Former federal prosecutors Patrick Smith and Rodney Villazor have left DLA Piper to set up their own litigation boutique in New York focused on white-collar defense and regulatory enforcement matters.
The new firm, Smith Villazor, announced its launch Monday with the two name partners and senior associate Sarah Zimmer, who also hails from DLA Piper. Smith, who was co-chair of DLA Piper’s white-collar and investigations practice before the move, said in the statement that he believes his clients will benefit from “a smaller firm with a clear and targeted mission.”
