Peter E. Deegan

Partner Chicago Detroit (Southfield)Washington, DC

Contact Info

Top Services

Practices

Summary

As a seasoned trial lawyer and member of Taft’s Compliance, Investigations, and White Collar Defense practice since 2021, Pete brings clients extensive national experience in white collar criminal litigation and corporate compliance, gained from years leading complex business investigations and from serving on the U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee for White Collar Fraud.

He most recently served as the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa, with a career spanning 22 years as a federal prosecutor.

Pete’s client work is distinguished by his ability to navigate complex investigations and prosecutions. He has both led and responded to numerous, high stakes federal investigations, including those relating to:

Banking and business crime
Financial fraud
Regulatory investigations
Public corruption
False claims to the government
Theft of trade secrets
Securities fraud
Insider trading

Pete brings uncommon litigation experience to bear on behalf of his clients, having tried 22 cases to jury verdict in federal courtrooms across the Midwest and having argued more than 33 cases in the federal courts of appeal.

Pete’s career specializing in federal investigations began with his appointment as an Assistant to the Iowa Attorney General specially assigned to the United States Attorney’s Office. Pete later served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Detroit, prosecuting complex matters, including alien smuggling, medical device smuggling, and financial fraud. After returning to Iowa, Pete focused on complex fraud and business crimes. He prosecuted the two largest financial fraud cases in the history of the district, including a $215 million fraud committed by the owner of Peregrine Financial Group, Inc. Pete also co-led the investigation of the largest criminal immigration enforcement action in U.S. history and the subsequent prosecutions of several company managers for harboring-related offenses and a $26 million bank fraud. Pete led the investigation and prosecution of the federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act and public corruption crimes related to the largest food-borne salmonella outbreak in the nation’s history. This resulted in prison sentences for two top corporate officials under the Responsible Corporate Officer doctrine.

Prior to his confirmation as United States Attorney, Pete served as the Chief of the Criminal Division in the Northern District of Iowa, supervising all criminal prosecutions in the district. These included cases involving arms smuggling to Hezbollah in Lebanon, theft of trade secrets from a Fortune 100 company, immigration fraud by a perpetrator of the Rwandan genocide, threats to a U.S. senator, and the largest organic certification fraud in U.S. history involving over $100 million in grain.

As U.S. Attorney, Pete directed additional civil resources to False Claims Act enforcement, making the district a favored venue for Qui Tam filings. Pete also focused criminal resources on corporate fraud, gun crime, cartel-linked methamphetamine sources, the opioid epidemic, and financial crimes targeting the elderly.

Pete served in leadership and advisory positions at the national level. He chaired the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Management and Performance and served on the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee for White Collar Fraud, the Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee for Native American Issues, and the Deputy Attorney General’s Privilege Review Working Group.

Since joining Taft, Pete has helped clients respond to high-stakes federal investigations targeting financial fraud, insider trading, public corruption, theft of trade secrets, banking violations, false claims relating to healthcare and government contracting, ADA violations, mishandling of prescription medications, Packers and Stockyards Act violations, and failure to disclose foreign ties in connection with academic grant applications. He has also helped clients respond to Inspector General and law enforcement investigations into allegations of employment-based misconduct and crime. Pete has led multiple confidential internal investigations and assisted businesses victimized by fraud, misuse of proprietary information, and rouge employee misconduct.

While at Taft, Pete has helped clients navigate money-laundering laws and regulations and has served as an overseas instructor on U.S. and international anti-money laundering, counter-terrorism financing, and public corruption investigations.

Awards

Taft Pro Bono Honor Roll Award

(2022)
U.S. Treasury / Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, Certificate of Appreciation (2020)
U.S. Department of Justice, Special Commendation for Outstanding Service in the Civil Division (2015)
Council of the Inspectors General, Gaston L. Gianni, Jr. Better Government Award (2015)
U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Award for Distinguished Service (2015)
U.S. Department of Justice, Director’s Award for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team (2014)
United States Department of Agriculture, Honor Award for Excellence (2010)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office of Investigations, Special Recognition Award (2010)
Federal Bureau of Investigation, Certificate of Recognition (2010)

All Service Areas

All Practices

Education

Wayne State University Law School (1995)
University of Notre Dame (1992)
Philosophy with a concentration in Middle East studies

Admissions

State - Illinois
State - Iowa
State - Michigan
State - Wisconsin
State - District of Columbia

Notable Matters

Quality Egg/DeCoster – led criminal investigation into largest foodborne Salmonella Enteritis outbreak in U.S. history and prosecution of public corruption and Responsible Corporate Officer (Park liability) offenses by top company officials.
Peregrine Financial Group/Wasendorf – led criminal investigation and prosecution of $215 million fraud by owner and Chief Executive Officer of Futures Commission Merchant leading to 50-year federal sentence.
Agriprocessors/Rubashkin – co-led largest criminal worksite enforcement investigation in U.S. history and related harboring and bank fraud investigation leading to felony convictions for more than 300 employees, several supervisors, Human Resources Officer, Controller, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Executive Officer.
Hancher – prosecution of multi-million-dollar wire and securities fraud committed by investment broker promoting plans to take one company public through a stock offering and another company private through a stock buyback.
Hoffert – prosecution of real-estate broker for stealing mortgage loan proceeds and failing to pay off prior mortgage loans.
Plower – investigation and prosecution of law enforcement officer for scheme to defraud insurance company by setting fire to insured property leading to 13-year federal sentence.
Kinseth – prosecution of investment broker for Ponzi scheme targeting multiple victims – including a paraplegic and a member of the clergy – and resulting in more than four years in federal prison.

