Walden Macht & Haran LLP, a leading law firm for white collar defense, commercial litigation, and government investigations, has named Jacob S. Gardener as an associate.

Gardener joins the firm having just completed a clerkship with the Honorable Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Prior to his clerkship, Gardener was an associate at a large global law firm, where he helped lead internal FCPA and securities fraud investigations, presented findings to the DOJ and SEC, handled complex commercial disputes, and briefed and argued an appeal of a murder conviction, among other experience. He also clerked for the Honorable Naomi Reice Buchwald of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. He previously served for several years as a New York City firefighter, assigned to Ladder 43 in East Harlem.

"Jacob is an extremely talented lawyer with exceptional experience dealing with prosecutors and regulators," said partner Jim Walden. "His deep understanding of intricate and complex issues will make him a tremendous asset to our clients. We are beyond thrilled to welcome him to the team."

At WMH, Gardener will represent corporations and individuals in criminal, civil, and regulatory matters. He has extensive experience managing internal and government investigations, complex commercial litigation, and appeals. He has successfully assisted clients in high-stakes matters involving securities fraud, the FCPA, contract disputes, mortgage-backed securities litigation, shareholder derivative actions, bankruptcy, and constitutional law. He has significant in-court experience, including briefing and arguing several criminal and civil appeals.

Gardener received a J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was a senior editor of the Yale Law and Policy Review, a Moot Court semi-finalist, and a member of the Moot Court Board of Directors. He holds a B.A. in Political Science from Stanford University, where he graduated with honors and distinction and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. His academic scholarship has been published in the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology and the Boston University Journal of Science and Technology Law. He has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters since 2012.

"Jacob is the most recent in a series of highly-experienced lawyers to join WMH in 2017," Walden said. "With the additions of John Curran, Rachel Brook, Daniel Chirlin, Milton Williams, and Sean Casey, we are rapidly creating one of the most diverse and experienced teams of lawyers in New York."

About Walden Macht & Haran LLP 

Walden Macht & Haran LLP (www.wmhlaw.com) is a New York-based law firm challenging the notion that only the largest firms can handle bet-the-company matters. The firm specializes in government investigations, white collar criminal defense, and complex commercial litigation. The firm combines the extensive experience of former federal prosecutors and regulatory enforcement investigators, seasoned commercial litigators, and exceptional lawyers drawn from international firms, to deliver outstanding results for clients.