Allon Lifshitz
Partner, New York
Allon Lifshitz
Partner, New York
Allon Lifshitz is a partner in Cohen & Gresser’s New York office. His practice focuses on white collar criminal cases, complex civil litigation, antitrust cases, government investigations, and internal investigations.
In his white collar practice, Allon represents individuals who are targets and subjects of investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, including in the Southern District of New York and Eastern District of New York. In his civil practice, he represents a variety of companies in cases alleging, among other things, breach of contract, fraud, negligence, and theft of trade secrets.
Prior to joining Cohen & Gresser, Allon was a federal prosecutor for 14 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Most recently, Allon was Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, overseeing more than 100 AUSAs across the Criminal Division’s nine sections. Previously, he served as Chief of the Organized Crime & Gangs Section.
In addition to these roles, during his tenure as an AUSA Allon led teams handling some of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s most significant matters, including a corporate foreign bribery case implicating national security interests, which became the basis for several DOJ policies governing corporate resolutions, and a corporate cybercrime case. He tried 10 cases, argued seven appeals in the Second Circuit, and investigated and supervised cases involving a variety of crimes, including foreign bribery, health care fraud, racketeering, securities fraud, money laundering, wire fraud, national security offenses, and public corruption offenses, as well as asset forfeiture.
Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Allon worked as a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and served as a law clerk to the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York.
Allon is a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a peer-selected honorary society of trial lawyers comprised of less than one-half of one percent of American lawyers. He is also a member of the Federal Bar Council’s Federal Criminal Practice Committee and the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Law and Criminal Justice Sections. Allon currently serves as Chair of the Constitution & Rules Committee of the United States Tennis Association, and is a member of the USTA’s Governance Task Force.
He was previously a Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School, where he taught, with a federal judge, a seminar about federal litigation.
Allon Lifshitz is a partner in Cohen & Gresser’s New York office. His practice focuses on white collar criminal cases, complex civil litigation, antitrust…
Education
Harvard Law School (J.D., 2003); University of California, Berkeley (B.A., 2000)
Bar Admissions
New York State; U.S. District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
Activities and Affiliations
Fellow, Litigation Counsel of America
Member, American Bar Association, Antitrust and Criminal Justice Sections
Member, Federal Bar Council, Federal Criminal Practice Committee
Chair, United States Tennis Association, Constitution & Rules Committee
Board Member, United States Tennis Association, Eastern Section
Lecturer in Law (former), Columbia Law School
Representative White Collar Matters (Government)
Obtained corporate guilty pleas and $787 million in financial penalties from French corporation and Syrian subsidiary based on scheme to bribe ISIS, in landmark corporate national security case.
Negotiated $10 million financial penalty and deferred prosecution agreement with corporation, and obtained an executive’s guilty plea, based on the corporation’s unauthorized access of a smaller rival’s computer systems, in a significant corporate cybercrime case.
Representative White Collar Matters (Private Practice)
Represented media company in investigation by New York Attorney General of “payola” practices in the radio industry.
Represented an executive of a telecommunications company in a DOJ and SEC investigation of stock-option backdating.
Represented financial institution in FINRA investigation of market-timing in the mutual fund industry.
Represented international businessman charged in cryptocurrency fraud case in SDNY, resulting in sentence of probation
Representative Antitrust Matters
Represented leading retail-tracking company in civil litigation brought by its primary competitor in federal district court and, after prevailing, on appeal in the Second Circuit, which affirmed the case’s dismissal.
Represented global investment bank in criminal DOJ case alleging bid-rigging in market for municipal bonds.
Represented leading manufacturer of medical equipment in class action brought by purchasers.
Representative Civil Litigation Matters
Represented filmmaker sued in federal court by the estate of a prominent athlete, alleging trademark infringement and breach of contract, resulting in a favorable settlement.
Represented private equity pioneer and philanthropist in defamation case brought in state court.
Represented private equity firm in arbitration brought by another private equity firm, alleging fraud, breach of contract, and civil RICO violations, based on the sale of a portfolio company.
Represent large agricultural business in dispute with general contractor about construction of employee housing.
Represent video game company and its founders in case alleging theft of intellectual property.
Trials and Appeals
As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Allon tried 10 cases in federal district court and argued seven appeals in the Second Circuit.
Representative Employment Investigations
Conducted numerous confidential investigations of alleged employee misconduct, including allegations of racially motivated harassment, false record-keeping, abusive management, and substance abuse.
The article explores the potential consequences of legally equating transnational criminal cartels with terrorist organizations, particularly in the context of U.S. sanctions law.
Allon warns that expanding terrorist designations to include cartels could radically increase corporate liability. Drawing from the Lafarge case, he explains that companies operating in cartel-dominated regions could face terrorism-related charges simply for making payments under duress—exposing businesses to serious criminal risks even absent malicious intent.
