Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joins Firm
Spencer Fane is pleased to announce that Patrick McInerney has joined the firm’s Kansas City office as Partner in the White Collar Criminal Defense practice group.
McInerney’s practice is informed by his substantial experience in the public sector. Prior to moving to private practice, he served as an assistant U.S. attorney in the Organized Crime Strike Force, where he prosecuted organized crime and public corruption. He also worked in Washington, D.C. as legislative director on a Congressional staff.
As the newest member of the Spencer Fane White Collar Criminal Defense Group, McInerney joins a growing team led by Mark Thornhill that continues to serve clients across a variety of industries throughout the U.S. McInerney’s experience includes representation in internal corporate investigations; government investigations, including grand jury, congressional and inspector general investigations; criminal litigation, including trials and appeals; and related civil and administrative proceedings. He has defended clients against allegations of health care fraud, money laundering, tax fraud, securities, accounting and government contracts fraud; violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Anti-kickback Statute and False Claims Act; criminal antitrust violations; and violations of other state and federal statutes.
“Pat is an outstanding lawyer with great experience in white collar defense and governmental affairs,” said Pat Whalen, Spencer Fane Managing Partner. “He has leveraged his experience to broaden his practice with proactive planning and risk management services for clients in heavily regulated industries. And with his understanding of the Justice Department’s increasing focus on enforcement against individuals in the corporate setting, we’re happy to have Pat at the table helping our clients understand and aggressively defend against civil and criminal claims. From his time as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he brings with him a deep understanding of the government’s priorities and procedures, which allows his clients to develop and implement critical strategies when it comes to high stakes enforcement litigation. He’s a great addition to the Spencer Fane team.”
McInerney’s practice focuses on representing companies, boards and individuals in corporate crises, complex civil litigation and white collar defense matters. Pat has represented Fortune 500 companies, corporate leadership and public entities in litigation ranging from criminal antitrust to import/export and tariff violations to fraud. His aggressive defense of his clients has led to numerous dismissals of charges and victories at trial. His victories include successfully suing the federal government for his clients’ legal expenses following a defense victory in a forfeiture action. His demonstrated success in investigations and litigation in federal and state courts has made him a go-to attorney for individuals and corporations under scrutiny by federal, state and local authorities, including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), state attorneys general and other regulatory and enforcement agencies.
“I am thrilled to be joining such an outstanding firm. Spencer Fane’s accomplished attorneys and strong influence in the community make it a significant force in the legal community – one that works to the benefit of all our clients,” McInerney said.
McInerney has received wide recognition for his contributions to the Kansas City community and by his legal peers and industry. From 2009-2013, he was a member of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners, serving as its President from 2010-2012. Immediately after his tenure, he was appointed by Mayor Sly James to Co-Chair the Mayor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Police Department Governance. He has been named as one of Ingrams Magazine’s “40 Under 40” and has been recognized by Best Lawyers in America for his work in Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: Non-White-Collar and Criminal Defense: White-Collar since 2007. He has also been recognized by Chambers USA for Litigation: White Collar Crime and Government Investigations Law since 2010 and has been named a “Top Rated White Collar Crimes Attorney” by Super Lawyers for more than a decade.
Prior to earning his juris doctorate from University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, McInerney received his undergraduate degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City.