Jeffrey C. Hallam

Managing Partner

jhallam@sideman.com
415.392.1960
415.392.0827

Jeffrey Hallam, Managing Partner

Biography

Jeffrey Hallam represents corporate clients in connection with their brand protection, anti-counterfeiting and anti-fraud enforcement efforts. This representation includes the conducting of internal and external investigations, often with the goal of referring individuals and entities who have committed crimes against the corporations to law enforcement agents and prosecutors, and in then seeking restitution recoveries on behalf of his corporate clients. Mr. Hallam’s work in this area has focused on crimes involving the trafficking of counterfeit goods, major frauds (including sales and diversion fraud and warranty fraud), employee frauds and thefts, and computer intrusions.

Mr. Hallam also specializes in business crimes defense. Mr. Hallam has handled a wide variety of business crimes matters in the United States and abroad, including antitrust, environmental, FDA, export, money laundering, and mail and wire fraud matters, and criminal matters with significant asset forfeiture implications.

Mr. Hallam has also handled a wide variety of civil litigation matters involving fraud, unfair business practices, trade secret misappropriation, insider trading, and breach of contract.

Experience

Anti-Counterfeit Enforcement

  • Representing Cisco Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of network hardware, in coordinating criminal enforcement of the anti-counterfeit trafficking statute, which resulted in more than 30 criminal convictions from 2007 to the present
  • Representing a major technology company (cellphones, semiconductors and other products) in counterfeit investigations and engagement with Customs and law enforcement
  • Representing a major semiconductor company in counterfeit investigations and engagement with Customs and law enforcement
  • Representing a major software company in counterfeit investigations and engagement with Customs and law enforcement
  • Representing a leading manufacturer of computer hardware in counterfeit investigations and engagement with law enforcement in various states
  • Represented Cisco Systems, Inc. in a civil trademark action in the Northern District of California alleging sales of counterfeit equipment by a broker; settled favorably before significant discovery

Warranty Fraud

  • Representing Cisco Systems, Inc., a leading manufacturer of network hardware, in promoting Brand Protection and warranty fraud cases with law enforcement, which has entailed working with the FBI, ICE, and other law enforcement agencies and federal prosecutors in more than twenty states, U.K., and Canada

Sales and Discount Fraud

  • Representing a leading manufacturer of computer hardware in promoting criminal discount fraud matters with law enforcement involving significant fraud schemes targeting sales discount programs; silver plattered discount fraud cases to law enforcement in various jurisdictions and obtained cooperation and federal investigations
  • Representing Cisco Systems, Inc., in promoting discount fraud cases with law enforcement in significant fraud schemes that targeted sales discount programs

General Fraud

  • Represented Cisco Systems, Inc. in connection with a significant embezzlement by one of its executives, resulting in prosecution, conviction and the payment of full restitution, including attorney’s fees, to the corporate client; see United States v. Robert Gordon, 393 F.3d 1044 (9th Cir. 2004)

Business Crimes Defense Representations

  • Represented a foreign national U.S. resident against allegations by the Swiss government that a bank account contained illegally derived funds subject to forfeiture
  • Represented an officer of a sanitation district against allegations of dumping of sewage into San Francisco Bay, obtaining non-prosecution
  • Represented a food manufacturer in a matter involving allegations of misrepresentation of the fat content in sausage products
  • Represented an employee of a major recycler against allegations of fraud, obtaining non-prosecution
  • Represented the president of a company manufacturing GPS equipment in an investigation for illegally exporting to an embargoed country, resulting in no charges being filed
  • Represented a major oil tanker company in conducting an internal investigation involving criminal allegations of oil discharges by crew members, obtaining a favorable fine-only disposition
  • Represented an individual accused of insider trading in an SEC investigation, obtaining non-prosecution following a Wells submission
  • Represented a high-ranking executive in a DRAM antitrust investigation in the Northern District of California, eventually securing a favorable plea agreement with the government
  • Obtained the court-ordered return of materials seized from a sports drug testing company; the decision was affirmed by the Ninth Circuit, sitting en banc, in a seminal decision on the issue of Fourth Amendment search and seizure of computers
  • Represented the president of a computer equipment company investigated for allegedly unlawfully exporting to an embargoed country, avoiding all charges
  • Represented a major technology company in a matter involving allegations of illegal exports of technology to Russia, obtaining a favorable fine-only disposition

Civil Litigation Representations

  • Represented an individual in an insider trading investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and persuaded the SEC to refrain from bringing a civil action
  • Representation of leading manufacturers of consumer electronic products against distributors in multimillion-dollar dollar fraud and misappropriation of trade secrets claims involving employee bribery and unauthorized product bundling and labeling
  • Represented a general contractor against a hospital for misrepresentations about the presence of asbestos at the work site, obtaining a consent decree and an award of attorneys’ fees and costs

Decisions

  • Lyons v. Chinese Hosp. Ass’n., 136 Cal.App.4th 1331 (2006)
  • U.S. v. Comprehensive Drug Testing, Inc., 621 F.3d 1162 (9th Cir. 2010)

Professional Involvement

Mr. Hallam is a member of the American Bar Association, White Collar Crime Section, and a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco. He is a member of the International Trademark Association’s North American Anti-Counterfeiting Committee, 2012-13.

Mr. Hallam has presented on a number of American Bar Association Panels involving the criminal enforcement of intellectual property rights and major frauds.

Following graduation from law school, Mr. Hallam served as a law clerk to Judge Richard Gadbois of the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

Listed in the World Trademark Review’s List of The World’s Leading Trademark Professionals 2020-2024

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®: 2021 – 2024

Listed in Northern California Super Lawyers®: 2006-2023

Education

  • Santa Clara University B.S. 1988, cum laude
  • Northwestern University School of Law J.D. 1991, magna cum laude; Order of the Coif; Member, Northwestern University Law Review

Admissions

  • California

Awards

Biography

Jeffrey Hallam represents corporate clients in connection with their brand protection, anti-counterfeiting and anti-fraud enforcement efforts. This representation includes the conducting of internal and external investigations, often with the goal of referring individuals and entities who have committed crimes against the corporations to law enforcement agents and prosecutors, and in then seeking restitution recoveries on behalf of his corporate clients. Mr. Hallam’s work in this area has focused on crimes involving the trafficking of counterfeit goods, major frauds (including sales and diversion fraud and warranty fraud), employee frauds and thefts, and computer intrusions.

Mr. Hallam also specializes in business crimes defense. Mr. Hallam has handled a wide variety of business crimes matters in the United States and abroad, including antitrust, environmental, FDA, export, money laundering, and mail and wire fraud matters, and criminal matters with significant asset forfeiture implications.

Mr. Hallam has also handled a wide variety of civil litigation matters involving fraud, unfair business practices, trade secret misappropriation, insider trading, and breach of contract.

Listed in The Best Lawyers in America®: 2021 – 2024