Overview
Steven Block is a litigation attorney in Holland & Knight's Chicago office. Mr. Block focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations and government enforcement matters.
Mr. Block represents corporations in investigations conducted by the FBI, U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Trade Commission (FTC), offices of inspector general and other federal and state agencies. He also conducts sensitive internal investigations on behalf of corporations, boards of directors and public agencies.
Prior to joining Holland & Knight, Mr. Block was an attorney at a national law firm in its Chicago office.
Mr. Block previously served as an assistant U.S. Attorney and tried numerous cases to verdict, investigated and prosecuted hundreds of cases involving a wide range of criminal offenses, and briefed and argued nine cases before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit. He also served as a deputy chief in the U.S. Attorney's Office, where he trained and supervised junior prosecutors, including approving charging decisions and developing trial strategy.
During his almost 10 years in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Mr. Block focused primarily on investigating and prosecuting complex financial crimes and public corruption cases, including bribery, embezzlement, racketeering, Bank Secrecy Act, bankruptcy fraud, tax evasion, insider trading and complex wire and mail fraud cases. Several of these matters involved parallel civil proceedings with the SEC and other regulatory enforcement agencies.
While in law school, Mr. Block was a member and staff editor of the Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology. He also represented juveniles in delinquency cases and handled capital appeals at the school's Bluhm Legal Clinic and helped obtain an innocence pardon for a death row inmate.
Representative Experience
- Conducted an independent investigation for the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) at the request of the governor's office
- Conducted an internal investigation for a well-known museum regarding alleged wrongdoing by a curator
- Conducted an internal investigation for a publicly traded cannabis company regarding bribery allegations related to a construction project
- Conducted an internal investigation for a logistics company related to a diesel spill
- Conducted an internal investigation for a publicly traded company regarding alleged False Claims Act (FCA) violations
- Conducted an internal investigation for the board of directors of a publicly traded biotech company regarding allegations of market manipulation
- Conducted an internal investigation for an audit committee of a major reinsurance company regarding alleged accounting irregularities
- Represented a publicly traded company in a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) investigation related to alleged anticompetitive activities
- Represented a real estate company in response to numerous U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) subpoenas
- Represented a biotech company in an investigation by the SEC and DOJ regarding alleged market manipulation and insider trading
- Represented a pet food company in a lawsuit to recover damages resulting from an international price-fixing conspiracy
- Represented an Italian luxury clothing manufacturer and Canadian distributor in fraud and civil conspiracy suit brought by a U.S. distributor
- Represented a national retailer in a federal lawsuit against a manufacturer alleging anticompetitive practices in pricing of goods
- Represented a corporate executive in connection with a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) criminal investigation into bid-rigging and price-fixing allegations
- Represented executives of a broker-dealer under investigation by the U.S. Attorney's Office and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for insider trading
- Represented employees of a large government contractor in connection with the investigation of the company for False Claims Act (FCA) violations
- Represented various individuals in connection with the U.S. Attorney’s Office public corruption investigations
- Represented a professor under investigation by the NASA Office of Inspector General
- Represented a scientist who was charged with economic espionage and theft of trade secrets
- Represented a business owner charged with manufacturing counterfeit goods
- Represented a financial advisor in connection with a U.S. Attorney’s Office and SEC fraud investigation
- Represented a professor under investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for FCA violations
- Represented a former executive of a major financial institution in civil litigation before a federal banking agency
- Successfully argued a case of first impression before the Illinois Supreme Court on behalf of a pro bono client regarding imposition of an extended-term prison sentence
- Represented a publicly traded company in a federal jury trial involving alleged theft of trade secrets
- Represented a publicly traded company in a federal jury trial involving alleged breach of asset purchase agreement
- Represented a publicly traded grocery store chain in an arbitration alleging breach of non-compete agreement by a former chief executive
- Led the investigation and prosecution of former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives for illegally structuring financial transactions and obstructing justice
- Investigated, prosecuted and tried a former police officer and 18 others in a racketeering, kidnapping, money laundering and narcotics conspiracy case
- Led the bribery investigation and prosecution of an executive of a city contractor involved in the privatization of a city's parking meter program
- Investigated and prosecuted a city official for a wire fraud scheme involving theft of public funds and tax evasion
- Secured convictions of seven defendants paying or accepting bribes to steer public works contracts for more than a decade
- Secured the conviction of a city official for embezzling public funds and tax fraud
- Investigated and prosecuted the owner of Chicago Public Schools' largest school bus contractor for a tax evasion scheme
- Led the prosecution of eight defendants convicted of bank fraud, perjury and other charges arising from a massive identity theft scheme
- Supervised prosecution of first trial in Cook County, Illinois, involving charges brought under state racketeering law
Credentials
- Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, J.D.
- Northwestern University, B.S., Speech and Political Science
- Illinois
- Illinois Supreme Court
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- U.S. Supreme Court
- Chicago Police Board, 2021-Present
- Illinois Torture Inquiry and Relief Commission (TIRC), Commissioner, 2021-Present
- Hands Off Cain, Board Member, 2005-2007
- United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Delegate, 2003
- Chambers USA – America's Leading Business Lawyers guide, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, 2023
- Notable Gen X Leaders in Accounting, Consulting and Law, Crain's Chicago Business, 2021
- Notable Rising Stars in Law, Crain's Chicago Business, 2021
- Special Recognition Award, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 2016
- Maurice Weigel Exceptional Young Lawyer Award, Chicago Bar Foundation, 2005
- Dean's List, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
- Dean's List, Northwestern University
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