundering, and conspiracy.
Mr. Blume graduated cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center and was the Associate Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal and a member of the Georgetown Criminal Justice Clinic. Mr. Blume received his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Brown University. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and in the State of Colorado.
Mr. Blume has served as the national co-chair of the Corporate Criminal Liability Subcommittee of the White Collar Crime section of the American Bar Association.
