Gabrielle S. Friedman
Gabi is a white collar defense attorney representing U.S. and international clients—individuals, executives, and corporations—in criminal investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, and complex cross-border litigation. Ranked by Chambers USA in Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations, she has a proven record of achieving favorable results in cases involving corporate fraud, securities fraud, accounting fraud, criminal antitrust, contract disputes, entertainment and art law, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
With a strong focus on pre-indictment advocacy, Gabi frequently helps clients avoid charges altogether by engaging proactively with prosecutors and regulators. She also defends attorneys facing ethics investigations and professional misconduct allegations, bringing discretion and strategic skill to sensitive professional matters.
Her practice involves high-level matters before the U.S. Department of Justice, including the Fraud Section, FCPA Unit, Antitrust Division, and Tax Division, as well as numerous U.S. Attorney’s Offices, state prosecutors, and the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). She is highly experienced in negotiating non-litigated resolutions, defending clients at trial when necessary, and managing parallel proceedings across multiple jurisdictions.
Gabi regularly advises on cases involving extradition, Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) requests, and international data privacy laws, with particular strength in coordinating multi-country investigations. She works closely with foreign counsel and has represented clients under simultaneous investigation by U.S. and European authorities.
A fluent German speaker who lived and worked in Germany, Gabi brings firsthand knowledge of European business practices, cultural norms, and criminal justice systems. She has extensive experience representing German and other non-U.S. nationals in U.S. proceedings, attended proceedings before German state prosecutors, and lectured at German law schools on U.S. approaches to corporate internal investigations and compliance enforcement.
Her career includes a Bosch Foundation Fellowship for research in Berlin, practice as a litigation associate at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, and a federal clerkship with Judge Gerard E. Lynch in the Southern District of New York.
Show More +Gabrielle S. Friedman vertritt sowohl US-amerikanische als auch internationale Mandanten. Ein Schwerpunkt ihrer Tätigkeit liegt in der Beratung und Begleitung von Managern bei unternehmensinternen Ermittlungen, der Verteidigung in Verfahren vor US-amerikanischen Strafverfolgungs- und Aufsichtsbehörden. lm zivilrechtlichen Unternehmenshaftungsrecht sowie im Bereich der Haftung von Unternehmensführern vertritt Frau Friedman Unternehmensleiter sowie leitende Angestellte – oft im Zusammenhang mit gleichzeitig laufenden Strafverfahren.
lhre Mandanten stammen vorwiegend aus der Finanz- und Bankenbranche, lndustrie und Handel sowie Kunst- und Unterhaltungsbranche. Entsprechend war Frau Friedman in zahlreichen Verfahren wegen des Vorwurfs von (Kapitalanlage-) Betrug und Untreue, von lnsiderhandel und Marktmanipulation, Kartellvorwürfen, Bilanzbetrugs-, lnsolvenz- und Korruptionsfällen als Verteidigerin tätig. Dabei ist sie vor diversen Stellen der US-amerikanischen Staatsanwaltschaften, den Kartellrechts-, Steuer- und Betrugsdezernaten des US-Justizministeriums, der US-SEC und weiteren Bundesbehörden aufgetreten.
Frau Friedman spricht flieβend Deutsch. Dies ermöglicht es ihr, ohne sprachliche Barriere lnteressen ihrer Mandanten aus dem US-Ausland – insbesondere aus Deutschland und der Schweiz – wahrzunehmen und diese in Aufsichts- und Strafverfolgungsverfahren zu vertreten. Sie arbeitete dabei eng mit ausländischen Rechtsanwälten zusammen und kann im Bedarfsfall auf ein entsprechendes Netzwerk zurückgreifen. lm Zuge der im Ausland begleiteten Ermittlungen konnte Frau Friedman viel Erfahrung sammeln in Strafverfahren, die parallel von US- amerikanischen als auch deutschen Strafverfolgungsbehörden geführt wurden.
Frau Friedman schloss ihr Bachelors Studium im Jahre 1992 an der Columbia University ab. lhren Masters Degree in Europäische Geschichte” bekam sie an der Brown University im Jahr 1993 verliehen. Darauf folgte im Jahre 2000 die Promotion an der Yale Law School. lm Anschluss daran arbeitete Frau Friedman als Rechtsreferentin für einen Bundesrichter in New York und als Associate bei Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton LLP.
Show More +Representative Matters
- Advised an international organization in relation to a U.S. DOJ investigation.
- Advised US-based C-Suite executive of an international bank in a state shareholder derivative action applying foreign law.
- Advised a Swiss financial advisor in connection with an asset recovery proceeding in state court.
- Advised a senior academician in a university internal inquiry into allegations of misconduct.
- Represented a bank employee from the Middle East accused of violating U.S. sanctions under IEEPA, obtaining a no-jail sentence in federal court.
