Boies Schiller Flexner have seen the return to the firm of Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York Peter Skinner (pictured) who is rejoining the litigation firm in New York where he will head the White Collar team that he helped establish in 2015.
He also served in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, where he defended federal agencies in all manner of civil litigation and regularly advised the intelligence community on matters affecting national security.
Also joining the firm is Andrew Smith, a former commodities trader who has joined as a partner in the firm’s Washington DC office.
The firm’s media statement on the hires is below –
Boies Schiller Flexner LLP announced today the addition of two lateral partners to the firm. Peter Skinner returns to the New York City office as co-leader of our investigations and white collar team, and Andrew Smith has joined as a partner in Washington, D.C., where his experience in government and banking will benefit clients on regulatory, commercial, and transactional matters.
“We are thrilled to have Pete return to the firm, and to welcome Andrew,” said Chairman-Elect Matthew L. Schwartz. “Pete is a friend with whom I’ve had the pleasure of working for many years, and I look forward to continuing to grow our investigations and white collar capabilities with him.
Before originally joining BSF, Skinner spent more than a decade as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York. His arrival at the firm in 2015, along with Schwartz and New York partner John Zach, launched the firm’s Global Investigations and White Collar Defense practice. Skinner, who served as the group’s practice leader before his departure in 2022, will return to that role, in which he will maintain a hybrid criminal/civil practice, representing companies, financial institutions, boards, and individuals through all phases of investigation and litigation.
“It’s an exciting time to be rejoining my Boies Schiller colleagues,” Skinner said. “The range of interesting matters, the ability to take complex cases to trial, the first-rate associates who get stand-up courtroom experience regularly – Boies Schiller is a truly unique place to practice law. This feels like coming home, and I am energized by what the future of the firm holds.”
Smith has an extensive background working in federal government, having influenced trade and economic policy in a senior role at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration and serving as White House Liaison and Counsel at both the U.S. Departments of Justice and Treasury. In those roles, Smith worked on various domestic and international projects relating to the Administration’s interagency priorities, including financial crimes and regulation, as well as sanctions. Smith also has handled regulatory and corporate matters in private practice.
“Boies Schiller has a reputation for delivering better-than-expected outcomes in difficult situations,” Smith said. “My background in the law, government, and business gives me a wide perspective from which to support clients, and I am looking forward to growing my practice here while also assisting on a range of existing firm matters. BSF hires the best people to solve the most complex cases, and I am honored to be joining its ranks.”
Before entering public service, Smith worked as a commodities trader, managing significant physical and derivatives transactions involving energy, base and precious metals, and agricultural markets.