Speeches and Publications

Financial Services and Bank Secrecy Act

Financial Services Volunteer Corps / Judicial Institute for Africa, Cape Town, South Africa

Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Public Corruption Training for Judges from Angola, Eswatini, Mozambique, Namibia, and South Africa (2022)

Financial Services Volunteer Corps / Judicial Institute of Jordan, Amman, Jordan

Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Training for Jordanian Judges/Public Prosecutors (2021, 2022)

IRS / Iowa Special Enforcement Operations Bureau Training for Gaming Organizations, Dubuque, Iowa

Sports Book/Anti-Money Laundering Compliance remarks (2019)

Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on White Collar Fraud, Los Angeles, California

Suspicious Activity Reports Best Practices panel (2019)

Northeast Iowa Bank Security Training, Waterloo and Dubuque, Iowa

Suspicious Activity Reports and Financial Crimes presentation (2016)

Iowa Bankers Association Two-Day BSA/AML Compliance School, Des Moines, Iowa

Federal Financial Crimes presentation (2015)

Risk Management Association Eastern Iowa Chapter, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Financial Institution Fraud presentation (2011)

Institute of Internal Auditors Heartland-Iowa Chapter, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Business Fraud and Referrals for Federal Prosecution presentation (2011)

Food Safety

Faegre Food and Ag Conference, Indianapolis, Indiana

Food Safety panel (2016)

ABA Food and Device Conference, Omaha, Nebraska

Food Safety panel (2015)

Employment-Related Immigration

U.S. Department of Justice National Advocacy Center, Columbia, South Carolina

Border Security Conference, Worksite Enforcement Issues panel (2018)
Criminal Immigration Seminar case study (2010, 2011)
Employment Related Immigration Crimes Seminar case study (2009)

Attorney General’s Advisory Subcommittee on Border and Immigration Issues

Worksite Enforcement Best Practices presentation (2018)

Homeland Security Investigations Supervisor School, Glynco, Georgia

Worksite Enforcement Prosecutions for HSI Supervisors presentation (2018)

Publication: 2013 revisions and updates to Chapter 12 of the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Legal Education, Immigration Manual (Civil and Criminal Remedies for Illegal Employment of Aliens)

White Collar Investigations

Illinois Manufacturers’ Association

Co-Presenter, “Best Practices and Criminal & Civil Implications: Internal Investigations,” May 9, 2023.

U.S. Department of Justice National Advocacy Center, Columbia, South Carolina

Filter Review Team Guidance panel (2020 Webinar)

University of Iowa Law School, Iowa City, Iowa

Adjunct Faculty, Federal White Collar Crime Course (Spring 2016)

Mt. Mercy University Criminal Justice Program, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

White Collar Crime panel (2016)

Kaplan University White Collar Crime Course, Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Business Fraud and Federal Prosecution guest lecture (2011)

Author, “Elder Financial Fraud Schemes: The Case for Federal Investigation and Prosecution,” 66 DOJ J. FED. L. & PRAC., no. 7, 2018

Trial Advocacy

U.S. Department of Justice National Advocacy Center, Columbia, South Carolina

Visiting Faculty, Basic Criminal Trial Advocacy Course (2005 to 2020)
Jury Trials during COVID-19 Pandemic panel (2020 Webinar)

University of Notre Dame Law School, Notre Dame, Indiana

Visiting Faculty, Intensive Trial Advocacy Course (annually since 2017)

Lawyers Without Borders

Virtual Trial Advocacy Trainer for Kenyan Prosecutors (2021)

News

Professional Affiliations

Linn County Iowa Bar Association
Northern District of Iowa Historical Society
Michigan Bar Association
National Association of Former United States Attorneys
American Bar Association
Member, Criminal Law Section
Wisconsin State Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Member, Chicago Chapter

Community Involvement

Iowa Donor Network, North Liberty, Iowa
Volunteer presenter
100+ People Who Care, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
St. Matthew’s Catholic Church, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Past Board of Education Member
Past Board of Education President
Past Co-chairperson, Capital Campaign Committee
Notre Dame Club of Cedar Rapids/Iowa City
Past Admissions Volunteer Coordinator
Financial Services Volunteer Corps
Volunteer Expert