Zac Bolitho will Join Firm’s White Collar & Criminal Defense Practice Group

Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP (Cranfill Sumner) today announced that Zac Bolitho has joined the firm’s Raleigh office as Of Counsel in its White Collar & Criminal Defense Group.  He will represent clients in white collar criminal investigations and prosecutions, as well as complex civil and regulatory litigation.

“We are very excited to welcome Zac Bolitho to the Cranfill Sumner family and add his experience to our White Collar & Criminal Defense Practice Group,” said Marshall Wall, Managing Partner of Cranfill Sumner. “Zac’s unique background includes a wealth of practical experience that is complemented by an academic perspective developed during his time as a tenured and well-respected law professor.”

Bolitho previously served as an Associate Deputy Attorney General and the Chief of Staff to Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C.  As a trusted adviser to the nation’s second-ranking law enforcement official, Bolitho assisted in overseeing the nearly 115,000 employees in the Department’s litigating divisions, law enforcement agencies, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.  Bolitho advised the Deputy Attorney General on a wide variety of criminal, civil, and national security issues, including criminal charging policies, criminal and civil enforcement priorities, domestic and foreign criminal investigations, and congressional oversight matters.

Additionally, Attorney General Jeff Sessions appointed Bolitho to perform a collateral duty as the Department’s ex officio member of the U.S. Sentencing Commission.  In that role, he represented the Department’s interests at the Commission and developed an in-depth understanding of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.  He previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Tennessee where he prosecuted fraud, public corruption and violent crimes including trying some of the District’s most high-profile cases.

“Zac’s arrival underscores our commitment to powerful advocacy in the highest stakes government-related litigation and investigations,” said Patrick Mincey, Chair of the firm’s White Collar & Criminal Defense Group.  “Our clients will benefit from Zac’s unique experience in the matters we represent them in across the country.” 

Bolitho will join Cranfill Sumner’s White Collar & Criminal Defense Group, which assists clients—corporate, institutional and individual—in sensitive and reputational legal dealings with the U.S. Department of Justice and its state-level counterparts throughout the United States. 

“Zac deserves his well-earned reputation for being an experienced litigator, high-level government official and respected legal scholar,” said Mincey.  “The professionals, CEOs, boards of directors and corporate clients we serve across industries will welcome his insight, especially where they need independent counsel who can navigate crises with criminal, civil and reputational implications.”

“I am excited to join the White Collar & Criminal Defense Group at Cranfill Sumner & Hartzog LLP.  Patrick Mincey and his team have built a highly successful practice that is focused on passionate advocacy and client service.  I look forward to using my background and experience to assist the firm’s clients,” Bolitho said.     

In addition to his Of Counsel role at Cranfill Sumner, Bolitho is an Associate Professor of Law at Campbell University School of Law in Raleigh, where he teaches federal criminal law, criminal procedure, evidence and trial advocacy.  He has been voted “Professor of the Year” by the student body on three occasions and received the Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award.  He is a frequent public speaker and published legal scholar who has taught judges and lawyers internationally through the Department of Justice’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training program.

Zac received his J.D., summa cum laude and Order of the Coif, from The Ohio State University where he served on the Editorial Board of the Ohio State Law Journal and won a national moot court championship.  He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Mount Union as the top student in his graduating class.

About the Cranfill Sumner White Collar & Criminal Defense Group

The firm’s White Collar & Criminal Defense Group represents clients across a broad array of industries in litigation throughout the United States.  With offices in Charlotte, Raleigh and Wilmington, North Carolina, its attorneys have assisted clients with matters in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and throughout the United States.  The White Collar & Criminal Defense Group is consistently recognized for its favorable results, its dedication to the quality of its representation and the reputation of its clients’ businesses.