TEL:+1 303.298.5758
FAX:+1 303.313.2870
1801 California Street Suite 4200, Denver, CO 80202-2642 USA
2001 Ross Avenue Suite 2100, Dallas, TX 75201-2923 USA
Robert C. Blume is a partner in the Denver and Dallas offices of Gibson, Dunn, & Crutcher. His practice focuses on internal investigations, compliance, business crimes, and complex civil litigation. He also is an accomplished trial lawyer, having served almost eight years as a federal prosecutor with the United States Department of Justice and earned four Special Achievement Awards from the Attorney General.
Rob is ranked by Chambers USA (2012-2024) in Band 1 as a leading lawyer in Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations. He also has been selected to Super Lawyers for Criminal Defense: White Collar (2019-2024) and recognized in The Best Lawyers® in America for work in three areas: Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Commercial Litigation, and Litigation Securities (2013-2024). Benchmark Litigation named Rob a “Litigation Star” both nationally and in Colorado (2018-2024) and previously named him as a “Future Star” (2015-2017). Finally, in 2016, Rob was named “Barrister’s Best White Collar Lawyer” by Law Week Colorado.
Rob represents corporations and individuals in local, state, and federal court and helps clients interface with government agencies around the country. He regularly defends clients in enforcement actions and investigations brought by the United States Department of Justice, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, and various state law enforcement agencies. These investigations often involve allegations of securities fraud, healthcare fraud, corruption and bribery, money laundering, price-fixing and market manipulation, consumer protection violations, improper use of computer and electronic data, and environmental crimes. To perform at the highest level, Rob immerses himself his client’s industries, which have included tech and social networking, health care, financial and insurance services, telecommunications, oil and gas, construction and infrastructure, resort and hospitality, and logistics.
With experience and expertise in the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), Rob helps clients conduct investigations and deploy compliance initiatives. He has been retained as outside compliance counsel for a number of publicly-traded companies, has drafted anti-corruption policies under the FCPA and the UK Bribery Act, and has led internal investigations and M&A due diligence throughout Europe, Asia, Africa, India, the Middle-East, Central and South America, and Australia. Rob works directly with C-Suite executives, Audit Committees, Boards of Directors regarding internal company practices, compliance programs, disclosure issues, and human resource concerns. Finally, Rob has participated in a number of FCPA Monitorships, including as a lawyer leading the investigation team for Siemens.
Rob also advises on export control and trade sanctions issues. He has successfully represented individuals in matters dealing with the Iranian Transaction Regulations, Export Administration Regulations, the Arms Export Control Act, and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and its implementing regulations.
Rob also defends clients accused of False Claims Act (FCA) violations, including matters in which he has convinced DOJ to decline intervention, convinced the Tenth Circuit to adopt a new standard to assess prior public disclosures, defeated FCA whistleblower claims on Summary Judgment, defended that ruling before the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, and obtained complete dismissals at the early pleading stage.
Finally, as a trial lawyer in private practice, Rob has prepared for and conducted bench and jury trials in the federal and state courts of Colorado, New York, Texas, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom.
Before joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Rob served with distinction as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Assigned to the Homicide/Major Crimes Section, Robert investigated and tried more than 15 homicide trials and 20 drug and violent crime trials. Rob also served four years with the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice, where he investigated and tried organized crime and white collar cases involving RICO, mail and wire fraud, securities fraud, credit card fraud, insurance fraud, computer security breaches, FCPA violations, obstruction of justice, money laundering, and conspiracy.
Rob graduated cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center and was the Associate Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal and a member of the Georgetown Criminal Justice Clinic. Rob received his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Brown University. He is admitted to practice in Colorado, Texas, and the District of Columbia.
Rob lectures and publishes on many topics, including the FCA, the FCPA, internal investigations, search warrants, legal privilege, and electronic evidence. He also serves as a faculty member and instructor at the National Institute of Trial Advocacy’s Advanced Trial Advocacy Program in Washington, DC and its Advanced Deposition Skills training in Boulder, Colorado, and is a frequent guest lecturer at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver. Additionally, Rob currently serves as co-chair of the Rocky Mountain Regional Subcommittee of the ABA’s White Collar Crime Committee. He previously served as the national co-chair of the Corporate Criminal Liability Subcommittee. Rob is a member of the Texas Bar Foundation.
Recent Professional Publications
Georgetown University - 1992 Juris Doctor
Brown University - 1989 Bachelor of Arts
Colorado Bar
District of Columbia Bar
Texas Bar