Matthew Haggans

About Matthew Haggans

Matthew is counsel in our white-collar defense, global investigations and corporate crime practice with over a decade of public and private sector experience handling high stakes litigation and cross-border regulatory matters. He focuses his practice on government investigations, particularly on national security matters involving sanctions and export controls, money laundering, international terrorism, counterintelligence and cyber risks, and corruption.  He also regularly counsels global companies on their compliance programs. 

Prior to rejoining Freshfields, Matthew served as an Assistant US Attorney in the criminal division for the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, focusing on national security and cybercrime matters. As a federal prosecutor, Matthew tried many cases to verdict and argued numerous appeals before the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Matthew routinely conducted sensitive work overseas, including evidence collection, engagement with foreign law enforcement personnel, witness interviews, and extraditions. Matthew also served as Deputy Chief of the General Crimes section, responsible for supervising and training new Assistant US Attorneys in prosecuting a variety of matters including money laundering, violent crimes, child exploitation offenses, firearms offenses, identity theft, fraud, and immigration and tax offenses.  

Before entering government service, Matthew worked at Freshfields as an associate in the global dispute resolution practice, representing multinational businesses and financial institutions in complex criminal and regulatory investigations and civil litigation. He also served as a Law Clerk for US District Judge Frederic Block of the Eastern District of New York. 

Recent work

Matthew’s notable prosecutions at EDNY include: 

• The first ever corporate prosecution by the Department of Justice of a corporation for providing material support in violation of the Antiterrorism Act (18 U.S.C. § 2339B). 
• Prosecution of an investment advisor and his associate for wire fraud and money-laundering, including lengthy and complex sentencing, forfeiture and appellate proceedings. 
• Trial convictions of a senior ISIS leader responsible for trafficking thousands of aspiring jihadists into Syria in the mid-2010s, and his close associate and co-conspirator who became a sniper and sniper trainer for ISIS in Syria, including supervision of classified litigation, overseas depositions in advance of trial, and development and presentation of evidence from six continents in more than ten languages. 

Matthew’s notable representations in private practice include: 

• A global financial institution in connection with parallel investigations by the US DOJ, UK FCA, and various European and Asian regulators of alleged market manipulation and anticompetitive behavior in the setting of LIBOR rates in multiple currencies.
• A global financial institution in an multi-continent investigation of alleged market manipulation and anticompetitive behavior in the global foreign exchange market.
• The former CEO of UBS Private Banking, Raoul Weil, acquitted at trial of allegations that he conspired to assist US taxpayers evade billions in taxes on secret Swiss asset holdings.
• A major US manufacturer and distributor in an investigation of potentially fraudulent sales practices.