TEL:+1 202.955.8220
FAX:+1 202.831.6050
1050 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20036-5306 USA
M. Kendall Day is a nationally recognized white-collar partner in the Washington, D.C. office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, where he is co-chair of Gibson Dunn’s Global Fintech and Digital Assets Practice Group, co-chair of the firm’s Financial Institutions Practice Group, co-leads the firm’s Anti-Money Laundering practice, and is a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations and Crisis Management Practice Groups.
Kendall is recognized as a leading White Collar attorney in the District of Columbia by Chambers USA – America’s Leading Business Lawyers. Most recently, Kendall was recognized in Best Lawyers 2024 for white-collar criminal defense. His practice focuses on internal investigations, regulatory enforcement defense, white-collar criminal defense, and compliance counseling. He represents financial institutions; fintech, digital asset, and multi-national companies; and individuals in connection with criminal, regulatory, and civil enforcement actions involving anti-money laundering (AML)/Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), sanctions, FCPA and other anti-corruption, securities, tax, wire and mail fraud, unlicensed money transmitter, false claims act, and sensitive employee matters. Kendall’s practice also includes BSA/AML compliance counseling and due diligence, and the defense of forfeiture matters.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn, Kendall had a distinguished 15-year career as a white collar prosecutor with the Department of Justice (DOJ), rising to the highest career position in the DOJ’s Criminal Division as an Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG). As a DAAG, Kendall had responsibility for approximately 200 prosecutors and other professionals. Kendall also previously served as Chief and Principal Deputy Chief of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section. In these various leadership positions, from 2013 until 2018, Kendall supervised investigations and prosecutions of many of the country’s most significant and high-profile cases involving allegations of corporate and financial misconduct. He also exercised nationwide supervisory authority over the DOJ’s money laundering program, particularly any BSA and money-laundering charges, deferred prosecution agreements and non-prosecution agreements involving financial institutions.
Earlier in his time as a white collar prosecutor, from 2005 until 2013, Kendall served as a deputy chief and trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the DOJ. During his tenure at the Public Integrity Section, Kendall prosecuted and tried some of the Criminal Division’s most challenging cases, including the prosecutions of Jack Abramoff, a Member of Congress and several chiefs of staff, a New York state supreme court judge, and other elected local officials. He started his career in 2003 when he was selected to join the Attorney General’s Honors Program as a prosecutor in the DOJ’s Tax Division. Kendall also was stationed overseas as the Justice Department’s Anti-Corruption Resident Legal Advisor in Serbia.
Representative Matters
Selected Recent Speaking Engagements
Kendall received a number of awards while at the DOJ, including the Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service, the second highest award for employee performance; the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service; and the Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Ensuring the Integrity of Government.
Kendall clerked for Chief United States District Court Judge Benson E. Legg of the District of Maryland. He earned his J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law, where he graduated in 2002 after winning first place in the Lile Moot Court Competition and being selected to receive the Margaret G. Hyde Graduation Award. He graduated with honors and highest distinction from the University of Kansas in 1999 with a B.A. in Italian Literature and Humanities.
Kendall is licensed to practice in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the District of Columbia.
University of Virginia - 2002 Juris Doctor
University of Kansas - 1999 Bachelor of Arts
District of Columbia Bar
Virginia Bar