Thomas J. Curran and Doris D. Short have joined Duane Morris LLP as partners in the firm’s Trial Practice Group in its New York office. Prior to joining Duane Morris, Curran and Short were partners at Peckar & Abramson P.C. Robert H. Bell has also joined the Trial Practice Group as a special counsel.
“With an increasingly vigorous and complex regulatory landscape, we have been focused on strengthening our white-collar defense team,” said Duane Morris Chairman and CEO Matthew A. Taylor. “The addition of Tom and Doris adds to the robust capabilities we can offer clients facing high-stakes business and reputational issues.”
“Tom and Doris’ extensive experience, particularly in the construction industry, offers great synergies with our attorneys and clients,” said Sharon L. Caffrey, co-chair of Duane Morris’ Trial Practice Group. “We’re excited about the addition of these two talented partners and the deep knowledge they bring for our construction and white-collar offerings,” added Stephen H. Sutro, co-chair of Duane Morris’ Trial Practice Group.
“We’re pleased to add more skilled attorneys, who fit in well both culturally and personally, to our office,” said Michael D. Grohman, co-managing partner of the firm’s New York office. “Tom and Doris will be a great resource for our clients here in New York and across the firm,” added James J. Regan, co-managing partner of the firm’s New York office.
“Doris and I look forward to utilizing the Duane Morris platform and working with our new colleagues to offer our clients the breadth and depth of a full-service firm,” said Curran.
Thomas J. Curran’s practice focuses on a broad range of legal matters, including white-collar criminal defense, internal integrity reviews, risk assessment and management, regulatory compliance and general business advice and litigation. Curran provides forward-looking advice on the general business climate, including regulatory trends and tendencies. He has many years of experience representing corporations, entities and the people that lead them in internal investigations of sensitive matters and crisis management. These matters have entailed reassessing existing corporate policies and controls, advising senior corporate management and boards of directors in crisis and potential crisis management, and assisting corporations and entities in the navigation of governmental inquiries and evolving policies in a manner designed to assist in adapting the business model to changing regulatory environments. Curran’s clients include public companies, investment banks, broker-dealers, large private companies (especially members of the construction industry), as well as individuals. He served as a New York County (Manhattan) assistant district attorney from 1995 through 2001 with the career criminal/major offense program and the Frauds Bureau. Curran successfully prosecuted hundreds of serious felony cases with special emphasis on repeat violent felony offenders and large-scale frauds and larcenies. As a member of the Frauds Bureau, Curran supervised a long-term special grand jury investigation into fraud in the marketing of securities, coordinating this effort with parallel investigative efforts of federal prosecutors, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission and various state and local authorities. Curran is also involved as a leader in various professional and community groups, including Prisoners’ Legal Services of New York (vice chair), the Manhattan District Attorney’s Association (presiding member) and the Appellate Division, First Judicial Department’s Committee on Character and Fitness.
Curran is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and Georgetown University.
Doris D. Short focuses her practice on representing corporations and individuals in highly regulated industries, such as construction and financial services, in white-collar criminal prosecutions and investigations, regulatory and administrative proceedings and complex civil matters. Short has defended both domestic and international clients in cases involving allegations of criminal and civil fraud (including securities fraud), bribery, tax evasion, money laundering, larceny, falsification of business records/false filings and False Claims Act violations, among others. She vigorously advocates on behalf of clients facing potential charges from federal, state and local prosecutors and regulators in jurisdictions across the country. Short has significant experience leading large-scale internal integrity investigations, performing detailed risk evaluations and advising corporate officers and directors regarding strategies for resolution. She routinely responds to emergency situations and counsels clients on how to prepare for such situations, including reviewing and revising crisis management programs. She also provides regulatory compliance services, including advising clients on internal compliance policies and procedures as well as aiding clients to fulfill their external reporting obligations. Short has a thriving civil practice and has successfully litigated several complex commercial cases from inception to resolution.
Short is a graduate Brooklyn Law School and Trinity College.
Robert Bell has substantial experience representing highly regulated companies in complex civil litigation, white collar criminal investigations, and regulatory and administrative proceedings. He received his J.D., cum laude, from the Duke University School of Law and his B.A., magna cum laude, from Denison University.