Scott Joiner is a first-chair trial lawyer who represents individuals and organizations in high-stakes white collar matters and complex commercial litigation.

Scott regularly represents global corporations, emerging companies, boards of directors, and individual entrepreneurs, founders, and senior executives in highly sensitive matters, including:

  • Internal corporate investigations
  • Government investigations brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) 
  • White-collar criminal litigation
  • Regulatory investigations and enforcement actions brought by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), including matters implicating novel consumer protection and data privacy issues

Scott leverages extensive government experience to help clients navigate potential crises and avoid legal and reputational pitfalls. Earlier in his career, Scott served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of California, where he was a member of the Corporate & Securities Fraud Unit and the Organized Crime Strike Force. During more than seven years at the US Attorney’s Office, he worked on a wide range of white collar matters, including cases involving securities fraud, insider trading, public corruption, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act offenses, FCPA violations, and money laundering and cryptocurrency investigations.

From 2004 to 2008, Scott served as an officer in the United States Marine Corps, deploying to Ramadi, Iraq in 2007 with 3rd Battalion, 7th Marines.

Before joining the Marine Corps, Scott practiced with an international law firm, where he focused on complex commercial litigation and white collar matters.

Scott also maintains an active pro bono practice, where he represents underserved communities and indigent clients, including children seeking asylum in the United States.

Scott’s experience includes representing:

Companies & Individuals

  • The Audit Committee of a Fortune 500 technology company in a sensitive internal investigation
  • Prominent investors and entrepreneurs in connection with various DOJ and SEC cryptocurrency and DeFi investigations and related litigation
  • Online commerce provider in FTC Section 5 investigation regarding artificial intelligence and machine learning. Matter closed without enforcement action 
  • Technology company and online retailer in FTC Section 5 investigation regarding online apps and gaming
  • Payment processor and ISO in FTC Section 5 and Telemarketing Sales Rule investigation 
  • Fintech company in FTC Section 5 investigation into alleged deceptive marketing practices
  • The board of directors of an emerging energy storage company in an internal investigation regarding allegations of accounting fraud
  • A former BP officer and director in multidistrict securities litigation, a Presidential Commission investigation, and a federal criminal probe related to the Deepwater Horizon explosion*
  • Sony in a federal criminal antitrust matter, parallel civil class actions, and cross-border investigation*

Government Prosecutions

  • U.S. v. Nuru, as lead prosecutor in the high-profile public corruption investigation that charged the former San Francisco Public Works’ director, three companies, and 11 other individuals (including two department heads and another high-ranking city official) with multiple bribery and money laundering offenses, securing multiple convictions*
  • U.S. v. Chapin, a successful criminal case that convicted the defendant of bank fraud, wire fraud, and securities fraud for engaging in several ploys to lure individual investors, a venture capital firm, and a bank into providing millions of dollars’ worth of capital and credit to his digital advertising company based on false information*
  • U.S. v. Frere, a criminal case in which the founder, majority owner, and CEO of three companies pleaded guilty to an extensive student loan debt relief scheme involving more than 40,000 victims and millions of dollars laundered internationally*
  • U.S. v. Williams, et al., as lead trial counsel in a four-month, five-defendant jury trial, securing convictions against all defendants based on RICO charges involving multiple murders, attempted murders, and child prostitution and trafficking*

*Matter handled prior to joining Latham & Watkins 

Bar Qualification

  • California

Education

  • JD, Georgetown University Law Center, 2002
    cum laude
  • BA, University of California, Los Angeles, 1999
    magna cum laude