Gustav W. Eyler

Gus Eyler is a leading defense attorney and Co-Chair of Gibson Dunn's Consumer Protection and FDA and Health Care Practice Groups. An experienced litigator and former Director of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch, he represents companies and executives in high-stakes criminal and civil investigations and litigation.

Gus brings broad and practical experience to clients facing government enforcement actions. Ranked by Chambers and Legal 500, he is praised for his "exceptional ability to manage crises, disarm regulators, and get results," especially in matters alleging consumer harm. Gus regularly handles clients' most crucial legal issues, engaging with federal and state enforcers to close investigations, resolve disputes, and prevail in litigation. Clients also rely on him to mitigate risks through internal investigations and compliance guidance. His clients include the world's top consumer product, life sciences, and technology companies.

As Director of DOJ's Consumer Protection Branch (now reorganized into the Civil Division's Enforcement and Affirmative Litigation Branch and the Criminal Division's Fraud Section), Gus led more than 250 prosecutors and staff in criminal and civil enforcement actions involving food, drugs, medical devices, tobacco products, consumer goods, social media, and marketing practices. He personally oversaw a wide range of corporate enforcement matters, partnering closely with the FDA, FTC, CPSC, and NHTSA to achieve landmark results. Gus also helped to craft corporate compliance policy as a member of DOJ's Corporate Crime Advisory Group. 

Before serving as Director of the Consumer Protection Branch, Gus worked as a Counselor to the Attorney General, providing advice on matters related to the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the Criminal Division, the FBI, and the DEA. He also served as a prosecutor in the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. He is a recipient of both the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award and the Attorney General’s Fraud Prevention Award. Prior to joining the Justice Department, Gus worked at Gibson Dunn, as counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, and as a law clerk to Judge Thomas L. Ambro of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

Gus received his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law & Policy Review and an author for the Yale Law Journal. He received his undergraduate degree, summa cum laude, from Princeton University and studied history at Merton College, Oxford.

Representative matters:

• Successfully represented multiple leading food and beverage companies in DOJ criminal investigations under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act.
• Persuaded DOJ to decline a criminal investigation into a consumer product manufacturer under the Consumer Product Safety Act.
• Secured closure of an FTC deceptive practices investigation into an online gaming platform.
• Represented a major healthcare organization in a DOJ investigation under the Federal Food Drug and Cosmetic Act and False Claims Act.
• Successfully resolved numerous State Attorney General deceptive practices investigations into an online ordering and delivery platform.
• Convinced DOJ to close a parallel criminal and civil fraud investigation into a leading healthcare company and its top executives.
• Favorably resolved multiple Consumer Product Safety Commission investigations into consumer product manufacturers and distributors.
• Persuaded DOJ to close a fraud and money laundering investigation into a financial management business.
• Secured closure of DEA and State Attorney General investigations into an online marketplace related to the sale of regulated products.
• Convinced DOJ to drop a criminal investigation into a cryptocurrency financial technology company and its top executives.
• Favorably resolved an FTC investigation and enforcement action against a healthcare company and its CEO.
• Represented a global e-commerce entity in parallel civil and criminal investigations brought by the FTC and DOJ.
• Defended a drug manufacturer in a DOJ criminal and civil investigation under the Controlled Substances Act and False Claims Act.
• Represented a global e-commerce platform in federal and state matters related to counterfeit goods and trade.
• Led multiple risk assessments and internal investigations into marketing practices and regulated products.
• Designed and assisted in implementing corporate programs to ensure compliance with federal and state consumer protection laws.

Capabilities

• White Collar Defense and Investigations
• Administrative Law and Regulatory Practice
• Class Actions
• Consumer Products and Retail
• Consumer Protection
• Crisis Management
• FDA and Health Care
• False Claims Act / Qui Tam Defense
• Privacy, Cybersecurity, and Data Innovation

Credentials

Education:

• Yale University - 2008 Juris Doctor
• Princeton University - 2005 Bachelor of Arts

Admissions:

• District of Columbia Bar
• Maryland Bar

Clerkships:

• US Court of Appeals, 3rd Circuit, Hon. Thomas L. Ambro, 2008 - 2009