Andrew Levine is a litigation partner who focuses his practice on white collar and regulatory defense, internal investigations and a broad range of complex commercial litigation. He regularly defends companies in criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement matters and has conducted numerous investigations throughout the world. Mr. Levine frequently advises companies on compliance matters, including with respect to the U.S. Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and the assessment and management of risks presented by potential mergers, acquisitions and other transactions. In 2014, Mr. Levine was named to Global Investigations Review’s inaugural “40 Under 40” list of the world’s leading investigations lawyers, and he was recognized in 2013 as a Rising Star by the New York Law Journal. Mr. Levine is recommended for international litigation in The Legal 500 US (2023), where clients have described him as “smart, responsive, collaborative and sharp in his advice.” He is ranked as a leading lawyer for FCPA by Chambers USA (2023), where clients say he brings “valuable, reasonable and pragmatic advice.” Sources have also said that “his breadth of knowledge is unparalleled,” he is “exceptionally able and capable,” and “very pragmatic and hands-on. He’s able to conceptualize and simplify quite quickly complex considerations and situations.” In Chambers Global (2024) and Chambers Latin America (2024), where Mr. Levine is recommended as a top-tier lawyer, clients note that he is “a spectacular lawyer” who has “an amazing ability to dissect complex issues and convey them with absolute clarity, conciseness and business sense” and that “he stands out for his client service and attention to detail,” describing him as “a lawyer that turns complexity into simplicity.” They also note that he is “extremely professional and technical” and he has “a deep experience in Latin America.” In previous editions of the guides, he has been lauded as “an impressive and tireless thought leader,” “an extremely well-known figure globally,” “a very thoughtful and service-oriented lawyer,” “a reassuring presence in tumultuous times,” “a calm, competent and thorough practitioner” and “brilliant, hard-working and thoughtful.” Clients are said to value his “encyclopedic knowledge” and his “ability to condense a complex situation into something understandable and manageable.” In Chambers Brazil (2023), clients note that he is “an expert in the field” who is “very diligent, accessible and client-oriented.” Mr. Levine is also ranked as a leading lawyer by The Legal 500 Latin America (2024), where clients describe him as “a rock star” in anti-corruption and investigations in the region. He is also said to be “an amazing lawyer” and “the US lawyer that knows the Latin America compliance and investigation market the best.” In previous editions of the guide, he is described as a “superstar,” with clients noting that “he has a wealth of experience,” is “extremely articulate” and “he has an amazing analytical ability.” Latin Lawyer notes Mr. Levine’s “substantial work in Latin America,” recognizing him as one of the top lawyers active on anti-corruption matters in the region.
Before joining Debevoise in 2006, Mr. Levine served as Deputy Counsel to the Independent Inquiry Committee into the United Nations Oil-for-Food Programme, led by Paul A. Volcker, from 2004 to 2005. Mr. Levine spearheaded the investigation into the Security Council’s oversight of Iraq’s humanitarian purchases under the Programme, through which thousands of companies made illicit payments exceeding $1.5 billion to the former Iraqi regime, and he was one of the two principal editors of the Committee’s numerous official reports. Mr. Levine served as a law clerk to the Hon. Dennis Jacobs, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, from 2003 to 2004, and to the Hon. Lewis A. Kaplan, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, from 2002 to 2003.
Mr. Levine received his J.D. from Yale Law School in 2002, where he was a senior editor of the Yale Law Journal and submissions editor of the Yale Journal of International Law. He obtained his B.A. summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Yale College in 1997. From 1997 to 1999, Mr. Levine worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company, advising corporations and nonprofit organizations on issues of strategy, operations and organization.
Mr. Levine is a member of the Criminal Advocacy Committee of the New York City Bar Association and also a member of the Media Law Resource Center. He is a co-editor-in-chief of the firm’s monthly FCPA Update newsletter, and he served as guest editor of “Anti-Corruption Survey 2014,” published by the International Financial Law Review (IFLR), and again as co-contributing editor of the Anti-Corruption Section of the Latin Lawyer Reference Series. He is also a co-editor of the Guide to Corporate Compliance, the latest in a series of practice and industry investment guides published by Latin Lawyer.
