Another former assistant United States attorney (AUSA), federal law clerk and Big Law litigator has joined Yankwitt LLP in White Plains as a partner. Robert T. Polemeni further strengthens the firm’s deep bench of elite trial lawyers, including five former AUSAs and 12 former federal law clerks.
At Yankwitt, Polemeni will focus on commercial litigation, white-collar defense and internal investigations for individuals and companies facing significant legal and reputational risk.
Polemeni brings more than 20 years of experience handling complex, high-stakes matters. He served for nearly 14 years as an assistant United States attorney in the Eastern District of New York, where he prosecuted sophisticated financial crimes, public corruption cases, and violent and organized crime matters. During his tenure, Polemeni held several senior leadership roles, most recently serving as deputy chief of the Public Integrity Section, where he supervised some of the office’s most sensitive investigations involving government and elected officials.
“Robert is exactly the type of lawyer we look for at Yankwitt LLP — an experienced trial attorney with exceptional judgment and leadership experience earned at the highest levels of government,” said Russell Yankwitt, managing partner. “He has handled some of the most complex and sensitive cases in the federal system and knows how to exercise discretion, think strategically and perform under pressure. Robert’s arrival further strengthens our ability to represent clients when the stakes — legal, financial and reputational — are at their highest.”
An accomplished courtroom advocate, Polemeni has served as lead or second chair in nearly 20 federal jury trials, including high-profile prosecutions involving tens of millions of dollars in government contracts and money laundering and tax evasion schemes.
Before entering public service, Polemeni was an associate in the business and securities litigation group at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where he represented clients in civil securities fraud actions, corporate governance disputes and complex bankruptcy litigation, including matters arising out of the Lehman Brothers restructuring. He began his legal career as a law clerk to Raymond J. Dearie, then chief United States district judge for the Eastern District of New York.
Founded in 2009, Yankwitt LLP represents businesses and high-net-worth individuals across a broad range of matters. The firm frequently serves as trial counsel for local law firms and is often called upon by national law firms to handle cases that fall outside their scope or present conflicts of interest.
