Martin’s practice focuses on white-collar criminal defense and regulatory enforcement matters, corporate monitorships, public corruption matters, forfeiture proceedings, antitrust matters, and internal corporate investigations, particularly in connection with potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). Martin also has broad experience representing financial institutions and other entities in complex commercial litigation and appellate matters before federal and state courts.
Martin has led large-scale, cross-border FCPA investigations in the oil and gas sector, the mining sector and the defense sector, among others. His investigations work has involved a number of international jurisdictions, including Italy, China, Thailand, Brazil, Peru, Russia, Nigeria, Guinea, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. Martin has been retained by individuals, companies, company boards of directors, and subcommittees of boards of directors.
Martin also advises companies on compliance issues under the FCPA, including assessing, drafting, and implementing corporate compliance programs and has extensive experience in conducting FCPA due diligence and advising on other FCPA risks in the context of mergers and acquisitions, including issues concerning successor liability.
Martin has been recognized for his work in the area of criminal investigations and white-collar criminal defense and writes frequently on criminal law and government investigations.
Prior to joining Cozen O'Connor, Martin was a partner in the New York office of a national law firm. Before entering private practice, he clerked for the Honorable Robert C. Chambers, U.S. District Court, Southern District of West Virginia.
Representative Experience
Internal Investigations and Compliance
Conducted an international investigation for a global defense company in connection with potentially improper payments to a third party agent in China.
Represented the audit committee and supervisory board of an Italian company in connection with an internal investigation relating to the acquisition of certain oil rights in Africa.
Represented the trustees of a Liechtenstein trust in connection with an internal investigation into allegations that associated companies obtained mining concessions in Africa through improper payments to individuals associated with African government officials.
Reviewed, revised and implemented an anti-corruption compliance program for a world-leading planning, design, management and supervision consultancy operating across offices in the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe.
Conducted an internal investigation and negotiated a favorable settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for a global manufacturing company in connection with allegations of improper payments to government officials in China, Russia, Peru, and Brazil in connection with large public projects.
Conducted an internal investigation for a prominent technology company to determine whether a contract with a Russian state-owned company was obtained through improper means and whether any misrepresentations were made to the U.S. Export-Import Bank in connection with funding for the transaction.
Represented an international offshore engineering and construction company in connection with an inquiry by the U.S. Department of Justice and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission into issues relating to stock option backdating.
Represented a global defense company to resolve charges in a U.S. Department of Justice investigation involving possible FCPA issues and in a related civil derivative lawsuit which won dismissal in the federal district court.
Represented a Norwegian oil and gas services company in their plea agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice to resolve FCPA charges.
Conducted extensive FCPA due diligence in connection with the acquisition of a Swiss drugmaker by a U.S.-based pharmaceutical company in a deal valued at more than $5 billion.
Advised a global investment bank in connection with FCPA risks associated with establishing a securities joint venture in China.
Monitorships
Serves as a government-appointed integrity monitor monitoring for fraud, waste, and abuse in connection with Hurricane Sandy rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts in New York City.
Represented a global medical device company as an interface between the company and the government-appointed corporate monitor under a deferred prosecution agreement.
Litigation on Behalf of Financial Institutions
Represented a major Pakistani bank in connection with a forfeiture action filed under the U.S. Patriot Act.
Represented a major German bank in connection with litigation brought against it for coupon payments on securities issued by bank’s Delaware LLC. After successfully having the case dismissed, argued an appeal before the Delaware Supreme Court.
Represented a large British bank in connection with a series of lawsuits against hedge funds arising out of the financial crisis.
Part of the trial team that represented a global investment bank in connection with the first Enron-related litigation to go to trial.
Represented a third-party payment processor in connection with both civil and criminal investigations being undertaken relating to the payday lending industry.
Antitrust
Represented a REIT in connection with an antitrust investigation being undertaken by the New York Attorney General.
Represented a Japanese pharmaceutical company in connection with the largest antitrust matter ever prosecuted criminally by the U.S. Department of Justice, and also handled the related civil class action litigations, all involving the worldwide vitamins industry.
Civil Litigation
Representing three investments funds in connection with a securities fraud action against a major Kazakhstani Bank and a sovereign wealth fund.
Representing a hedge fund and its managing director in connection with litigation stemming from a charitable pledge.
Represented a Korean pharmaceutical company in connection with litigation in New York State Court involving a dispute under the terms of a licensing agreement.
Represented the New York Police Department and several police officers in a civil rights case, ending in a defense verdict after a three-day jury trial in the Southern District of New York.
Recent Firm Publications
Martin Bloor, Linda Regis-Hallinan, and Rachel Collins Clarke, Société Générale’s $1.34 Billion Penalty Highlights the Importance of a Robust Compliance Function (Nov. 27, 2018)
Martin Bloor, Nicole Sprinzen, and Andrew D. Linz, DOJ Issues Guidance Emphasizing Importance of Remedial Action to Corporate Monitorship Decisions (Oct. 17, 2018)
Martin Bloor, Linda Regis-Hallinan, Matthew W. Kinskey, and Dina Moussa, The Second Circuit Narrows the Extraterritorial Reach of the FCPA (Aug. 27, 2018)
Martin Bloor and Yehudah Gordon, New DOJ Policy Seeks to Avoid “Piling On” Corporate Penalties (May 10, 2018)
Recent External Publications
Martin Bloor and Rachel Collins Clarke, Increasingly Invasive Technology Searches at Airports, White Collar Crime Newsletter, ABA Criminal Justice Section (Summer/Fall 2018 ed.)