Former DOJ Senior Trial Counsel Jake M. Shields Joins Gibson Dunn in D.C.
Firm News | January 13, 2025
Gibson Dunn is pleased to announce that Jake M. Shields has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C. office as a partner and member of the firm’s False Claims Act/Qui Tam Defense, Litigation, and White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Groups.
“We are excited to welcome Jake to Gibson Dunn,” said Jonathan Phillips, Co-Chair of the firm’s global False Claims Act/Qui Tam Defense Practice Group. “The number of False Claims Act cases continue to increase with no abatement in sight. We have built a destination practice for clients facing these high-stakes challenges, and Jake’s DOJ Civil Fraud litigation experience will bring further depth to Gibson Dunn’s defense team. Jake also has strong experience in cybersecurity fraud cases, having handled some of the first such cases to be opened under DOJ’s Civil Cyber Fraud Initiative, and his perspectives will significantly benefit clients facing challenges in this emerging area.”
“I’m thrilled to begin the next chapter of my career at Gibson Dunn,” said Jake. “Gibson Dunn’s premier litigation platform, coupled with its unmatched talent, will serve as a strong foundation on which to build. I look forward to collaborating with this high caliber team to help clients navigate their investigatory and litigation challenges.”
Gibson Dunn continues to attract top legal talent from government amidst one of the fastest growth periods in the firm’s history. The firm’s team includes senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Trade Commission, and other agencies at the forefront of consumer protection, competition, white collar investigations, transactional, and policy areas. Recent additions to the firm include Osman Nawaz, former SEC Enforcement Senior Officer and National Unit Chief; Katlin McKelvie, who joined after serving senior roles at the Food and Drug Administration and Department of Health and Human Services; Stuart Delery, who formerly held positions of White House Counsel, Deputy Counsel to the President, Assistant Attorney General of the DOJ Civil Division, and Acting Associate U.S. Attorney General; Gus Eyler, who served as Director of DOJ’s Consumer Protection Branch; Svetlana Gans, who served as Chief of Staff at the Federal Trade Commission; and former federal judges Gregg Costa and George Hazel.
About Jake M. Shields
Jake is a former Senior Trial Counsel in the Fraud Section of the Civil Division at the U.S. Department of Justice. While at DOJ, Jake also served on detail to the Technology and Digital Platforms Section of DOJ’s Antitrust Division. Prior to joining DOJ, Jake was in private practice for more than a decade.
With expertise in the False Claims Act, Jake is experienced in matters involving allegations of healthcare fraud, financial fraud, procurement fraud, and customs fraud, as well as violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, Stark Law, Tariff Act, Payroll Protection Program, and restrictions on off-label marketing of prescription drugs. Jake also has had significant involvement in DOJ’s efforts to enforce federal cybersecurity requirements through the Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative. An experienced litigator, Jake has served as lead counsel in multiple False Claims Act and other complex civil and fraud litigations.
Jake earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 2003, where he served on the editorial board of the Virginia Law Review. From 2003 to 2004, Jake clerked for Judge Emilio M. Garza on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.