PROFILE
Jeffrey Isaacs' practice focuses on a broad array of complex civil, and criminal and regulatory matters. His clients have included government entities, publicly-traded corporations, privately-held businesses, unions, executives, licensed professionals, athletes and entrepreneurs.
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Los Angeles U.S. Attorney's Office, Mr. Isaacs prosecuted cases of national and international significance involving financial institution, securities, healthcare, pension, insurance and tax fraud, cybercrime, racketeering, public corruption and money laundering. In addition to securing many notable convictions, he recovered close to $1 billion in criminal fines and victim restitution, and received commendations from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies for this work. In the Credit Lyonnais case, he headed a six-year investigation that led to the prosecution of a French state-owned bank, its present and former Chairmen, and other senior bank officials for fraud involving Executive Life Insurance Company, in which he obtained corporate and individual convictions and a record $775 million in criminal settlements.
During his career as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Isaacs served as:
- Deputy Chief of the Major Frauds Section
- Special Attorney to the Attorney General to prosecute corruption in Arizona
- Securities Fraud Coordinator
- Financial Institution Fraud Coordinator
- Pension and Benefit Plan Fraud Coordinator.
Immediately prior to co-founding the firm, Mr. Isaacs served as the Chief Assistant City Attorney for the City of Los Angeles. In that position, he supervised the 300-attorney Criminal Division and built the premier public affirmative litigation unit in the state. During his six-year tenure, the unit obtained multi-million dollar recoveries for the City in a number of high profile cases involving homeless patient dumping, unlawful health insurance rescissions, hazardous waste disposal, wage theft, false advertising and bank owned foreclosed nuisance properties.
REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS
- Investigation and prosecution of $1.5 billion fraud relating to 1990 takeover of MGM Studios; conviction of former MGM Chairman; pending extradition of former MGM President from Italy upheld by Italian Supreme Court.
- Investigation and prosecution of former Arizona Governor Fife Symington, III for bank fraud and extortion; conviction following 3-month jury trial.
- Investigation and prosecution of investment company executives for securities fraud and international money laundering; convictions of two former company presidents following 10-week jury trial.
- Investigation and prosecution of real estate company president for securities, mail and bankruptcy fraud involving misappropriation of $40 million from thousands of elderly victims; conviction following 12-week trial.
- Investigation and prosecution of top executives of insurance service provider for benefit plan fraud, illegal kickback payments, and money laundering; convictions of President, Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer following 10-week jury trial.
- RICO prosecution of massive loan fraud scheme that artificially inflated real estate values in two densely populated Southern California regions; 20 convictions, including real estate brokers, mortgage bankers, attorneys, appraiser and escrow officers.
- Prosecution of executives and sales force of large Orange County boiler room operation for selling worthless precious metals investments to the public; convictions of Chairman and top salesman following 8-week jury trial.
- Defense of General Dynamics and senior executives against fraud charges relating to development of advanced mobile gun system; pretrial dismissal of all charges, Senate resolution apologizing to company and executives, and recovery of attorney's fees from government.
- Defense of Sears Roebuck against fraud charges relating to alleged dumping of Japanese televisions; pretrial dismissal of all charges.
EDUCATION
- J.D., University of Southern California, Gould School of Law, Los Angeles, California, 1984
- A.B., Colgate University, Hamilton, New York, 1980
AWARDS & DISTINCTIONS
- Chambers USA, 2018 – 2023
- Southern California “Super Lawyers,” in 2006-2009, 2016-2024
- America’s Top 100 Bet The Company Litigators, 2021-2022
- America’s Top 100 Criminal Defense Attorneys, 2020
- 10 Best Criminal Law Attorneys for Client Satisfaction by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys, 2018-2020
- Top Lawyers in California, The Legal Network, 2017 – 2020
- Top Attorneys in Southern California, Selected by Peer Recognition and Professional Achievement as Published in Los Angeles Magazine, 2016 - 2020
- Honored as one of the “Attorneys of the Year” by California Lawyer, 2009
- Selected as one of the “Top 100 Lawyers in California” by Daily Journal, 2008
- Twice awarded prestigious Department of Justice Director’s Award for superior performance as a federal prosecutor
- Former lecturer at U.S. Department of Justice National Advocacy Center and the FBI Academy at Quantico, Virginia
- Instructor at the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law, Grand Jury Practice and Procedure
- Profiled in 2009 California Lawyer article, “Coverage in Tatters,” highlighting success in combating the practice of unlawful rescission of health insurance policies in California