Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer’s Newark office continues to grow with the recent addition of Lee Cortes, a diligent federal prosecutor known for litigating against members of former Gov. Chris Christie’s administration in New Jersey’s “Bridgegate” scandal. Having spent a laudable 14 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, Cortes rejoins Arnold & Porter as a partner, bringing his significant experience on a wide variety of cases, including health-care fraud and public corruption. Cortes began his legal journey in 2003 as an associate at Kaye & Scholer, a premerger firm to Arnold & Porter.
In an interview following his return, Cortes expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to contribute to a practice dealing directly with health care and life sciences, especially as New Jersey sits in a bustling life sciences corridor, making it a focus area for both the Department of Justice and the attorney general. During his time in public service, Cortes notably served as chief of the health-care fraud unit, leading key investigations and prosecutions of health-care fraud schemes, as well as statutory violations, an experience he hopes would significantly benefit Arnold & Porter.
Cortes’ return coincided with another significant addition to the firm, Jeffrey Talbert. Formerly a trial lawyer with the Department of Justice and the head of the environmental practice at Maine-based firm Preti, Flaherty, Beliveau & Pachios, Talbert brought with him not only his impressive expertise but also a team comprising three additional lawyers and a paralegal from his previous firm. Talbert, along with his team, will work out of the firm’s Boston and Newark offices. To ensure continuity of service, most of Talbert’s clients from Preti Flaherty have elected to follow him over to Arnold & Porter.
These recent additions are part of Arnold & Porter’s concerted expansion efforts. The firm has been bolstering its white-collar crime and environmental capabilities by recruiting seasoned government lawyers around the country. Both Cortes and Talbert are welcomed additions to this effort, each bringing invaluable insights from their respective fields. Find out more about their appointments in the original article covered by NJ Law Journal.