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September 09, 2021
White Collar Defense and Investigations partner Philip Khinda has been named to The National Law Journal’s 2021 list of Crisis Leadership Trailblazers, recognized for his decades of experience in this area.
Asked by the NLJ to describe the top of the market in crisis management circles and the lessons that come from that work, Khinda shares some career highlights and his insights on exceptional results and client service:
“The most compelling and memorable matters are those with multiple fronts that pose unusual legal, business and practical challenges. Internal investigations with related government investigations and shareholder litigation come to mind, and my work on the CalPERS special review is a good example.
In addition to completing an 18-month internal investigation, we negotiated a series of new strategic relationships with Apollo Global Management and its other leading money managers that faced related placement agent and public corruption issues, securing over $200 million in fee concessions. We worked with federal and state authorities, including the DOJ, SEC and the California Attorney General, as they pursued those who harmed the fund, and also addressed issues raised by the IRS, the California Public Records Act, the California Fair Political Practices Commission and by related litigation in federal and state courts in California and elsewhere — and all under intense media scrutiny. It was an extraordinary series of challenges and successes that have stood the test of time.
My years in government and decades of private practice have also taught me to be a passionate believer in the good, quiet result, as well as to never underestimate the power of creativity and force of will. Resolving government investigations without charges ever being filed, or any public disclosure of the government’s interest ever being made, is a specialty of sorts and the best result for any client. Getting that from the government requires not only command, but grace and diplomacy. You won’t see your face in the paper or on the evening news, and you have to be completely comfortable knowing that the world may never know all that you did for the client. In the end, no one really wants to win on appeal. They want to be somewhere, years from now, and if asked about a sensitive matter, be able to smile and say that it quietly went away.”
To view the complete special supplement in the September 2021 issue of The National Law Journal, visit here.
