Tony Barkow helps clients navigate frightening and unfamiliar situations, counseling companies facing prosecution, boards of directors confronting crises, and individuals threatened with prison time. Tony represents corporate entities, boards, and special committees; non-profit organizations; and individuals embroiled in government investigations, both criminal and regulatory. He conducts internal investigations and culture assessments, particularly in high-profile situations involving executive conduct, workplace environment, and governance risk. Ever focused on the big picture, Tony helps clients think practically about risk and real-world consequences. His down-to-earth accessibility, calm demeanor, and the breadth of his experience unfailingly provide confidence and comfort in times of crisis.
During his career as an Assistant US Attorney in the US Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of New York and for the District of Columbia, and as a Trial Attorney in the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Tony tried more than 40 cases and argued more than 10 cases on appeal. He was awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, the highest award bestowed by the Attorney General in the Department of Justice. His extensive experience informs effective trial and pre-trial strategies, providing meaningful credibility with prosecutors in investigations by US Attorney’s Offices, the DOJ, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, state attorneys general, and other enforcers and regulators.
Tony is Co-Chair of the firm’s Investigations, Compliance, and Defense Practice, managing partner of Jenner & Block’s New York office, and serves on the firm’s elected governing committee, the Policy Committee. Dedicated to improving the criminal justice system, he established and ran a non-profit organization at NYU School of Law promoting responsible and transparent government practices, with a particular focus on the exercise of prosecutorial power and discretion.
I combine deep and high-level public and private sector experience with a practical, intuitive, and common-sense approach that together enable me to guide clients including Fortune 20 corporations and their boards, international non-profits, and individual executives, through complex, critically difficult, and oftentimes existential challenges.
Representative Matters
- Leading the internal investigation into an alleged relationship between former University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore and a subordinate and a review of the culture of the University’s Athletic Department.
- Representing General Motors Company in an investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York regarding recalls stemming from faulty ignition switches, culminating in the resolution of the matter through a deferred prosecution agreement, and serving as an investigation team leader to produce an internal report to the board of directors.
- Co-leading the monitorship of Credit Suisse AG following the bank’s $715 million settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services, part of a broader $2.6 billion settlement that involved the US Department of Justice and federal regulators.
Matters Involving Prosecutors, Government Enforcers, and Regulators
- Defending a leading global cybersecurity company in an international investigation and prosecution by a United States Attorney’s Office and successfully persuading the government not to include the company or any of its employees in the indictment that the government ultimately filed.
- Defending a hedge fund and its principals in an SEC investigation, securing a rare declination of enforcement following a contested subpoena enforcement action in federal court; took over the matter from prior counsel and achieved a swift resolution that avoided market disruption and preserved investor confidence.
- Defending an executive in an investigation by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York into alleged illegal trading and bank fraud and successfully persuading the government to end its investigation without bringing charges.
- Defending an executive in an accounting fraud investigation by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission and successfully persuading the government to end its investigations without bringing charges, as well as representing the client in related civil litigation.
- Defending an individual in an insider trading investigation by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission and successfully persuading the government to end its investigations without bringing charges.
- Representing an international company in a False Claims Act investigation by a United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice.
- Representing a global Fortune 250 industrial company in a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigation by a United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice.
- Representing an executive in the Southern District of New York at sentencing on mortgage fraud charges and obtaining a below-guidelines sentence.
- Representing individuals in investigations by domestic and international criminal and regulatory authorities, including the Department of Justice, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Serious Fraud Office, and UK Financial Conduct Authority into the setting of LIBOR rates, foreign exchange (FX) trading, and ISDAfix benchmarks.
Internal Investigations and Reviews
- Leading an internal culture review and assessment for Better.com after its CEO terminated 900 employees in a Zoom meeting.
- Representing the New Jersey Legislative Select Committee on Investigation in its investigation of the “Bridgegate” decision to close access lanes to the George Washington Bridge, and other matters.
- Leading numerous sensitive internal investigations for significant corporate entities, boards, special committees, and non-profit organizations, including universities, into matters of financial and senior executive misconduct and workplace culture.
Complex Litigation
- Representing Chesapeake Energy successfully at trial in the Southern District of New York in a well-publicized civil dispute with a trustee concerning the timeliness of a redemption of a $1.3 billion bond offering.
- Representing a large pharmaceutical company in multiple shareholder derivative actions.
Credentials
Service / Recognition
Overview
Tony Barkow helps clients navigate frightening and unfamiliar situations, counseling companies facing prosecution, boards of directors confronting crises, and individuals threatened with prison time. Tony represents corporate entities, boards, and special committees; non-profit organizations; and individuals embroiled in government investigations, both criminal and regulatory. He conducts internal investigations and culture assessments, particularly in high-profile situations involving executive conduct, workplace environment, and governance risk. Ever focused on the big picture, Tony helps clients think practically about risk and real-world consequences. His down-to-earth accessibility, calm demeanor, and the breadth of his experience unfailingly provide confidence and comfort in times of crisis.
During his career as an Assistant US Attorney in the US Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of New York and for the District of Columbia, and as a Trial Attorney in the US Department of Justice (DOJ), Tony tried more than 40 cases and argued more than 10 cases on appeal. He was awarded the Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, the highest award bestowed by the Attorney General in the Department of Justice. His extensive experience informs effective trial and pre-trial strategies, providing meaningful credibility with prosecutors in investigations by US Attorney’s Offices, the DOJ, the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, state attorneys general, and other enforcers and regulators.
