Shaun Clarke ’87 Joins Houston's SKV as Partner
Houston, November 12, 2014 — Smyser Kaplan & Veselka, L.L.P. announced today that the law firm has added two partners to its White Collar Practice group, effective immediately. The new team expands SKV’s depth and experience in the white collar defense bar. Joining the firm as partners are Shaun Clarke and Dane Ball.
“Shaun and Dane are absolute pros. Their addition gives SKV the premier white collar defense practice in Texas and the Gulf Coast,” said Craig Smyser, SKV founding partner. “As SKV moves into its 20th year, we believe that adding lawyers with exceptional credentials and experience in large scale government investigations and criminal defense will enable us to provide clients with the very best representation across the entire spectrum of litigation matters.”
Clarke and Ball come to SKV from the Houston office of Quinn Emanuel. Prior to that, they practiced together at Gerger & Clarke.
“Dane and I are thrilled to be at SKV,” said Clarke. “They’re great colleagues and outstanding professionals. We look forward to upholding SKV's reputation for excellence while expanding its white collar practice."
About Shaun Clarke
Clarke is renowned for his trial skills and deft management of
high-profile, government and corporate investigations. Described by Chambers
USA as a “master in handling government investigations on behalf of a
nationwide clientele,” Clarke has earned accolades from The Best Lawyers in
America, Super Lawyers, and Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for
Business. Clarke first earned his reputation as an Assistant United States
Attorney in New Orleans where he led a multi-agency task force investigation
and series of prosecutions following the failure of Anglo-American Insurance
Company. In 1996, Clarke established the environmental and white-collar
defense practice at Liskow & Lewis, then moved to Gerger & Clarke in
2008. Clarke has led defense teams in nearly every area of white collar
defense and has represented clients ranging from Fortune 50 companies to
individual employees. Presently Clarke is lead trial counsel for the BP
rig worker charged with manslaughter arising from the Deepwater Horizon blowout
and oil spill. A few other noteworthy cases include the landmark
"constructive amendment" reversal in U.S. v. Hoover, reversal
of a $17 million restitution award in U.S. v. D.L., and the successful
representation of a former New York Yankee in the congressional investigation
into performance enhancing drug use.
Clarke received his J.D. from Yale
Law School where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal, and his
undergraduate degree from Brown University. Mr. Clarke clerked for Judge
Lowell Jensen on the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of
California. He is admitted to the bars of Texas and Louisiana.
