Manatt Expands National Litigation Practice On East Coast

WASHINGTON, Feb. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, announced that Andrew Zimmitti has joined the Washington, D.C., office as a partner in the Litigation Division. He joins the firm from Patton Boggs, LLP, where he was a partner in the banking and financial, commercial litigation and government investigations practice groups.

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Zimmitti joins former Patton Boggs colleague Carol Van Cleef at Manatt. Van Cleef, whose move was announced Feb. 12, is one of the nation's leading experts on issues related to payments systems and virtual currencies, including Bitcoin and other crypto and commodity-backed currencies.

Zimmitti represents clients in federal and state courts in a wide variety of civil and white collar matters. He has substantial experience advising and defending financial institutions, money services businesses and institution-affiliated parties in regulatory enforcement actions including Bank Secrecy Act/Anti-Money Laundering compliance and consumer protection/unfair, deceptive and abusive practices related actions. He represents clients in Securities and Exchange Commission investigations and litigation concerning the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the Investment Advisors Act, broker-dealer regulations, and in bankruptcy proceedings. Zimmitti also advises clients on policies and protocols for the preservation, collection, review and production of electronically stored information in civil litigation.

"The addition of a lawyer with Andrew's considerable background and abilities underscores our commitment to offering first-rate litigation capabilities in our core industry sectors," said Matt Kanny, chair of Manatt's national Litigation Division. "Andrew joins an impressive group of litigators in our Washington office, and his extensive trial experience, notably in consumer financial services, will bring immediate value to clients. He and Carol make a formidable team and we are pleased to welcome Andrew to Manatt."

Prior to joining Patton Boggs, Zimmitti served on active duty as a judge advocate in the U.S. Navy, where he tried cases before military courts-martial and administrative separation boards. He represented senior military personnel in various administrative matters within the Department of Defense and advised active duty and retired military personnel on diverse civil matters.

Zimmitti said, "Manatt's cross-disciplinary approach is compelling. I was particularly impressed by the firm's sophisticated regulatory, financial services and banking practices, which, combined with a nationally recognized litigation bench and premier digital media and advertising practices, provide an ideal platform to service my clients and continue to expand my practice. Also, the opportunity to join my former colleague Carol Van Cleef, who is doing extraordinary work in the global payments and anti-money laundering space, was one I could not pass up. I look forward to working with this dynamic and accomplished group."

Zimmitti earned a B.A. from the University of Chicago and a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center.

About Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP, is one of the nation's leading law and consulting firms, with offices strategically located in California (Los Angeles, Orange County, Palo Alto, San Francisco and Sacramento), New York (New York City and Albany) and Washington, D.C. The firm represents a sophisticated client base — including Fortune 500, middle-market and emerging companies — across a range of practice areas and industry sectors. For more information, visit www.manatt.com.

CONTACT:

Lawrence Martinez, (310) 231-5443
Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, LLP

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