WASHINGTON, D.C. (Feb. 3, 2026) — Barnes & Thornburg announced today that it has further boosted its cross-border compliance, investigations and litigation capabilities with the addition of seasoned practitioner Jeffrey Lehtman as a partner in the firm’s White Collar, Compliance and Investigations (WCCI) practice. Lehtman will serve as co-chair of the firm’s Latin America practice group. The move comes after both Margot Laporte and Reem Sadik joined the WCCI practice recently as partners in Washington, D.C.
Lehtman brings more than 25 years of experience advising on complex cross-border regulatory, enforcement and litigation matters to the firm’s Litigation Department. In addition to counseling clients on issues arising from day-to-day operations, he represents multinational companies, financial institutions, international development banks and senior executives in internal and government investigations before the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and other domestic and foreign authorities.
Lehtman’s substantive experience ranges from the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the Anti-Terrorism Act, anti-money laundering (AML) regulations and economic sanctions laws, as well as allegations related to accounting and disclosure irregularities, insider trading and workplace misconduct.
Lehtman was previously a partner at boutique firms based in Washington, D.C. and an Am Law 200 firm. Earlier in his career, he was senior regional counsel at Citibank, overseeing regulatory, litigation, and corporate matters involving Latin America, and a trial attorney in the U.S. Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Office of International Affairs.
“Jeff is a highly respected lawyer with deep in-house and government experience at a major financial institution and the DOJ Criminal Division,” said Litigation Department Chair Randy Brown. “As multinational companies face increasing challenges in a global marketplace, we welcome his proven ability to guide clients through complex enforcement, regulatory and cross-border matters. His leadership skills and regulatory insight will deepen our White Collar team’s capabilities and the service we provide to clients.”
The WCCI practice at BT includes five former U.S. attorneys and 15 former assistant U.S. attorneys, and is among the world’s preeminent legal teams for monitorships and internal investigations. Its trial, investigations, and compliance lawyers have significant experience at the DOJ and in the private sector.
“Barnes & Thornburg’s White Collar practice is formidable, and the firm’s collaborative, client-centric approach stood out to me,” Lehtman said. “I look forward to working with this team to support clients facing increasingly complex regulatory environments around the world.”
Lehtman earned his law degree, cum laude, from the University of Michigan Law School and his bachelor’s degree, sum cum laude, from Vanderbilt University. He joins a team of nearly 50 lawyers in BT’s Washington, D.C., office.