Brendan Sullivan
Encyclopedia
Brendan V. Sullivan, Jr. (born March 11, 1942, Providence, Rhode Island
) is a senior partner of the law firm Williams & Connolly
. Sullivan is probably best known for the role he served, in the late 1980s, as defense counsel for United States Marines Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver North
in the wake of the Iran-Contra scandal
. He also represented former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Henry Cisneros
, Walter Forbes
, former chairman of Cendant Corporation, and a number of states against Microsoft
.
, where he earned his B.A.
in 1964 and J.D.
in 1967. He served as a Captain in the United States Army
from 1968 to 1969.
figure Oliver North
. During the ensuing congressional hearings, chairman Daniel Inouye
suggested that North should speak for himself, because he had wearied of Sullivan's constant objections to questions put to North. Sullivan responded, "Well, sir, I'm not a potted plant. I'm here as the lawyer. That's my job." He also sued Microsoft
, on behalf of nine state attorneys general
who were unhappy with the federal government's decision to drop the Microsoft antitrust case
. He also represented the four Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI) agents involved in the controversial 1992 Ruby Ridge shootout
. He defended former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
Henry Cisneros
against accusations of making false statements
to the FBI during a background check
. He is the attorney for billionaire
chipmaker Henry Nicholas
, the founder of Broadcom, who in June, 2008, was charged with violations of both securities and narcotics law. The Washington Post has described Sullivan as a "world class lawyer." He defended U.S. Senator
Ted Stevens
, in the federal grand jury
and court proceedings on seven counts of failing to properly report gifts, leading to the Attorney General's dismissal of the indictment during the appeal process.
Providence, Rhode Island
Providence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
) is a senior partner of the law firm Williams & Connolly
Williams & Connolly
Williams & Connolly LLP is a prominent litigation firm based in Washington, D.C. The firm was founded by trial lawyer Edward Bennett Williams, who left the partnership of D.C. firm Hogan & Hartson to launch his own litigation boutique....
. Sullivan is probably best known for the role he served, in the late 1980s, as defense counsel for United States Marines Lieutenant-Colonel Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
in the wake of the Iran-Contra scandal
Iran-Contra Affair
The Iran–Contra affair , also referred to as Irangate, Contragate or Iran-Contra-Gate, was a political scandal in the United States that came to light in November 1986. During the Reagan administration, senior Reagan administration officials and President Reagan secretly facilitated the sale of...
. He also represented former Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Secretary Henry Cisneros
Henry Cisneros
Henry Gabriel Cisneros is a politician and businessman. A Democrat, Cisneros served as the 10th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the administration of President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997...
, Walter Forbes
Walter Forbes
Walter Forbes is an American business manager and Federal prisoner.He was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey and convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and two counts of making false statements, for inflating reported incomes for the...
, former chairman of Cendant Corporation, and a number of states against Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
.
Education and military career
Sullivan is a graduate of Georgetown UniversityGeorgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, where he earned his B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in 1964 and J.D.
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
in 1967. He served as a Captain in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
from 1968 to 1969.
Career
Sullivan received international media attention in his role as defense counsel to Iran-Contra affairIran-Contra Affair
The Iran–Contra affair , also referred to as Irangate, Contragate or Iran-Contra-Gate, was a political scandal in the United States that came to light in November 1986. During the Reagan administration, senior Reagan administration officials and President Reagan secretly facilitated the sale of...
figure Oliver North
Oliver North
Oliver Laurence North is a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer, political commentator, host of War Stories with Oliver North on Fox News Channel, a military historian, and a New York Times best-selling author....
. During the ensuing congressional hearings, chairman Daniel Inouye
Daniel Inouye
Daniel Ken "Dan" Inouye is the senior United States Senator from Hawaii, a member of the Democratic Party, and the President pro tempore of the United States Senate making him the highest-ranking Asian American politician in American history. Inouye is the chairman of the United States Senate...
suggested that North should speak for himself, because he had wearied of Sullivan's constant objections to questions put to North. Sullivan responded, "Well, sir, I'm not a potted plant. I'm here as the lawyer. That's my job." He also sued Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
, on behalf of nine state attorneys general
State Attorney General
The state attorney general in each of the 50 U.S. states and territories is the chief legal advisor to the state government and the state's chief law enforcement officer. In some states, the attorney general serves as the head of a state department of justice, with responsibilities similar to those...
who were unhappy with the federal government's decision to drop the Microsoft antitrust case
United States v. Microsoft
United States v. Microsoft was a set of civil actions filed against Microsoft Corporation pursuant to the Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890 Section 1 and 2 on May 8, 1998 by the United States Department of Justice and 20 U.S. states. Joel I. Klein was the lead prosecutor...
