Partner

Arun G. Rao

Litigation & Dispute Resolution, Global Investigations & White Collar Defense

Overview

Arun G. Rao will be joining the firm on October 28, 2024. For all media inquiries regarding his arrival in the period before October 28, please contact Stacey Berkowitz, Director of Public Relations, at +1 212 506 2636 or sberkowitz@mayerbrown.com. For business opportunity inquiries during this time, please contact Jean Shim, Director of Business Development, at +1 202 263 3885 or jshim@mayerbrown.com.

Arun G. Rao, who has held a series of distinguished government positions, will help clients navigate cutting-edge government investigations and criminal and civil enforcement actions, including fraud and consumer protection matters involving the DOJ, Federal Trade Commission, US Food and Drug Administration, US Consumer Product Safety Commission, US Department of Transportation, and other agencies, as well as high-stakes white collar work. He most recently served as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the US Department of Justice, where he oversaw the agency’s Consumer Protection Branch.

Experience

United States Department of Justice
  • United States v. TikTok, et al. (C.D. Cal. 2024) – Supervised filing of civil complaint alleging violations of COPPA and its implementing regulations in connection with the popular TikTok app.
  • United States v. Norfolk Southern, et al. (D. D.C. 2024) – Supervised filing of civil complaint alleging that Norfolk Southern delays passenger trains in violation of federal law.
  • eBay Inc. (2024) – Led negotiations resulting in agreement by eBay to pay $59 million and enhance its compliance program to resolve allegations that it violated Controlled Substances Act in connection with sale of thousands of pill presses through its website.
  • United States v. Family Dollar Stores LLC (E.D. Ark. 2024)– Supervised investigation leading to corporate guilty plea and $41.675 million monetary criminal penalty (largest-ever in food safety case), related to holding consumer products in insanitary conditions.
  • United States v. Abbott Laboratories, et al. (W.D. Mich. 2022) – Supervised negotiations culminating in order designed to ensure safe resumption of infant formula manufacturing following product recall.
  • United States v. AmerisourceBergen, et al. (E.D. Pa. 2022)—Supervised filing of civil complaint alleging failure to report suspicious orders of controlled substances, in violation of Controlled Substances Act.
  • United States v. Twitter (N.D. Cal. 2022) – Coordinated $150 million settlement of alleged FTC order violations related to acquisition and use of consumer data (as well as subsequent litigation in which X Corp., successor to Twitter, unsuccessfully sought to terminate, modify, or stay enforcement of order)
  • United States v. Amazon.com, Inc., et al. (W.D. Wash. 2023) – Supervised negotiation of settlement to resolve alleged violations of COPPA Act, COPPA Rule, and FTC Act related to Amazon’s voice assistant service Alexa, including permanent injunction and $25 million civil penalty.
  • United States v. Facebook (D. D.C. 2023) – Supervised defensive litigation in which Meta sought to prevent FTC from reopening its administrative proceeding to modify 2020 administrative order.
  • United States v. Gree Zhuhai, et al. (C.D. Cal. 2021) – Oversaw criminal prosecutions of global appliance company and two subsidiaries for willfully failing to report defective products, in first corporate criminal enforcement action under CPSA.
  • United States v. Chu, et al. (C.D. Cal. 2023) – Supervised trial team that successfully convicted two corporate executives of conspiracy to defraud CPSC and failure to furnish information under CPSA.

Education

  • University of Virginia, BA, with high honors

    Phi Beta Kappa; Echols Scholar; President, Jefferson Literary & Debating Society; Lawn Resident; Raven Society; Tarknath Das Foundation Award; Best Honor Counsel Award

  • New York University School of Law, JD

    Moot Court Board; Phillip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition Team Award; Best Brief, Robert F. Wagner National Labor and Employment Law Moot Court Competition

Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • New York

Courts

  • US Supreme Court
  • US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit
  • US Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
  • US District Court for the District of Maryland
  • US District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
  • US District Court for the Southern District of New York
  • US District Court for the Eastern District of New York

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court, Washington DC, Barrister (admission by invitation), 2016 – present
  • Asian Pacific American Bar Association of the Greater Washington DC Area, Inc., Member of Board of Directors, 2017 – 2020
  • Georgetown University Law Center, Washington DC, Adjunct Professor of Law, 2017 – 2021, Courses taught: Criminal Law (Spring 2021); Externship I Seminar (Fall 2017 – Fall 2020)

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