Former U.S. Attorney Joshua Levy will be returning to his old Boston law firm, Ropes & Gray, as a partner in the firm’s litigation and enforcement practice group.
“I do look forward to going back into that role,” Levy told the Herald about his move. “I want to practice on this side of the table the same way I did as U.S. Attorney — with a focus on integrity and professionalism.”
Levy served as the chief federal prosecutor for Massachusetts from May 2023 to January of this year, overseeing more than 120 prosecutors from the top floor of the federal courthouse in Boston’s Seaport. He took office after his predecessor, Rachael Rollins, resigned in disgrace following two damning federal reports on her ethical violations.
“The office took a big body blow when the former U.S. Attorney resigned,” he told the Herald. “That was a huge challenge and we got right back to work.”
Under his leadership, the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s office was “the most productive” in the country, according to Ropes & Gray, and recovered more than $1 billion last year alone.
Levy said he is “proud of the work across the office” handling “very important work,” especially in tackling public corruption. Recent highlights include the conviction of former state senator Dean Tran and bringing fraud charges against Boston City Councilor Tania Fernandes Anderson.
He wouldn’t cite specific cases he’s especially proud of, but his office made significant headlines from cases like prosecuting military secrets leaker Jack Teixeira, bringing charges against Stoughton cop Matthew Farwell — who’s accused of killing Sandra Birchmore — convicted the three runners of high-end brothels in Greater Boston and the D.C. suburbs, and brought charges in numerous high-profile fentanyl trafficking and gang cases. His office also won the conviction of Russian businessman Vladislav Klyushin for a $93 million cyber fraud and insider trading case.
He also oversaw the federal probe into the Karen Read case, but he wasn’t willing to comment on that despite the fact the case is now officially closed.
Levy stepped down ahead of President Trump’s inauguration, as is the usual practice for all political appointees when a new administration takes over. He was succeeded by Leah Foley, who was in the leadership team during Levy’s tenure.
“She is an excellent prosecutor and is widely respected both in the office and from the defense bar and I feel very confident with her at the helm,” Levy said.
Levy was previously a partner at Ropes & Gray from 2004 to 2021, when he became first assistant U.S. Attorney under Rollins. In addition to practice group leadership roles, he also served as co-managing partner of the Boston office. The multinational law firm, headquartered in Prudential Tower in Boston, is ranked number one on The American Lawyer’s A-List of elite firms and boasts 14 offices on three continents, according to its website.
“Returning to Ropes & Gray was never a question for me. The firm has an incomparable culture of teamwork and a high-powered enforcement team that clients turn to for high-stakes investigations and bet-the-company matters,” Levy said in a prepared statement shared by the firm. “I hope to draw on my recent experience leading the U.S. attorney’s office to advise clients on how to navigate government investigations and steer them to successful outcomes.”
He won’t be doing the same work upon his return. Before, he handled mainly civil cases at the federal level, which the firm described as “white collar defense and complex civil litigation” specialty, but also some criminal cases like defending some parents in the Varsity Blues college admissions scandal. Now he will be primarily “representing companies and individuals facing government investigations, sometimes charged and sometimes uncharged.”
“We are thrilled to have Josh back at Ropes & Gray, especially as the enforcement landscape gets more complex for our clients,” said Julie Jones, chair of the firm. “Josh has been a powerhouse on both sides of the enforcement table, recently spearheading some of the government’s most notable prosecutions and investigations. He’ll be an incredible asset to our clients, forging strong relationships and delivering great outcomes on their most sensitive and critical issues.”
