Sergio E. Acosta

Akerman's White Collar Crime and Government Investigations Practice is co-chaired by Sergio Acosta. He has extensive experience defending companies and individuals in criminal and regulatory proceedings, conducting internal investigations, and counseling clients on compliance programs and related issues as a former federal prosecutor and Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers with over 70 jury trials to his credit.

Sergio represents companies and individuals in regulatory, civil, and criminal proceedings brought by government agencies for alleged wrongdoing, and advises clients on enforcement and other litigation matters, such as allegations of bribery, alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and the Anti-Kickback Statute; financial and regulatory fraud (e.g., False Claims Act, securities, tax, bankruptcy, and federal program fraud); and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) He's performed internal investigations for a variety of state and municipal government agencies.

Sergio is bilingual in Spanish and has represented individual business executives throughout Latin America as primary counsel in internal investigations. In Illinois and elsewhere, he also advises and represents corporations in the gambling industry.

Sergio worked for the United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois for nearly eighteen years, including seven years as Chief of the General Crimes Section. Sergio oversaw and prosecuted hundreds of complex federal criminal cases involving bank fraud, health care fraud, tax fraud, racketeering, violent crime, embezzlement, weapons violations, political corruption, money laundering, obstruction of justice, and terrorism during his time as an Assistant US Attorney. He was also the Office's Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator, leading a team of prosecutors and FBI investigators in indicting legendary former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge.

Sergio was the Administrator of the Illinois Gaming Board from 1999 to 2001, the organization in charge of overseeing all facets of the state's casino gambling sector. Sergio began his career as an Assistant State Attorney in Miami-Dade County, Florida, where he worked under then-Attorney State's Janet Reno in multiple supervisory capacities.

Education

• J.D., George Washington University Law School, 1985
• B.A., DePaul University, French, 1982

Award List

Recognized in The Best Lawyers in America for work in:

• Commercial Litigation