12 Jan 2026
Paul Hastings Welcomes John D. Buretta as Litigation Partner and Co-Chair
"John D. Buretta has joined Paul Hastings as a partner and co-chair of the Litigation department, focusing on complex, high-stakes litigation, investigations and regulatory enforcement."
Buretta joins Paul Hastings from Cravath, Swaine & Moore, where he was a partner for more than 12 years. He is described as a preeminent litigator who has represented leading companies in high-stakes, bet-the-company disputes in industries including banking, consumer products and transportation. He is entering Paul Hastings at partner level and as co-chair of the Litigation department.
Buretta represents corporate and individual clients in a broad range of consequential matters, including complex litigation, securities litigation, internal investigations, regulatory enforcement, intellectual property disputes, compliance, shareholder demands and civil proceedings. His clients have included global companies, boards, audit committees, directors, owners, senior management and in-house counsel across sectors such as banking, energy, communications, technology, consumer goods, mining, transport, healthcare and pharmaceuticals. He has also served as an independent monitor in separate appointments by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Department of Transportation.
Before returning to private practice, Buretta spent more than 10 years at the U.S. Department of Justice. Most recently he served as principal deputy assistant attorney general and chief of staff in the Criminal Division, the number two role, where he managed 600 prosecutors handling corporate fraud, FCPA violations, insider trading, healthcare fraud, money laundering, the Bank Secrecy Act, trade sanctions, asset forfeiture, cybercrime, intellectual property theft and public corruption. Prior to that, he served for nearly a decade as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of New York.
Buretta is Chambers-ranked in Litigation - USA and Global, and is recognized by Legal 500 and Benchmark Litigation. He has been named Global Investigations Review's Investigations Professional of the Year and included in Securities Docket's Enforcement Elite list. During his federal service he received multiple DOJ commendations, including the Attorney General's Award for Exceptional Service, the Attorney General's Award for Distinguished Service and the FBI Director's Award for Excellence.