James B. Tucker

Investigations Group

Commercial Litigation Group

Greater Jackson Office
Tel: (601) 985-4544
Email: james.tucker@butlersnow.com

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Areas of Emphasis

Government Fraud
Corporate and Institutional Fraud Detection
White Collar Crime

Distinctions

AV-rated, Martindale-Hubbell
The Best Lawyers in America®, Corporate Governance and Compliance Law
Mid-South Super Lawyers®, Criminal Defense: White Collar
Member, Standing Committee on Local Criminal Rules for the United States District Courts for the Northern and Southern Districts of Mississippi
United States Attorney, Southern District, Mississippi, 2001
Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney, Southern District, Mississippi, 1985-2001
Senior Litigation Counsel Designation by U.S. Department of Justice, 1980
Trial Attorney, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, D.C., 1971
Special Assistant Counsel, Office of Professional Responsibility, U.S. Department of Justice, 2000
Directors Award for Superior Performance in Criminal Litigation, 1983, 1998
Captain (Ret.), JAG Corps, U.S. Naval Reserve
Adjunct Professor, Trial Practice, Mississippi College School of Law
Fellow, Mississippi Bar Foundation

Education & Honors

University of Mississippi, J.D., 1966

Millsaps College, B.A., English Literature, 1961

Associations

American Bar Association
Federal Bar Association
Bar Association of the Fifth Federal Circuit
American College of Trial Lawyers
- Fellow
American College of Prosecuting Attorneys
- Fellow
American Board of Trial Advocates
Defense Research Institute
National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys
National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys
American Inns of Court
- Master Bencher, Charles Clark Chapter
Capital Area Bar Association

Bar Admissions

Mississippi, 1966
U.S. District Courts
- Mississippi: Northern and Southern Districts
U.S. Court of Appeals
- 5th Circuit
- 11th Circuit
U.S. Court of Military Appeals
U.S. Supreme Court

Legal Experience

Extensive courtroom experience in both trial and appellate courtrooms, having served as trial counsel for in excess of 100 jury trials, having authored approximately 60 appeals court briefs, and having participated in oral argument for a substantial number of those. A number of these cases were high-profile, complex matters.
Selected as the federal Monitor by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of New Jersey, in a deferred prosecution matter involving a major medical device manufacturer.
Represented a major national insurance company in a complex investigation by the Department of Justice and the U. S. Attorney’s Office and federal investigative agencies for alleged fraud in processing catastrophe claims; the 3-year investigation resulted in no criminal or civil actions by the government against the company or any of its employees.
Represented a durable equipment company in a criminal investigation by the Office of Inspector General, Health and Human Services (OIG HHS). The matter was resolved with a corporate integrity agreement.
Represented a pharmacy company in a major medical fraud investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal Investigative agencies; the investigation resulted in no criminal or civil proceedings against the pharmacy company.
Represented a physician in a multi-state investigation by the Department of Justice and federal investigative agencies regarding alleged anti-kickback violations by physicians and durable medical equipment vendors engaged in Medicare reimbursements.
Represented a major regional financial institution in a complex investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation into alleged bank fraud and Bank Secrecy Act violations; the matter was resolved in a deferred prosecution agreement for a one-year term of observation, at the conclusion of which the matter was dismissed.
Represented an engineering company in a high profile complex investigation by the U. S. Attorney’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding false claims, bribery, and public corruption; the matter resulted in dismissal of all criminal charges against the company and no federal government civil proceedings.
Represented a durable medical equipment company in an internal investigation of allegations that a management person engaged in fraudulent conduct and substantial violations of the health care industry statutes and regulations as a part of his management responsibilities with the company.
Represented a substantial financial institution in conducting an internal investigation into loan practices, involving a federal criminal investigation of loan recipients and a guarantor on allegations of false statements and bribery. No criminal or civil proceedings were instituted by the government against the bank.
Represented individual corporate officers/employees in federal criminal investigations of corporate entities by various federal agencies.

Papers, Presentations & Publications

"You Can Beat the Crime, But You Can't Beat the Ride: What Corporations Need to Know Before an Investigation," Washington Legal Foundation, Contemporary Legal Notes Series, Number 48, October 2005.
"'Honest Services' Criminal Claim Dealt Setback in Appeals Court," Washington Legal Foundation, Counsel's Advisory, Vol. 14, No. 10, November 3, 2006.