December 2020 – Kendall Brill & Kelly LLP Partners Janet I. Levine and Robert Edward Dugdale were named among California’s top White Collar Lawyers by the state’s largest legal publication, the Daily Journal.
The Daily Journal honored Ms. Levine for her distinguished legal career and highly confidential work in white collar and regulatory enforcement matters, noting that most of her cases remain “under wraps” because she resolves investigations without charges being filed or the matters becoming public.
The publication did highlight one public case, Ms. Levine’s representation of former Los Angeles City Councilmember Mitchell Englander in the ongoing corruption investigation of City Hall.
The Daily Journal honored Mr. Dugdale for his work in white collar defense and representation of clients in government investigations, pointing out that he joined KBK after serving 19 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District.
The Daily Journal also discussed with Ms. Levine and Mr. Dugdale the potential changes in white collar prosecutions with the incoming Biden administration. Ms. Levine stated that “the last four years have been aberrant. There was almost a hard stop in enforcement except in health care. I expect a major increase in enforcement in environmental crimes and securities.”
Mr. Dugdale told the publication that he expects “a greater focus on ignored issues such as public corruption and other backburner matters such as environmental crimes and those in which consumers are harmed by criminal wrongdoing.”
Mr. Dugdale also discussed his efforts to shift the government’s view of his clients, saying that “I open the prosecutors’ eyes to what individuals go through, and convince courts that a defendant shouldn’t be judged solely on what was the worst moment of their lives. I get to know the defendant, learn what makes them tick so I can explain their actions ‑ not to excuse, but to get appropriate mercy.”