Starr, Robert L.

Stephen A. Jonas is a partner in the firm's Litigation/Controversy Department and the Chair of the firm's Investigations and Criminal Litigation Practice Group. Mr. Jonas is also a member of the Business Trial Group.

Practice

Mr. Jonas’s practice focuses on representing corporations and individuals in investigations and criminal defense and grand jury matters. His work includes the full range of representation of clients in this area from internal corporate investigations to grand jury representation to criminal trials and appeals, all in jurisdictions around the country. Mr. Jonas also handles related government enforcement proceedings and civil litigation. He has substantial experience in the areas of health care fraud, securities fraud, economic espionage and environmental crimes. Mr. Jonas also has expertise in the unique issues of representing corporate and outside legal counsel in government investigations.

Mr. Jonas joined Hale and Dorr in 1984. In 1988, Mr. Jonas was appointed Deputy Attorney General and Chief of the Public Protection Bureau of the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office, which handled all of the Commonwealth’s environmental, civil rights and consumer enforcement investigations and litigation, as well as its nuclear plant safety and asbestos property damage litigation. Mr. Jonas rejoined the firm in 1991.

Recent Highlights

Representative examples of investigations and criminal litigation matters that Mr. Jonas has handled recently include:

• Representing international pharmaceutical and medical device companies in federal criminal health care fraud investigations conducted by the DOJ and related false claims act cases 
• Representing medical device and pharmaceutical company executives and employees in criminal health care fraud investigations conducted by the DOJ
• Representing an Indian-based worldwide business technology company in federal grand jury and related investigations concerning immigration matters
• Trial counsel for the former executive vice president and general counsel of a software company in a federal securities fraud trial
• Trial counsel for in house corporate counsel prosecuted by the DOJ in federal criminal environmental case
• Representing an investment advisory firm in connection with a federal investigation and trial of public corruption in New York State
• Representing a Far East-based food processing company in a federal criminal investigation of alleged violations of endangered species laws and the federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act

Professional Activities

Mr. Jonas is a member of the American Bar Association, the Massachusetts Bar Association and the National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys.

Honors and Awards

• Named a "New England Super Lawyer" (formerly "Massachusetts Super Lawyer") in white collar criminal defense in the 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2011 issues of Boston Magazine
• Selected as one of the world's leading defense lawyers in the 2012 edition of Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Crime Defence Lawyers

Community Involvement

Mr. Jonas is a member of the Board of Directors of Wide Horizons for Children, Inc., an international adoption agency.