DENVER (February 6, 2008) - Cliff Stricklin, the U.S. Department of Justice attorney who won convictions of Enron executives Ken Lay and Jeff Skilling and former Qwest CEO Joseph Nacchio, will join the Rocky Mountain regional law firm of Holland & Hart LLP on April 1, 2008.
With nearly 20 years experience, Stricklin is currently the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado, appointed by U.S. Attorney Troy Eid. In this role, Stricklin led the prosecution team that convicted Nacchio on insider trading charges. Previously, he served as one of four attorneys on the Enron Task Force who presented evidence in the fraud and conspiracy trial against Lay and Skilling. He was also the co-lead prosecutor in the securities and accounting fraud case against five Enron Broadband executives. Prior to the Task Force, Stricklin served as a state district judge in Dallas, Texas, and presided over hundreds of felony criminal cases. All of his decisions were affirmed at the appellate level. At the start of his legal career, Stricklin was Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Eastern District of Texas and handled complex public corruption and white collar cases.
His extensive government work has allowed him to shape the law in the areas of white collar crime and corporate fraud as well as be involved in some of the nation's largest trials, including the Enron and Nacchio cases.
"After years of working on these large, high-profile cases the time is right for a new challenge," Stricklin said. "Holland & Hart is an outstanding regional firm with a national reputation for having some of the best trial lawyers. Plus, the firm's innovative culture gives me the freedom to create a fulfilling, client-focused practice while supporting my desire to stay involved in the local community."
As a partner in Holland & Hart's Denver office, Stricklin will focus his practice on business disputes, white collar defense, and securities litigation. He will be a member of the firm's White Collar Defense practice group.
"Holland & Hart has long been known for our excellent trial lawyers, so we are excited to add an attorney of Cliff Stricklin's reputation and skill to our trial team. Cliff prosecuted and tried some of the largest, most significant trials in our nation's recent history. He will bring skills and experiences that are unmatched in the Rocky Mountain West to serve our client's legal needs," Holland & Hart Chairman John Husband said.
While at Holland & Hart, Stricklin will continue to be active in the community and share his knowledge with others in a classroom setting. This fall, Stricklin will teach a white collar crime course at the University of Colorado School of Law. In the past, he taught at the Justice Department's National Advocacy Center, the Attorney General's Advocacy Institute, and Southern Methodist University's School of Law.
Throughout Stricklin's career, he has been recognized for his commitment to legal work. He received the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service and Award for Distinguished Service, the two highest awards presented by the Department of Justice. He also won the Texas Department of Public Safety's highest civilian award given for his legal service and awards from the FBI, U.S. Customs Services, and IBM, Inc. In 2002, while a district state judge, his peers elected him to the position of Presiding Judge. He also created and presided over a unique and innovative Mental Health Diversion Court to address the needs of non-violent offenders with mental illness in the criminal justice system.
Stricklin earned degrees from Washington & Lee School of Law and Baylor University.