Federal prosecutors rested their case on June 28 in U.S. Senator Bob Menendez’s high-profile corruption trial. Menendez, accused of accepting bribes in the form of cash, gold bars, and a Mercedes-Benz, faces 16 criminal charges including bribery, acting as a foreign agent, and obstruction.
Allon, a former federal prosecutor, noted that prosecutors will encourage the jury to draw logical inferences from the evidence. Even without direct proof of Bob Menendez discussing bribes, the government will argue that he must have known what was happening—especially when performing favors for individuals close to his wife while she received luxury gifts.
“The prosecution will stand up and tell the jury that when Mrs. Menendez asks the senator to do favors for people in her life, he had to know that at the same time she was receiving the Mercedes, the gold bars and the mortgage payments,” he commented.
Partner Allon Lifshitz was recently quoted in an article in Bloomberg, "Joe Lewis Joins Ranks of Billionaire Felons After Sentencing" (April 5, 2024).
Joe Lewis, the 87-year-old billionaire behind Tavistock Group, was sentenced to three years’ probation and a $5 million fine for insider trading, avoiding prison due to age and health considerations. Despite the criminal conviction, Lewis’s $7.3 billion fortune remains largely intact, and his global investment empire continues to operate. His plea deal limits his U.S. market activity and board involvement but allows him to maintain ownership of Tavistock and other private interests. Lewis joins a small group of ultra-wealthy individuals who’ve been convicted yet preserved their wealth.
Allon characterizes the outcome as a mutually beneficial resolution: The U.S. government secured a quick conviction from a foreign billionaire who could have resisted extradition, while Lewis avoided prison. He underscores that the plea and sentencing reflect the government's practical approach in securing accountability without prolonged litigation, especially given Lewis’s overseas status and significant resources.
Senator Bob Menendez requested to be tried separately from his wife Nadine in their federal corruption case, arguing that joint trial would prejudice his defense due to her potential health-related absence.
Allon, a former federal prosecutor, notes the rarity and strategic implications of such a request. He emphasizes that while courts generally prefer joint trials for co-defendants, especially in conspiracy cases, severance may be granted if compelling reasons—such as conflicting defenses or health issues—risk unfair prejudice.
Despite pleading guilty to insider trading, British billionaire Joe Lewis has retained the vast majority of his $7.6 billion empire. While the plea deal forces him to resign from U.S. public company boards, divest from Boxer Capital, and limit interactions with certain employees, Lewis maintains significant holdings in private ventures and international assets—from Bahamas real estate to Florida golf courses and Tottenham Hotspur F.C.. His plea also included a $50 million fine and constraints on board governance that could reshape his U.S. investment activity.
Allon, a former federal prosecutor, highlights the strategic deterrent effect of non-financial penalties. He notes that while a billionaire might not be deterred by a monetary fine alone, restrictions barring Lewis from board participation and related governance activities could meaningfully impact future conduct—both for Lewis and similarly situated high-net-worth individuals. These structural limits, he suggests, are a more effective deterrent than financial penalties alone.
Prior to joining Cohen & Gresser, Allon was a federal prosecutor for 14 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. As Deputy Chief, he oversaw more than 100 AUSAs across the Criminal Division’s nine sections. Previously, he served as Chief of the Organized Crime & Gangs Section. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Allon prosecuted cases involving a variety of crimes, including foreign bribery, health care fraud, racketeering, securities fraud, money laundering, wire fraud, national security offenses, and public corruption offenses.
“I couldn’t be more excited to join Cohen & Gresser. I have admired the firm for a long time and have been consistently impressed with its growth and success,” said Allon. “The white-collar practice is outstanding, and I look forward to leveraging my experience investigating cross-border white-collar crime, negotiating corporate resolutions, and taking complex cases to trial. I also look forward to applying my experience to the firm’s excellent work in antitrust and civil litigation.”
“Allon is a skilled litigator with proven results. His extensive experience as a federal prosecutor adds new depth and capabilities to the firm’s white-collar, antitrust, and litigation and arbitration practices,” said Lawrence T. Gresser, co-founder and global managing partner of Cohen & Gresser. “On behalf of everyone at the firm, I’m delighted to welcome Allon to the team.”
Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Allon served as a law clerk to the Honorable Nicholas G. Garaufis, U.S. District Judge for the Eastern District of New York, and as a litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison. Allon earned his law degree from Harvard Law School.
Allon is a member of the Federal Bar Council’s Federal Criminal Practice Committee and the American Bar Association’s Antitrust Law and Criminal Justice Sections. He currently serves as Chair of the Constitution & Rules Committee of the United States Tennis Association. He was previously a Lecturer in Law at Columbia Law School.
Read New York Law Journal's coverage here.