Robert Keefe was a lawyer in the firm's Litigation/Controversy Department, and a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice. He joined the firm in 1974. Mr. Keefe served as a co-chair of the Government Investigations and Litigation Group and also was a member of the Antitrust and Trade Regulation, Environmental, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Securities Litigation Groups. And he served on the Banking and Financial Law and Health Law Committees.

Mr. Keefe’s complex general litigation practice included internal corporate investigations, extensive white collar criminal defense work and general commercial litigation. Before joining the firm in 1974, he served as an attorney in the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice.

He advised many companies in connection with internal corporate investigations on matters ranging from violations of state and federal fraud statutes to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. He also represented a company under federal investigation for alleged violations of tax laws and money laundering statutes, and a medical device manufacturer in a six‑year federal criminal investigation concerning the distribution of an allegedly adulterated and misbranded medical device and the theft of trade secrets. That investigation was ultimately resolved on a civil basis, and neither the company nor the two officers designated as targets were indicted.

His work included wage‑dispute litigation for Northern Telecom, Inc.; tax litigation for Daisy Systems Corp.; and environmental litigation for Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., Hub Folding Box Co., Inc. and Avery Dennison Corporation. He also resolved environmental disputes involving the Environmental Protection Agency and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection for numerous companies, including Globe Manufacturing Company, Inc., and Global Petroleum Corp.

In addition, he represented Hasbro, Inc. following a major fraud committed against the company by a former senior officer, as well as the National Hockey League and its member teams in connection with the Alan Eagleson grand jury investigation and indictment in the District of Massachusetts. He further represented pharmaceutical and medical device companies in federal criminal and parallel civil investigations regarding marketing practices for certain drugs and devices. He also counseled many companies and individuals in state and federal investigations involving alleged violations of Medicare and Medicaid fraud statutes, Anti‑Kickback statutes, federal and state tax and environmental laws, government contracting laws, wire and mail fraud statutes and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Mr. Keefe also represented individuals before state and federal grand juries and defended companies and individuals charged with state and federal crimes relating to federal health laws, FDA regulations, banking laws, housing laws, customs law and laws protecting intellectual property. He represented Sears Roebuck & Co. in an investigation into its federal bankruptcy court reaffirmation practices and represented a major Boston bank in federal grand jury investigations and indictments of former bank officers and customers in Massachusetts and other federal districts. He also represented companies and individuals investigated by the Securities and Exchange Commission and oversaw parallel SEC and U.S. Attorney investigations.

His practice further encompassed major commercial disputes and antitrust matters. He represented Citicorp Venture Capital in a significant commercial dispute with several consulting firms and handled antitrust litigation for the Southern Pacific Company, serving on the team that secured a favorable judgment for the company in the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts. He also represented officers and directors of the Capitol Bank & Trust Company in litigation brought by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation; Modern Continental Construction Company in a Big Dig construction contract dispute; and Wainwright Bank & Trust Company in commercial disputes involving lender‑liability issues.

He represented Intelect Communications Systems Ltd. in a contract claim involving legal costs and judgments related to allegedly defective firearms manufactured by a company it once owned. He also represented Citicorp North America, Inc. in a major breach‑of‑contract action against another Fortune 500 company.

Professional Activities

Mr. Keefe has taught the Harvard Law School Advocacy Course and given lectures to various groups through the Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education program. He has also spoken on corporate compliance issues at the American Corporate Counsel Association and at various local law schools. Mr. Keefe held memberships in the American, Massachusetts and Boston Bar Associations.