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Kevin Abikoff

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Kevin is the head of the Firm’s International Investigations and Compliance practice. He is also a member of Securities Litigation and White Collar Defense & Investigations groups.

A seasoned litigator, Kevin brings more than 30 years of experience in securities and white-collar criminal litigation, investigations, enforcement, regulation and counseling matters. He regularly represents clients across myriad industries and geographical regions on the full range of governance, investigations and anti-corruption issues, including US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters. Kevin frequently represents clients before US enforcement agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ). Kevin has led investigations and their post-resolution activities for numerous multinational companies. He has also successfully helped them navigate the terms of negotiated settlements with international regulators.

Kevin has successfully defended numerous class and derivative actions as well as M&A-related litigation, including books and records demands. He also specializes in advising boards of directors and senior executives on comprehensive governance and liability matters.

Kevin also maintains a robust monitorship practice. He was the first external anti-corruption compliance monitor jointly appointed by the DOJ, SEC and UK Serious Fraud Office (with the advice and approval of the US Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control). Kevin has also served as the monitor for multiple companies in connection with their debarment and sanction by the World Bank and African Development Bank and the United Nations.

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The last two decades have been marked by robust enforcement of the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) by the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) and Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  In line with its “shock and awe” approach, the Trump Administration seemingly called the future enforcement of that law into question when, on February 10, 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order directing the Attorney General, Pam Bondi, to “pause” enforcement of the FCPA and conduct a comprehensive review and update of the law’s enforcement approach. The “pause heard around the world” shocked many commentators, anti-corruption campaigners, and countries that are signatories of the OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions (“OECD Convention”), as it raised questions about the United States’ commitment to combatting corruption going forward.

Confession: writing this in May 2025, we cannot predict with confidence what the rest of 2025 will bring. The year has already seen four months of change and upheaval – political, regulatory, and economic. The new US administration has touted a business-friendly regulatory environment, with actual and promised tax cuts and deregulation. However, geopolitical tensions, tariff trade wars and political instability have introduced new risks and created a climate of extreme unpredictability. We should expect 2025 to hold several surprises still, whether that is a breakout of peace or new political themes obtaining prominence in one or more jurisdictions.