. He also represented the four Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
(FBI) agents involved in the controversial 1992 Ruby Ridge shootout
Ruby Ridge
Ruby Ridge was the site of a violent confrontation and siege in northern Idaho in 1992. It involved Randy Weaver, his family, Weaver's friend Kevin Harris, and agents of the United States Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation...
. He defended former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development
The United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development is the head of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, a member of the President's Cabinet, and thirteenth in the Presidential line of succession. The post was created with the formation of the Department of Housing...
Henry Cisneros
Henry Cisneros
Henry Gabriel Cisneros is a politician and businessman. A Democrat, Cisneros served as the 10th Secretary of Housing and Urban Development in the administration of President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1997...
against accusations of making false statements
False statements
False statements generally refers to the United States federal false statements statute, contained in 18 U.S.C. Section 1001. This statute is used in many contexts. Most commonly, prosecutors use this statute to reach cover-up crimes such as perjury, false declarations, and obstruction of...
to the FBI during a background check
Background check
A background check or background investigation is the process of looking up and compiling criminal records, commercial records and financial records of an individual....
. He is the attorney for billionaire
Billionaire
A billionaire, in countries that use the short scale number naming system, is a person who has a net worth of at least one billion units of a given currency, usually the United States dollar, Euro, or Pound sterling. Forbes magazine updates a complete list of U.S. dollar billionaires around the...
chipmaker Henry Nicholas
Henry Nicholas
Henry Thompson “Nick” Nicholas, III , is an American entrepreneur, philanthropist and leader of the victims’ rights movement. He is the co-founder, and former Co-Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Broadcom Corporation, a Fortune 500 company.Nicholas served Broadcom in...
, the founder of Broadcom, who in June, 2008, was charged with violations of both securities and narcotics law. The Washington Post has described Sullivan as a "world class lawyer." He defended U.S. Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
Ted Stevens
Ted Stevens
Theodore Fulton "Ted" Stevens, Sr. was a United States Senator from Alaska, serving from December 24, 1968, until January 3, 2009, and thus the longest-serving Republican senator in history...
, in the federal grand jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
and court proceedings on seven counts of failing to properly report gifts, leading to the Attorney General's dismissal of the indictment during the appeal process.
Quotes
- “I'm not a potted plant. I'm here as the lawyer. That's my job.”
- “Internet ExplorerInternet ExplorerWindows Internet Explorer is a series of graphical web browsers developed by Microsoft and included as part of the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, starting in 1995. It was first released as part of the add-on package Plus! for Windows 95 that year...
, your honor, is the fruit of Microsoft's statutory violations and it should be denied them.” - “Tapes, as we all know, are very powerful evidence. Tapes that are altered are powerfully misleading.”
- “The fate of no citizen should rest on the testimony of such a man so richly rewarded.”
- “Dismiss it!″
Publications
- 1985, White Collar Criminal Practice Grand Jury, Litigation and Administrative Practice Series (Criminal Law Course Handbook No. 137)
- 1983, Techniques for Dealing with Pending Criminal Charges or Criminal Investigations, Litigation and Administrative Practice Series (Criminal Law Course Handbook Series No. 130)
- 1981 Grand Jury Proceedings, Litigation and Administrative Practice (Criminal Law Course Handbook Series No. 121)
External links
- Brendan V Sullivan, Jr, Partner – Official profile page at Williams and Connolly LLP
- AG.ca.gov -'Prominent Washington Lawyer Joins State Attorneys General Team in Antitrust Lawsuit Against Microsoft' (press release), State of California Office of the Attorney General (October 25, 2001)