Boyd Johnson is the Co-Chair of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice and the Partner-in-Charge of the firm’s New York Office. With 30 years of experience in both public and private sectors, he represents companies and senior executives in criminal investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, and civil litigation. Boyd has held prominent roles, including General Counsel at Soros Fund Management, and Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Chambers USA consistently ranks him among the nation’s top defense lawyers, earning its highest Band 1 ranking in recent years.
As Co-Chair of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice, Boyd leads teams across multiple cities, including New York, Washington DC, and London, representing corporations and executives in criminal and civil investigations by the DOJ, SEC, CFTC, FINRA, and other regulatory agencies. His expertise includes cases related to securities fraud, FCPA violations, antitrust, anti-money laundering, and cybersecurity incidents. Boyd also handles complex civil litigation for high-profile clients.
From 2018 to 2020, Boyd served as General Counsel for Soros Fund Management, overseeing legal, compliance, and regulatory functions globally. He managed relationships with key regulatory bodies and supervised major capital markets transactions, mergers, and investments across various sectors. He also sat on the firm’s leadership and governance committees.
Prior to his private practice, Boyd was Deputy U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he oversaw major criminal and civil cases, including the largest insider trading enforcement effort, the Madoff fraud, and significant FCPA and money laundering cases. He also played a key role in the establishment of the SDNY Civil Frauds Unit, leading major lawsuits under the False Claims Act and FIRREA.
Earlier in his career, Boyd was Chief of the Public Corruption Unit at the SDNY, supervising high-profile bribery and embezzlement prosecutions involving U.S. politicians. He also led global corruption investigations and prosecuted international narcotics trafficking and money laundering cases, including actions against the Cali Cartel and Taliban leaders.
Before becoming a federal prosecutor, Boyd practiced law in antitrust, securities fraud, and false advertising cases. He is a graduate of Cornell Law School and clerked for Judge Laughlin E. Waters in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