Tony is Co-Chair of the firm’s Investigations, Compliance, and Defense Practice, managing partner of Jenner & Block’s New York office, and serves on the firm’s elected governing committee, the Policy Committee. Dedicated to improving the criminal justice system, he established and ran a non-profit organization at NYU School of Law promoting responsible and transparent government practices, with a particular focus on the exercise of prosecutorial power and discretion.
I combine deep and high-level public and private sector experience with a practical, intuitive, and common-sense approach that together enable me to guide clients including Fortune 20 corporations and their boards, international non-profits, and individual executives, through complex, critically difficult, and oftentimes existential challenges.
Areas of Focus
Representative Matters
- Leading the internal investigation into an alleged relationship between former University of Michigan head football coach Sherrone Moore and a subordinate and a review of the culture of the University’s Athletic Department.
- Representing General Motors Company in an investigation by the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York regarding recalls stemming from faulty ignition switches, culminating in the resolution of the matter through a deferred prosecution agreement, and serving as an investigation team leader to produce an internal report to the board of directors.
- Co-leading the monitorship of Credit Suisse AG following the bank’s $715 million settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services, part of a broader $2.6 billion settlement that involved the US Department of Justice and federal regulators.
Matters Involving Prosecutors, Government Enforcers, and Regulators
- Defending a leading global cybersecurity company in an international investigation and prosecution by a United States Attorney’s Office and successfully persuading the government not to include the company or any of its employees in the indictment that the government ultimately filed.
- Defending a hedge fund and its principals in an SEC investigation, securing a rare declination of enforcement following a contested subpoena enforcement action in federal court; took over the matter from prior counsel and achieved a swift resolution that avoided market disruption and preserved investor confidence.
- Defending an executive in an investigation by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York into alleged illegal trading and bank fraud and successfully persuading the government to end its investigation without bringing charges.
- Defending an executive in an accounting fraud investigation by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission and successfully persuading the government to end its investigations without bringing charges, as well as representing the client in related civil litigation.
- Defending an individual in an insider trading investigation by the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York and the Securities and Exchange Commission and successfully persuading the government to end its investigations without bringing charges.
- Representing an international company in a False Claims Act investigation by a United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice.
- Representing a global Fortune 250 industrial company in a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) investigation by a United States Attorney’s Office and the Department of Justice.
- Representing an executive in the Southern District of New York at sentencing on mortgage fraud charges and obtaining a below-guidelines sentence.
- Representing individuals in investigations by domestic and international criminal and regulatory authorities, including the Department of Justice, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Serious Fraud Office, and UK Financial Conduct Authority into the setting of LIBOR rates, foreign exchange (FX) trading, and ISDAfix benchmarks.
Internal Investigations and Reviews
- Leading an internal culture review and assessment for Better.com after its CEO terminated 900 employees in a Zoom meeting.
- Representing the New Jersey Legislative Select Committee on Investigation in its investigation of the “Bridgegate” decision to close access lanes to the George Washington Bridge, and other matters.
- Leading numerous sensitive internal investigations for significant corporate entities, boards, special committees, and non-profit organizations, including universities, into matters of financial and senior executive misconduct and workplace culture.
Complex Litigation
- Representing Chesapeake Energy successfully at trial in the Southern District of New York in a well-publicized civil dispute with a trustee concerning the timeliness of a redemption of a $1.3 billion bond offering.
- Representing a large pharmaceutical company in multiple shareholder derivative actions.
Credentials
Admissions
- New York, 2009
- District of Columbia, 1998
Education
- Harvard Law School, JD, cum laude, 1995
- University of Michigan, BA, summa cum laude, 1991
Court Admissions
- US Supreme Court
- US Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- US Court of Appeals, District of Columbia Circuit
- US District Court, Eastern District of New York
- US District Court, Southern District of New York
Clerkships
- Hon. Thomas P. Griesa, US District Court, Southern District of New York, 1995-1996
Service / Recognition
Awards
- Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service, 2005
- The Burton Awards, Law360 Distinguished Legal Writing Awards-Law Firm, 2023
- Capitol Pro Bono High Honor Roll, 2025
- Chambers USA, Litigation, White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (New York), 2017-2026
- Jenner & Block Mentorship Award, 2014, 2020
- Lawdragon 500 Leading Global Leaders in Crisis Management, 2026
- Legal 500, Dispute Resolution, Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense, 2017, 2020-2021
- New York Metro Super Lawyers, Criminal Defense: White Collar, Appellate, Litigation, 2013-2023
Community
- Hearing on House Bill 1999 (to end juvenile life without parole), House Judiciary Committee, Pennsylvania State Legislature, 2010
- Transparency and Integrity in Corporate Monitoring Hearing before the House Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law, US Congress, 2009
- Jenner & Block, Instructor, The Art & Science of Internal Investigations: Best Practices, CLE, New York, NY, 2020
- Jenner & Block, Instructor, Grand Jury Practice CLE, New York, 2014
- Jenner & Block, Instructor, Internal Investigations CLE, New York, 2012-2013
- Jenner & Block, Instructor, Briefwriting CLE, New York, 2012
- New York University School of Law, United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law, Prosecution Clinic, 2006-2008
- United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Instructor, Trial Advocacy Skills Training, 2007-2008
- United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Instructor, Trial Advocacy Skills Training, 2002
- United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, Instructor, Training on Bruton v. United States, 2001
Service to the Bar
- American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section Task Force on Corporate Monitoring, Chairperson, 2010-2011