McDermott partner Julian André served as a federal criminal fraud prosecutor for six years in one of the busiest and most dynamic jurisdictions in the United States: the Central District of California. His service spanned the COVID-19 pandemic when the US Department of Justice was ramping up efforts to police frauds on COVID-19 relief programs. On this episode of In the Trenches, Brian Stimson, McDermott partner and former Acting General Counsel and Principal Deputy General Counsel for the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), explores the following topics with Julian:

• Increased enforcement activity and fraud prosecution following the implementation of COVID-19-related government programs
• Julian’s experience in the Central District, including his leadership and work on securities and education fraud enforcement
• Julian’s perspectives on healthcare fraud enforcement in the Central District of California and other jurisdictions
• Insights and words of wisdom for general counsels navigating investigations or litigations in the Central District