Jeremy D. Margolis

Jeremy Margolis’ practice is international in scope, with an emphasis on grand jury investigations, internal investigations, compliance counseling, white collar investigations and complex commercial litigation. He provides smart and creative counsel to officers, directors, boards of directors, special committees and key employees of public and private companies in critical matters, which often affect a company’s survival.

Practice Area

Jeremy serves his clients in a broad array of circumstances, including allegations of violations of RICO, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, health care fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, mail and wire fraud, securities fraud and insider trading, antitrust matters, perjury, and tax violations. He has tried dozens of United States District Court jury cases to verdict, both for and against the government, and he has briefed and argued over 30 cases in the United States Court of Appeals.

Over the course of his career, Jeremy has represented and advised high-ranking elected and appointed public officials of both major political parties. He has extensive U.S. and international government relations experience protecting the legal, business and personal interests of a variety of foreign-born, extremely successful businessmen and well-known public figures, including Royal Family members. This dimension of his practice includes navigating Interpol matters and international travel safe passage issues, extraditions, and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty requests. In this regard and where appropriate, Jeremy works closely with a highly connected network of sophisticated, experienced and well-regarded lawyers in the particular countries involved.

Public Sector Experience

Prior to entering private practice, Jeremy served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago for 11 years, handling many cases of national interest. He conducted complex and sensitive investigations and prosecutions of sophisticated financial schemes, official corruption involving high-ranking federal and state elected and appointed public officials, and organized crime cases ranging from loan sharking to murder. His cases included both domestic and international terrorism involving bombings, air piracy, hostage taking and seditious conspiracy. Jeremy was one of the co-founders and coordinators of the multiagency Chicago Joint Terrorist Task Force, directly responsible for many matters directly affecting national security.

He also served for four years as Director of the Illinois State Police (ISP), a full-service law enforcement agency numbering over 2,500 officers and 1,000 support and laboratory personnel. The ISP’s law enforcement responsibilities include uniformed and tactical patrol, investigations, operating the State Police Academy, and delivering crime laboratory services to Illinois law enforcement agencies through a network of regional laboratories.

In addition, Jeremy served as Illinois Inspector General for three years, overseeing both criminal and regulatory investigations involving child abuse, public health, the environment and public safety. During his appointment as inspector general, he briefly served as Illinois Acting Director of Public Health during a statewide salmonella crisis caused by contaminated milk, which affected over 10,000 child and adult victims. The crisis was resolved with the coordinated involvement of the U.S. FDA and CDC.

Jeremy has lectured extensively at law schools, bar associations and civic organizations, and he has conducted training for state and local prosecutors and local, state and federal law enforcement officers. Additionally, he is regularly quoted in local and national media, including in hundreds of case-related newspaper and magazine articles, and he has been interviewed on radio and television programs such as 60 Minutes, Charlie Rose, Phil Donahue and Oprah Winfrey.