Gil M Soffer

Practice Areas

Gil Soffer, firm chair-elect and managing partner of Katten's Chicago office, has made his mark on both sides of white-collar actions. As a former federal prosecutor and senior Department of Justice (DOJ) official, he thoroughly understands the government's enforcement strategies and tactics. As an experienced white-collar defense lawyer and national co-chair of the firm's litigation practice, he devotes his practice to keeping clients out of trouble and navigating them safely through government investigations and enforcement actions.

Gil believes that the best strategy is prevention. He focuses on identifying risks and addressing them before the government does. He helps clients draw up compliance plans and codes of corporate conduct that are sensible and as business-friendly as possible within the bounds of the law. And where a government investigation has already begun, Gil devises ways to guide his clients — including corporations, their board members, their executives and employees — out of harm's way.

Career

Gil is managing partner of Katten's Chicago office. He has twice served in the Department of Justice. From 1994-2000, he was an Assistant US Attorney in Chicago, where he prosecuted white collar crimes and other federal offenses. And in 2008, Gil was appointed Associate Deputy Attorney General in Washington, DC, where he played a central role in promulgating the Department's Corporate Charging Principles and managing the President's Corporate Fraud Task Force.

Personal

Gil graduated magna cum laude from Brown University in 1986 and earned his JD, cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1989. In 2009, he was appointed by Illinois Governor Quinn as a Commissioner on the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission, and served as Chairman from 2013 until his term expired in 2015. Gil serves as legal analyst for WLS-Channel 7, the Chicago affiliate of ABC, and for KGO-Channel 7, the San Francisco affiliate of ABC.