Samuel J. Louis
Partner – Holland & Knight LLP
Description of field of expertise
Samuel J. Louis is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight’s Houston office. Mr. Louis’ practice involves providing advice and counsel regarding healthcare regulatory issues, white-collar criminal defense, corporate internal investigations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and compliance with federal regulations that govern food and drug distribution.
Mr. Louis has extensive experience representing corporate entities, their executives, and employees in connection with grand jury investigations, criminal trials and hearings, regulatory investigation and enforcement proceedings, and federal criminal prosecutions.
Throughout his more than 30-year career, Mr. Louis has handled complex cases involving white-collar crimes such as healthcare fraud, insurance fraud, official corruption, financial institutions fraud, bankruptcy fraud, tax evasion, bank fraud, intellectual property rights violations, investment schemes, identity theft prosecutions, and fraud against federal programs such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).
During his tenure with the DOJ, Mr. Louis oversaw a healthcare fraud task force and a global anti-counterfeiting task force, each comprised of local, state, and federal law enforcement, private industry officials, and community organizations. Through the former, he was responsible for securing the return of more than $60 million to government and private healthcare programs. In the latter, he investigated and prosecuted global anti-counterfeiting targets, including foreign nationals trafficking in counterfeit, unapproved, and adulterated medicines and the diversion of pharmaceutical drug products. Mr. Louis has also successfully prosecuted individuals charged with white-collar crimes, immigration, firearm offenses, and drug trafficking. He was the first prosecutor to obtain the extradition and subsequent prosecution of a foreign national for intellectual property right crimes
Mr. Louis has handled many high-profile investigations that were featured on CBS “60 Minutes,” “Dan Rather Reports”, ABC’s “20/20” and quoted in The New York Times, the Huffington Post, Modern Healthcare, The Scientist, and other international media organizations.
What advice would you offer to new attorneys interested in your field?
Seek out attorneys engaged in white-collar and healthcare regulatory practice areas and inquire about lessons learned and best practices. When I started out as a young prosecutor handling cases in state court, seasoned attorneys were always willing to provide guidance and assistance regarding substantive law and procedural issues. The best advice I received was to always be prepared and develop a style that works best for you.
Final thoughts…
The beauty of the practice of law is that it is constantly evolving and therefore you can effectuate change whether a newly minted lawyer or a seasoned veteran.