In a strategic move, Milbank has brought on board former federal prosecutor Nola Heller to assume the role of co-head for the white-collar defense and investigations team at the firm's New York office. This notable development was announced on Thursday, underlining Milbank's commitment to reinforcing its litigation and arbitration capabilities.
Heller, a seasoned legal professional, joins Milbank after an impressive tenure as a partner at Cahill Gordon & Reindel, a prominent law firm, where she made significant contributions since 2017. Before this, she accumulated over a decade of invaluable experience as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. Her roles during this tenure encompassed leadership positions such as chief of the violent and organized crimes unit and co-chief of the general crimes unit.
Milbank's decision to bring in Heller is strengthened by her outstanding prosecution and private practice track record. A distinguishing factor in Heller's attraction to Milbank was the opportunity to collaborate with fellow legal minds who share her background as a former prosecutor from the Southern District of New York. Among these notable colleagues are George Canellos, overseeing the firm's litigation and arbitration group on a global scale, and Scott Edelman, the esteemed chairman of Milbank.
Highlighting the evolution of her legal focus, Heller noted that her recent endeavors have centered around intricate domains such as cryptocurrency, insider trading, and communications record-keeping. Notably, U.S. regulatory bodies have embarked on a sweeping enforcement initiative, targeting instances of "off-channel" work communications among Wall Street entities. This pertains to communication methods like text messages and WhatsApp, which run afoul of regulations mandating the retention of specific work-related communications. In a significant regulatory action, fines totaling $549 million were levied against nine Wall Street firms earlier this month.
In a formal statement, Cahill expressed gratitude for Heller's service and extended well-wishes as she transitioned to this new professional phase. Cahill has experienced the departure of several partners and practice leaders to competing law firms this year. This includes Brad Bondi, who formerly led Cahill's white-collar and government investigations group and recently assumed a similar role at Paul Hastings in April.
