Sean Franzblau
Sean draws on more than a decade of experience as a federal prosecutor and senior supervisor in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois, where he investigated and tried a wide range of high-profile white collar and public corruption cases. Today, that experience informs his work conducting sensitive internal investigations, counseling boards and senior executives, and guiding clients through interactions with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other enforcement authorities, with an emphasis on sound judgment, discretion, and practical risk mitigation.
Sean is widely recognized as an accomplished courtroom advocate. He has first- or second-chaired 15 federal jury trials, including sophisticated white collar matters, and has served as lead counsel in multiple appeals before the Seventh and Ninth Circuits. He previously served as a deputy chief of the U.S. Attorney's Office General Crimes Section, where he supervised and trained prosecutors, developed investigative and trial strategies, and participated in the review and approval of criminal charsoges, search warrants, plea agreements, and sentencing recommendations.
Experience
Government Experience
- Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Illinois
Representative Matters
Private Sector
- Serves as lead counsel in a cross-border internal investigation involving affiliated foreign financial institutions, including a licensed bank and a digital-asset trading platform, addressing potential violations of the BSA, anti-money-laundering laws, and Know Your Customer (KYC) requirements, and advising on enhancements to compliance frameworks, internal controls, and transaction-monitoring systems consistent with international best practices
- Represents a senior executive of a major financial technology company in a high-profile criminal investigation in the Southern District of New York, advising on government inquiries and parallel regulatory exposure
- Advises a national construction company on anti-bribery and anti-corruption compliance, including political contribution and campaign finance restrictions, gift and hospitality policies, and controls designed to mitigate fraud and abuse risks in minority- and disadvantaged-business enterprise programs
- Represents individuals in insider-trading investigations, advising on responses to government inquiries, and defending against allegations involving the misuse of material nonpublic information
- Represented a trader and computer programmer in a complex federal investigation involving high-speed options trading strategies, including issues related to market structure, information barriers, and broker-dealer compliance
- Represents a leading healthcare software company in connection with a data breach and privacy investigation, advising on regulatory inquiries, incident response, and coordination with affected stakeholders following a major healthcare sector cyber incident
- Serves as trial counsel in complex commercial litigation, including nationwide antitrust and employment matters, with a focus on fact development, witness preparation, and depositions in high-stakes cases proceeding to trial
Government
- Led the investigation and trial of a principal of a broker-dealer firm convicted of securities fraud and embezzlement, involving complex financial transactions and investor protection issues
- Led and supervised the investigation and prosecution of multiple municipal officials and related parties arising from coordinated bribery, extortion, and public corruption schemes
- Led the investigation and trial of an international money-laundering organization responsible for laundering tens of millions of dollars in illicit proceeds through trade-based channels and the Chinese banking system
Insights
Credentials
Education
- J.D. Stanford Law School
- B.A. Political Science magna cum laude Kenyon College
- High Honors
- Phi Beta Kappa
Bar Admissions
- Illinois
Court Admissions
- Trial Bar, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Clerk Experience
- The Honorable James B. Zagel U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Professional Memberships and Activities
- Adjunct professor, Northwestern University School of Law
Recognition
- Federal Bar Association, Chicago Chapter, Milton Gordon Award, 2024
- The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, U.S. Interdiction Coordinator Award, 2022
- The Chicago Crime Commission, Mitch Mars Award for Prosecutorial Excellence, 2018
- Cook County Crime Stoppers, Excellence in Law Enforcement, 2016, 2018
Community
Personal Activities
- Lead singer of a folk-rock band
- Plays the guitar and keyboard
- Enjoys gardening, cooking, literature, and travel