CHICAGO — Prominent U.S. Attorney Section Chief
Sergio E. Acosta joined Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP today as a Partner in the
Chicago office. Mr. Acosta was Chief of the General Crimes Section of the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois since 2003. He will focus his practice on white collar crime, appellate matters, internal investigations and gaming.
“We’re expanding our already impressive white collar crime practice and are extremely pleased to welcome Sergio to the firm. His trial and investigative skills will complement the highly experienced team of white collar crime practitioners we offer our clients,” said
J. William Roberts, Hinshaw’s Managing Partner and former U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois. “The growth of the practice was and continues to be a key strategic priority for the firm,” he added, referring to the recent addition of former U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois
Rodger A. Heaton, who joined the firm as a partner in October 2009.
“Hinshaw has been the right move for me, and it’s very gratifying to see the firm’s dedication to achieve its mission of adding distinguished attorneys, from the government and elsewhere to make it even stronger,” said Rodger Heaton.
In addition to Mr. Roberts and Mr. Heaton, Mr. Acosta joins in the practice such prominent partners as
Joel D. Bertocchi, former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and Solicitor General for the state of Illinois;
Maranda E. Fritz, former Senior Investigative Counsel in the New York District Attorney’s Office;
L. Lee Smith, former Supervising Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of Illinois; and
Daniel M. Purdom, a former Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois and the chair of Hinshaw’s
White Collar Crime Practice Group.
“The depth of expertise and the skill of the lawyers who comprise Hinshaw’s white collar practice were very attractive to me as I contemplated a move to private practice,” said Mr. Acosta of his move to the firm. “Hinshaw’s capabilities locally and across the country are impressive, and I am proud to join the very accomplished team here.” All 10 partners in Hinshaw’s white collar practice boast significant accomplishments as public service attorneys on the county, state and federal levels.
Mr. Acosta’s litigation practice will focus on corporate governance, corporate investigations, regulatory compliance and gaming law. His 25-year career has been spent primarily in public service law, and began in Florida. While with the office of the State's Attorney of Dade County Florida, then headed by former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno, he held several roles, most notably as Chief of the County Court Division and a Chief in the Felony Division. In 1990 Mr. Acosta came to Illinois, where he held roles within the U.S. Attorney’s office.
In 1999, Mr. Acosta became Administrator of the Illinois Gaming Board, where he was responsible for the regulation of all aspects of casino gambling in Illinois. Mr. Acosta returned to the U.S. Attorney’s office in 2001 in the Organized Crime Section. He was quickly promoted to Deputy Chief of the Major Case Section, and in 2003 returned to the General Crimes Section as its Chief. He has received commendations from the Chicago Bar Foundation, Chicago Crime Commission, U.S. Department of Justice, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms and the Drug Enforcement Administration for his work in the public sector.
Mr. Acosta is a founder and former president of the National Hispanic Prosecutors Association. He is trilingual (English, Spanish and French) and has been an adjunct professor of law at Northwestern University since 1998. A prolific and popular speaker, Mr. Acosta has conducted numerous litigation training presentations, and is a member of Leadership Greater Chicago’s board of directors.
Mr. Acosta earned his juris doctor from The George Washington University Law School and has a bachelor’s degree from DePaul University.
Founded in 1934, Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP is a national law firm with approximately 500 lawyers in 24 offices spanning 12 states, including
Arizona,
California,
Florida,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Massachusetts,
Minnesota,
Missouri,
New York,
Oregon,
Rhode Island and
Wisconsin.
Hinshaw offers a full-service practice, with an emphasis in litigation, business law and corporate transactions, environmental, intellectual property, labor and employment law, professional liability defense, estate planning and taxation matters. The firm represents a range of for-profit and not-for-profit clients in industries that include alarm and security services, construction, financial services, health care, hospitality, insurance, legal, manufacturing, real estate, retail and transportation. Hinshaw clients also include government agencies, municipalities and schools.