NEW YORK – Jan. 17, 2025 – Former U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger will rejoin Greenberg Traurig, LLP Feb. 1 as co-chair of the firm’s Global Litigation Practice and founding chair of the New Jersey office. Prior to his appointment as U.S. Attorney in 2021, Sellinger founded Greenberg Traurig’s New Jersey office in 2002 and served as co-chair of the firm’s Global Litigation Practice.
“It is an honor and pleasure to welcome Philip home to Greenberg Traurig, where his leadership in our Global Litigation Practice and New Jersey office over the years prior to his becoming U.S. Attorney was always profoundly appreciated,” said Richard A. Rosenbaum, Executive Chairman of Greenberg Traurig. “He is a distinguished attorney and a pillar in both the U.S. litigation bar and the New Jersey community, having always maintained the highest standards of quality and integrity. His experience, energy, collaborative nature, and servant style of leadership will once again be of significant value to his colleagues and the firm’s clients, particularly in our Global Litigation Practice, and to the further strategic growth of our New Jersey office.”
“Philip’s return to help lead our Global Litigation Practice is a strong addition to our robust team of 800 litigators, of whom more than 60 are former federal and state prosecutors, including eight former U.S. Attorneys. This team continues to grow from strength to strength, providing clients with representation at the highest level including real trial experience wherever and whenever needed worldwide,” Greenberg Traurig Chief Executive Officer Brian L. Duffy said.
Sellinger noted, “Serving as the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey has been the privilege of a lifetime. I am now thrilled to return home to Greenberg Traurig, an exceptionally dynamic law firm that truly embodies my commitment to legal excellence and the highest level of client service. Certainly, the firm’s presence in most major financial centers across the globe and vast array of practice expertise provides a platform that will greatly benefit the clients I expect to serve.”
At Greenberg Traurig, Sellinger will focus on high stakes complex trials and litigation in a wide array of areas, including government and internal investigations, white collar, class action defense, financial services, and technology litigation.
“We are thrilled to once again be able to benefit from Philip’s considerable knowledge and skill as both an extraordinary litigator and leader,” said Lori G. Cohen and Masoud Zabeti, Co-Chairs of the Global Litigation Practice. “We look forward to working closely with him to continue to grow our award-winning Global Litigation Practice around the world.”
As U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey, Sellinger was the presidentially appointed and Senate-confirmed chief federal law enforcement officer in the state. He oversaw a wide range of important federal criminal prosecutions and civil litigation for the state and managed 165 prosecutors and 120 staff members.
Under Sellinger’s direction, the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office achieved international prominence in fighting cybercrime; reached landmark corporate criminal and civil resolutions; and aggressively prosecuted securities fraud, insider trading and market manipulation, public corruption, money laundering, fraud against government and private health care plans, government contract and customs fraud, unlawful kickback schemes, violent crime, and civil rights violations. He created the first standalone Civil Rights Division at any U.S. Attorneys’ Office and created a Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit.
Sellinger also served as chair of the Department of Justice’s E-Litigation Advisory Council, vice chair of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s Civil Rights Subcommittee, and a member of both the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee’s White Collar Crime Committee and Corporate Criminal Enforcement Working Group, which authored a voluntary self-disclosure policy that set a nationwide standard detailing the circumstances under which a company will receive credit for disclosing misconduct.
“Philip has been an incredible mentor and friend throughout my career, and we are ecstatic about the leadership and strategic vision he will bring back to our 65 lawyer New Jersey office and the firm,” said David Jay, Co-Managing Shareholder of the New Jersey office. Co-Managing Shareholder David W. Oppenheim added that, “Philip has had an indelible impact on the State of New Jersey as a U.S. Attorney and as a leader at Greenberg Traurig.” Both agreed that “to welcome him back to the office he founded is an exciting opportunity for us to continue to grow in the state as its pre-eminent law firm dedicated to providing exemplary legal counsel and client service.”
About Greenberg Traurig’s New Jersey Office: Established in 2002, Greenberg Traurig’s New Jersey office has grown into a team of nationally recognized attorneys who provide legal advice to international, national, and local business and technology clients. The office’s practice areas include Complex Commercial and Class Action Litigation; Hatch-Waxman Litigation; Pharmaceutical, Medical Device & Health Care Litigation; Product Liability & Mass Torts; Corporate; Restructuring & Bankruptcy; Construction Law; Franchise & Distribution; Immigration & Compliance; Intellectual Property & Technology; Labor & Employment; Real Estate; Tax; and Private Wealth Services. As a significant contributor to the firm’s international platform, the New Jersey team offers clients both the know-how and geographic reach of a global law firm combined with the dedication and responsiveness of a local firm.
About Greenberg Traurig’s Litigation Practice: Greenberg Traurig’s Litigation Practice includes a team of more than 800 attorneys. The firm’s trial lawyers regularly appear in state and federal courts throughout the country, as well as in appellate courts and before international arbitration panels. They work closely with in-house counsel to develop a strategy that best fits a litigation cost and proficiency model appropriate to the client’s unique needs and goals.
About Greenberg Traurig: Greenberg Traurig, LLP has more than 2750 attorneys in 48 locations in the United States, Europe and the Middle East, Latin America, and Asia. The firm is a 2024 BTI “Leading Edge Law Firm” for delivering on client expectations for the future and is consistently among the top firms on the Am Law Global 100 and NLJ 500. Greenberg Traurig is Mansfield Rule Certified Plus by The Diversity Lab. The firm is recognized for powering its U.S. offices with 100% renewable energy as certified by the Center for Resource Solutions Green-e® Energy program and is a member of the U.S. EPA’s Green Power Partnership Program. The firm is known for its philanthropic giving, innovation, diversity, and pro bono. Web: www.gtlaw.com.
