Partner Eric Rosen Featured in Law360: “Now Back to Stability” Article on US Attorney’s Office

Law360 (November 15, 2024, 5:37 PM EST) -- The incoming Trump administration's pick for Massachusetts U.S. attorney has a chance to revive the productivity of an office known for bringing complex and often high-profile cases, veterans of the district say, but new leadership and priorities at the Justice Department leave looming uncertainties.

The Boston office has had a rocky road over the past several years, from a pandemic that stalled productivity and created a backlog of cases, to the resignation of President Joe Biden's first pick to be the state's top federal prosecutor amid multiple ethics inquiries, including related to her appearance at a political fundraiser.

With Trump's re-election, new leadership is on the way ….

Another area that could be in for a change under the new administration is securities enforcement, a longtime bread and butter for the Boston office due to a traditionally smooth relationship with its counterpart office at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Trump has signaled that he may want to put the brakes on some of the aggressive SEC enforcement and regulation of the past few years.

"The SEC is going to be kneecapped substantially," said former Boston federal prosecutor Eric Rosen. "A lot of securities fraud prosecutions will not be brought, including penny stock cases and other similar matters. I don't think that's going to be a priority as it is now, or was under Andy [Lelling], or even before then."

Rosen, now a partner at Dynamis LLP, cited the Gaetz nomination and Trump's campaign statements in suggesting that the new administration should be more "pro-crypto" than the current one.