In addition, Mr. Levine is the author of numerous articles, including “DOJ Announces Initiative to Combat AI-Assisted Crime,” NYU PCCE (February, 2024); “SDNY Whistleblower Pilot Program Incentivizes Self-Disclosure and Cooperation,” NYU PCCE (February, 2024); “Congress Passes Foreign Extortion Prevention Act, Targeting “Demand Side” of Foreign Bribery,” NYU PCCE (December, 2023); “Private Equity Funds and Institutional Investors in M&A,” Latin Lawyer (October, 2023); “Addressing ESG Considerations in the M&A Context,” a chapter in the latest edition of GLI Mergers & Acquisitions, published by Global Legal Insights (July, 2023); the United States chapter in ESG Comparative Guide, published by Global Legal Post (March, 2023); “The messaging dilemma: grappling with employees' off-system communications,” Reuters (February, 2023); “Latin America in Flux: Recent Anti-Corruption Developments,” FCPA Professor (August, 2022); “Assessing and Mitigating Compliance Risks in the Transactional Context,” Latin Lawyer (May, 2022); “FinCEN Issues Advisory on Kleptocracy and Foreign Public Corruption,” NYU Compliance & Enforcement (April, 2022); “SEC Brings its First Corporate Anti-Corruption Action of 2022,” NYU Compliance & Enforcement (April, 2022); “District Court Addresses Issues Arising from Corporate Investigations and Voluntary Cooperation with DOJ,” NYU Compliance & Enforcement (March, 2022); “Data Privacy and Cybersecurity: Crisis Avoidance and Management Strategies,” Latin Lawyer – The Guide to Corporate Crisis Management (December, 2021); “Recommendations for Combating Bribery of Foreign Officials,” NYU Compliance & Enforcement Blog (December, 2021); “How Gov't FCPA Hiring Practices Theory May Pan Out In Court,” Law360 (April, 2021); “Election Effects on White-Collar Enforcement: What To Expect From a Biden DOJ,” New York Law Journal (December, 2020); “Compliance Tips Amid Rising Fraud Risk In Latin America,” Law360 (August, 2020); “Brazil Announces New Anti-Corruption Cooperation Framework; MPF’s 5th Chamber Opposes It,” Compliance & Enforcement (August, 2020); “UK Introduces Magnitsky-Style Human Rights Sanctions Regime,” NYU’s Compliance & Enforcement Blog (July, 2020); “The Latest FCPA Deferred Prosecution Agreement: Will Congress’s New DPA Procedures Reach FCPA DPA’s, And Will Non-U.S. Governments Sue As “Crime Victims” Under The CVRA?,” Main Justice (July, 2015); “Recent Developments In U.S. Domestic Bribery Case Law Reaffirm Various Risks – And Tensions – In FCPA Prosecutions,” Financial Fraud Law Report (February, 2015); “CFPB May Look To NY For Its Own Debt Collection Rules,” Law360 (January, 2015); “Small Country, Big Punch: The Netherlands’ Anti-Bribery Prosecution Of SBM Offshore,” “Just Blogs” section of Main Justice (December, 2014); “The SEC Noble Prosecution: Takeaways From The O’Rourke, Jackson And Ruehlen Settlements,” Financial Fraud Law Report (November/December, 2014); “DOJ Officials Encourage Companies to Cooperate Against Potentially Culpable Individuals,” “Just Blogs” section of Main Justice, (October, 2014); “SEC Settles First “Pay-To-Play” Enforcement Action,” Financial Fraud Law Report (October, 2014); “DOJ Proposal Shows Focus on Individuals in Corporate Crime,” Law360 (September, 2014); “Heads of SEC Whistleblower Office and FCPA Unit Warn against Interference with Potential Whistleblowers,” Financial Fraud Law Dept (June, 2014); “2014 Anti-Corruption Survey: U.S.,” IFLR (June, 2014); “Best Practices in Compliance Programmes,” IFLR (June, 2014); “U.S. District Court Limits Privilege Protections in Compliance Investigations,” Financial Fraud Law Report (June, 2014); “The DOJ’s First Opinion Procedure Release of 2014 Re-Addresses Issues Arising When a Business Partner Becomes a Foreign Official,” “Just Blogs” section of Main Justice (April, 2014); “Conspiracy and the ‘Indefinite Payments’ Doctrine,” New York Law Journal (February, 2014); “Anti-Corruption Compliance in 2013: Post-Guidance and Signals for the Future,” Financial Fraud Law Report (February, 2014); “Takeaways from the 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index,” Law360 (January, 2014); “Brazil Enacts Long-Pending Anti-Corruption Legislation – Part Two,” Business Crimes Bulletin (January, 2014); “The Government’s $48 Million ATM Withdrawals: Is It Time To Start Sweating Again?,” Financial Fraud Law Report (January, 2014); “Spotlight on Latin America Business Risks,” Law360 (December, 2013); “Money Laundering Charges In FCPA Cases Bring Unique Risks,” Law360 (November, 2013); “Private Equity & Venture Capital in Latin America corporate governance,” BVCA International Series (November, 2013); “Why the Direct Access Partners Case Matters for Financial Sector Anti-Corruption Compliance,” The FCPA Report (October, 2013); “Spotlight On Southeast Asia,” Financial Fraud Law Report (October, 2013); “The FCPA In Review – Part I: Release of the Government’s Guidance Caps a Year of Disparate Developments,” Financial Fraud Law Report (April, 2013); “Transparency International’s 2012 Corruption Perceptions Index,” Financial Fraud Law Report (April, 2013) and “U.S. Enforcement Agencies Issue Extensive New FCPA Guidance,” Westlaw Journal - White-Collar Crime (February, 2013).