Lanny A. Breuer CC’80, LAW’85, named by the National Law Journal as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in America, is Covington’s vice-chair and one of the leading trial and white-collar defense attorneys in the United States. He specializes in helping clients navigate financial fraud, anti-corruption, money laundering and securities enforcement, and congressional, environmental and other criminal and civil investigations presenting complex regulatory, political and public relations risks.

Breuer has been recognized by numerous national publications as one of the country's premier defense lawyers, including Chambers Global, Chambers USA, Legal 500 and Ethisphere, and has successfully defended dozens of institutions and individuals in high-stakes criminal and civil cases. He is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers.

From 2009 to 2013, Breuer served as assistant attorney general for the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was widely acknowledged as a thought leader in the area of criminal law enforcement. For his work as the longest-serving leader of the Criminal Division in recent history, Breuer received the Edmund J. Randolph Award for outstanding service, as well as numerous other accolades.

Breuer previously served as special counsel to President Clinton (1997–99), whom he defended in the impeachment proceedings, and was an assistant district attorney in Manhattan (1985–89).

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