An experienced trial lawyer, Ron Chillemi is regularly sought after to represent clients in their most complex matters. His impressive track record as a federal and state prosecutor leads clients to call him when investigative, trial, or government expertise is required. He has directed complex investigations, successfully tried numerous federal and state jury trials, and won national awards for his advocacy.
Prior to joining Robins Kaplan LLP, Mr. Chillemi led 125 attorneys, detectives and analysts investigating and prosecuting white-collar fraud at the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office. Due to reforms that he implemented, his division secured record aggregate recoveries in False Claims Act matters in two successive years, and successfully brought the most significant cases in divisional history. Examples include Operation Rayscam, a 27-person kickback and money laundering operation at diagnostic imaging centers, State v. Anhuar Bandy et al., a 17-person kickback and racketeering scheme among medical providers, State v. Fooshee, a Ponzi scheme where the lead defendant pled guilty to 31 counts of securities fraud and other crimes, and State v. Elhan Gurban et al., a five-person services-not-rendered scheme in the home health context. In 2015, Mr. Chillemi was awarded the “Investigation of the Year” for his work with the insurance industry in the Bandy matter.
During Mr. Chillemi’s service, the work of his division received acclaim from lawmakers, the insurance industry, and media outlets, as well as inquiries from other states and the Republic of South Korea on how best to replicate his successes.
Upon his departure from the Attorney General’s office, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie remarked, “Ron has been a dedicated public servant of the highest quality, whose relentless efforts to combat fraud have been enormously effective. The State of New Jersey benefitted greatly from his talents as a prosecutor and thanks him deeply for his service.” Bernard Flynn, CEO of NJM Insurance Group, and NJM General Counsel Robert Zetterstrom noted, “Ron is a game-changer. His leadership, strategic skills, and courtroom advocacy produced results that we had not seen before. He is the complete package.”
Prior to joining the State of New Jersey, Mr. Chillemi served for nine years as a federal prosecutor in New Jersey. He was promoted to the Securities & Healthcare Fraud Unit, where he investigated and tried numerous high-profile matters, including United States v. Kenneth Jenkins et al., a sophisticated multi-state money-laundering scheme where the defendant was found guilty after a seven-week jury trial, and United States v. Exactech, a corporate healthcare kickback prosecution. He had the distinction of selecting and overseeing the work of corporate monitors at both the federal and state levels. As a federal prosecutor, Ron won both the "Prosecutor of the Year Award" and the "Director’s Award for Superior Performance."
An aggressive advocate, Mr. Chillemi has tried 19 jury trials and over 100 bench trials. He is frequently asked to speak on fraud and privilege issues at various healthcare and compliance conferences.
