Rebecca Ricgiliano, Power Lawyer

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Rebecca Ricigliano is blazing trails in the law industry from litigation to leadership to advocating for and fostering diversity in future lawyers.

A truly accomplished litigator with a passion for leadership, she is a former federal prosecutor and the current co-chair of the White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement Group at Crowell & Moring, the international law firm.

Because of her established record of excellence in leadership and litigation, the New York Law Journal has named Ricigliano a “2022 Distinguished Leader.” The honor awards lawyers who have achieved notable and impressive results in the past year. 

And Ricigliano has achieved exactly that in 2022 and long before. 

Prior to her present role with Crowell & Moring, Ricigliano served as First Assistant Attorney General of New Jersey and for nearly ten years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the SDNY. While with the SDNY, she was a member of the Securities and Commodities Task Force and was Chief of the Narcotics Unit. She was also the Senior Trial Counsel in the Public Corruption Unit during that time.

But perhaps the role that has the most meaning for Ricigliano was helping to create and launch the “When There Are Nine Scholarship Project” in 2020, designed to honor the work of the laste Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. 

Created in partnership with the Federal Bar Foundation, the scholarship works to advance equity and diversity in the legal profession.

In addition to launching the scholarship, Ricigliano selected the first cohort of Scholars for the project. “Working collaboratively with so many SDNY alumnae to propel it forward and being able to help women in law school was incredibly fulfilling,” she told the Law Journal.

The New York Law Journal is not the only legal institution to take note of Ricigliano’s accomplishments. Chambers USA calls Ricigliano a leading white-collar attorney who is “a tremendous lawyer who has extensive relationships with the government.” Chambers USA, a leading legal directory, went on to describe Ricigliano as someone who is called upon by both individuals and corporations “to handle sensitive criminal allegations and regulatory investigations, including those with international elements.”

In addition to her New York Law Journal and Chambers USA honors, Ricigliano has received recognition as a Northeast Trailblazer by The American Lawyer, and was named a “Notable Woman in the Law” by Best Lawyers in America.

Her colleagues have also honored her for her efforts, awarding Ricigliano the Federal Drug Agents Foundation True American Hero Award and the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency Investigations Award for Excellence.

When not being honored by her peers and respected law journals, Ricigliano serves individuals and corporations who are facing grand jury and regulatory investigations, including criminal trials. She also conducts internal investigations for both foreign and domestic clients. These clients include Fortune 500 companies in technology, transportation, government contracting, financial services, and defense. 

Defending clients in highly sensitive matters conducted by the Department of Justice’s Criminal and Antitrust Divisions, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, Congress, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other regulatory government agencies, Ricigliano also works with clients on the development, updates and training of corporate compliance programs.

In one of her most high-profile cases, Ricigliano successfully tried an accounting and securities fraud case against the former CEO and CFO of a major drug store chaint. Other high-profile cases involved a major Medicaid fraud investigation, the prosecution of 49 Russian diplomats, and the investigation into campaign financing violations related to a U.S. Senate race. 

And, with all the responsibilities of her career, Ricigliano still makes giving back a priority, as evidenced by her dedication to the “When there are nine” Scholarship initiative. 

In an interview with the New York Law Journal, Ricigliano called the project “my proudest achievement over the past year.”

As The New York Law Journal, The American Lawyer, and scores of her peers recognize, Rebecca Ricigliano is expected to change the world for the better for years to come.