- Served as pool counsel representing over three dozen potential witnesses in investigations of potential tax and wire fraud involving European tax authorities and cum ex transactions.
- Advised a German manufacturing company and its U.S. subsidiary in connection with allegations of wire fraud arising from cross-border M&A transactions.
- Represented a European executive arrested on an Interpol red notice and extradited to the United States on FCPA charges, obtaining a non-jail sentence
- Defended a financial executive in a month-long federal criminal trial brought by the DOJ Antitrust Division involving allegations of conspiracy and fraud in the municipal bond industry, resulting in victory on appeal.
- Defended a German manufacturing executive on the U.S. side of a parallel cross-border criminal investigation of alleged fraud by the DOJ Fraud Section and European authorities, concluding with no U.S. charges filed.
- Represented a non-U.S. citizen CFO of an international insurance company in an FCPA investigation, achieving a resolution not involving any charges against the client.
- Represented Frankfurt-based trader employed by a major German bank in a DOJ Fraud Section investigation of alleged fraud and benchmark rate-rigging regarding LIBOR and EURIBOR, resulting in no U.S. charges filed.
- Represented managing board member of a Swiss private bank in an investigation relating to the U.S.-Swiss Bank Program regarding use of off-shore bank accounts by U.S. persons to facilitate evasion of U.S. taxes and reporting requirements.
- Represented UK-based forex trader of a major UK bank in connection with US and Latin American investigations of practices regarding FX pricing benchmarks.
- Represented a German artist in an investigation conducted by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
- Represented Japanese executives in connection with a DOJ Antitrust Division investigation of bid-rigging in the auto parts industry. No charges were filed.
Publications
Articles
“Open Questions Three Years after Second Circuit’s Fugitive Ruling,” Law 360 - Expert Analysis (August 26, 2024)
“Dubin v. US: Broader Implications Of High Court’s Identity Theft Law Ruling,” Law360 (June 16, 2023)
“International executives facing a US internal investigation: what to consider,” Financier Worldwide, (January 25, 2023)
“EU Double Jeopardy Ruling May Complicate US Extraditions,” Law360 -- Expert Analysis (January 24, 2023)
“How the CARES Act Will Affect Federal Criminal Justice,” LinkedIn (March 31, 2020)
“The Legal Ethics of Multiple-Client Representations,” New York Law Journal (June 18, 2019)
“Challenging the Guidelines’ Loss Table,” Federal Sentencing Reporter (February 1, 2008)
“Must a Firm Report Child Porn on Company Server?,” New York Law Journal (November 15, 2007)
Show More +Recognition
- Chambers USA
- Litigation: White Collar Crime and Government Investigations
- Legal 500 USA
- Corporate Investigations and White-collar Criminal Defense: Advice to Individuals
- Benchmark Litigation
- Local Litigation Star: White Collar Crime
- Best Lawyers in America®
- Criminal Defense: White Collar
- Super Lawyers
- Criminal Defense: White Collar; International
Activities
Professional Affiliations
- New York Council of Defense Lawyers
- Member
- New York City Bar Association
- White Collar Crime Committee Member
- Ethics Committee Former Member
- Committee on Federal Legislation Former Member
- International Academy of Financial Crime Litigators
- Fellow
- International Bar Association
- Criminal Law Committee
- New York State Bar Association
- White Collar Crime Committee Member
- Women’s White Collar Defense Association
- Member
- European Criminal Bar Association
- European Fraud and Compliance Lawyers
- German American Lawyers Association
- Deutsch-Amerikanische Juristen-Vereinigung e.V.
- Global Criminal Law Counsel
- Federal Bar Council
- American Bar Association
- Law Firm Antiracism Alliance
Speaking Engagements
Gabi Friedman speaks on Whistleblower Incentives and Corporate Crime at London FLA Conference, (June 28, 2024)
Gabrielle Friedman Speaks on Whistleblowing & Investigations at International Bar Assocation Conference in Ireland, (May 17, 2024)
Gabi Friedman Speaks at WWCDA Annual Meeting on Multiple Individual Representation in International Investigations, (March 5, 2024)
Gabi Friedman speaks at 2023 ABA Annual Meeting on The Ethics of Simultaneous Representation: Navigating Pool Counsel Waters, (August 4, 2023)
Gabrielle Friedman Presents CLE on the Ethics of “Pool Counsel” for ABA Criminal Justice Section, (October 25, 2022)
Gabrielle S. Friedman Moderates Ethics Panel on Social Media at “Trial By Jury” Program at the Practising Law Institute, (October 20, 2022)
Gabrielle Friedman Speaks at AWI on Investigations that Cross Borders, (July 26, 2022)
Cross-Border Internal Investigations: Online Seminar with Frank Wohl and Gabi Friedman, Lawline.com (May 27, 2021)
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