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Experience:
James Barz concentrates his practice on litigation and internal investigations. He has significant trial and appellate experience, including 18 federal and state jury trials, and has drafted numerous appellate briefs, with 9 oral arguments before the Seventh Circuit.
At Mayer Brown LLP, Jim focuses on commercial litigation, including antitrust claims, contract and other commercial disputes, and arbitrations. Jim is also a registered CPA in Illinois and has significant experience in defending public accounting firms against malpractice claims and shareholder class actions arising from financial statement restatements, bankruptcies, and insurance company insolvencies as well as experience representing accounting firms with regard to contract claims and member firm disputes.
He is also a member of the firm's White Collar/Corporate Compliance practice and has experience in conducting internal investigations. Jim recently conducted an internal investigation relating to employee embezzlement and also completed an internal investigation of a large cultural institution reporting to the audit committee.
Jim has also handled several pro bono criminal cases where he has obtained a reversal of a conviction in a case in which the trial judge solicited a bribe from the defendant, obtained an acquittal on all counts after trial, and secured dismissal of charges after prevailing on motions.
Jim is a former Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago, where he tried cases and supervised investigations in the Money Laundering and Forfeiture, General Crimes, and Public Corruption Sections. As a federal prosecutor, he prosecuted cases including complex financial and accounting frauds, tax offenses, bankruptcy fraud, money laundering offenses, and public corruption. He successfully obtained convictions against every defendant who went to trial.
Education:
Northwestern University School of Law, JD, cum laude, 1998; Northwestern University Law Review, Loyola University Chicago, School of Business Administration, BBA summa cum laude, 1995; Accounting Departmental Key 1995; Beta Alpha Psi, Beta Gamma Sigma. | 