Robert C. Blume is a partner in the Denver office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. His practice focuses on internal investigations, compliance, business crimes, and complex civil litigation. Mr. Blume spent more than seven years as a federal prosecutor with the United States Department of Justice and earned four Special Achievement Awards from the Attorney General.
Mr. Blume represents corporations and individuals in local, state, and federal court and helps clients interface with government agencies around the country. In that capacity, Mr. Blume has defended local and international 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 have involved allegations of accounting and securities fraud, mortgage and settlement service kickbacks, money laundering, Medicaid fraud, promotion of off-label medical devices, improper use of computer and electronic data, breach of consumer trust and protection, improper payments to government officials, illicit dumping and environmental crimes, and illicit price-fixing and anti-competitive activities.
Mr. Blume also advises on U.S. export control and OFAC sanction issues. He has successfully represented individuals in matters dealing with the Iranian Transaction Regulations and the Export Administration Regulations. He also has advised on matters involving the Arms Export Control Act and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and its implementing regulations.
Mr. Blume helps many clients navigate through Foreign Corrupt Practices Act ("FCPA") investigations and compliance initiatives. Recently, he led an M&A due diligence investigation in China and advises public companies specifically about FCPA risks associated with expansion into Asia. He has conducted Internal Investigations and advised companies in almost 20 countries around the world in Europe, Asia, Africa, India, the Middle-East, Central America, and South America. Mr. Blume works directly with Audit Committees, Boards of Directors, and management regarding company practices, internal compliance programs, disclosure issues, human resource concerns, and remedial measures for improving compliance.
Mr. Blume has lectured and published on many topics, including Internal Investigations, the FCPA, the False Claims Act, Electronic Evidence, and the unique role of a corporations’ Internal Audit group.
Before joining Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, Mr. Blume served with distinction as an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia. Assigned to the Homicide/Major Crimes Section, Mr. Blume investigated and prosecuted more than fifteen homicide trials and twenty drug and violent crime trials in local and federal courts. Mr. Blume also spent four years with the Organized Crime and Racketeering Section in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice. As a trial attorney, Mr. Blume investigated and tried a number of 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.
Mr. Blume graduated cum laude from the Georgetown University Law Center, where he was an Associate Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal and a member of the Georgetown Criminal Justice Clinic. Mr. Blume received his Bachelor of Arts degree with honors from Brown University. He is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and in the State of Colorado.
Mr. Blume has served as the national co-chair of the Corporate Criminal Liability Subcommittee of the White Collar Crime section of the American Bar Association.