Peter A. Chavkin
Member / Co-chair, White Collar Defense and Government Investigations Practice
+1.212.692.6231
Peter is Co-chair of Mintz’s national White Collar Defense & Government Investigations Practice and is a preeminent white collar defense attorney who specializes in assisting individuals facing charges or investigations, particularly those involving allegations of finance, health care, and art fraud, political corruption and antitrust violations. His clients have included numerous American political figures, domestic and foreign corporate executives, and diplomats. His cases have involved the application of OFAC sanctions, responding to Congressional and criminal investigations (most recently inquiries into the 2016 presidential election, including the heavily covered testimony of a witness before the House Judiciary Committee hearing on impeachment), and the representation of key figures in the financial crisis of 2008, in every significant rate fixing inquiry (including individuals employed abroad), and in the Swiss bank tax investigation. In addition, for over ten years, he has represented a central figure in the Madoff matter.
He has had extensive experience representing individuals and entities across a broad swath of industries, including: energy, food franchises, investment advisers, communications, sports, entertainment, politics, road paving, municipal bonds, art and antiquities, health and hospitals, higher education, aviation, moving and storage, legal, and banking.
Along with his extensive experience working with various arms of the Department of Justice, US Attorney’s Offices across the nation, state and federal regulators and FINRA, he has been involved in some of the most sensitive and consequential inquiries conducted by Congress and the SEC in these areas. He comes to these cases with service in Washington as a special assistant to the head of DOJ’s Civil Division, three years as a federal prosecutor in New York, and nearly 25 years as a senior partner at one of the nation’s foremost white collar boutiques.
In addition to his work in the financial arena, Peter has a long history of representing individuals and institutions accused of health care fraud and abuse, ranging from hospitals to medical service providers. And in his 35 plus year career in white collar/government investigations, he has represented individuals investigated for political corruption, antiquities fraud, and construction fraud. He has represented a sitting mayor, the chief judge of a state’s highest court, and a major league baseball team involved in the Clemens case. He also has represented numerous physicians and attorneys facing disciplinary proceedings.
In his career, Mr. Chavkin has tried numerous cases to verdict and handled many appeals. In addition, he has successfully prevented charges from being brought and has secured dismissals of cases post-indictment in investigations in a wide range of matters.
Peter has been named Band One by Chambers USA for many years and has been named to Best Lawyers and Super Lawyers for nearly two decades. He has also been recognized by Who’s Who, Expert Guides Best of the Best USA (the world’s leading lawyers chosen by their peers), and has won the International Law Office and Lexology Client Service Award three times. Chambers quoted clients who said that he is “a brilliant tactician, super-efficient, an amazing negotiator, extremely creating and client-focused….He will do everything he possibly can to get the best result.” One client testified that he is ‘the most professional lawyer…along with being the hardest-working, and an exceptionally brilliant person.’”
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Recent Insights
Mintz is pleased to announce that 15 attorneys have been named New York Metro Super Lawyers and 12 attorneys have been named New York Metro Rising Stars by Super Lawyers for 2024.
Benchmark Litigation has recognized seventeen Mintz Members in its 2024 guide to the leading litigation firms and lawyers in the US. The firm was also acknowledged for its work in Massachusetts, being named “Highly Recommended” in the Commonwealth and received top-tier rankings across three practice categories, including General Commercial, Insurance, and White Collar.
Thirteen Mintz attorneys have been named to Lawdragon’s 2025 “Leading Litigators in America.” The list honors the “best litigators the US has to offer – in antitrust, intellectual property, white collar and investigations, securities and corporate governance litigation, and a vast array of class actions, product liability and other complex civil litigation,” according to the publication.
