The US indictment of billionaire Gautam Adani in a $250-million bribery case has brought attention to both the Adani Group and US Attorney Breon Peace. The statement announcing the indictment also included a statement by Peace which said, “My office is committed to rooting out corruption in the international marketplace and protecting investors from those who seek to enrich themselves at the expense of the integrity of our financial markets.”
The indictment came about a week after Adani congratulated President-elect Donald Trump on social media, and announced plans to invest in US energy and infrastructure projects.
Peace was appointed by President Joe Biden as the 48th US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY), with strong endorsement from Democratic senator Chuck Schumer, who also acknowledged his support on social media during Peace’s investiture. Earlier, Peace had also successfully prosecuted pro-Trump social media influencer Douglass Mackey for conspiring to intervene in the 2016 elections.
Peace did not respond to the emailed queries. “The department of justice media guidelines prohibit us from commenting on matters after the announcement of a criminal case or answering questions that go beyond what’s in the public record”, a spokesperson for the US Attorney’s Office said.
Peace’s achievements
Lawyers, meanwhile, have praised Peace for his professional achievements. Russell A. Stamets, partner at law firm Circle of Counsels, highlighted Peace’s strong reputation and diverse background, making him a formidable opponent. “As a young prosecutor, he tried financial fraud cases that were modest in dollar terms but impacted ordinary people. In private practice, he was a partner in an elite Wall Street firm, handling complex matters for companies preferring to manage issues quietly,” Stamets said, adding Peace has the knowledge and experience to face the upcoming legal challenge.
Nilesh Tribhuvann, managing partner of White & Brief Advocates and Solicitors, praised Peace’s expertise in handling complex issues such as white-collar crime, public corruption, and civil rights. “During his tenure, his office prioritized prosecuting high-profile corporate fraud cases and ensuring accountability in public office to uphold government integrity. In civil rights, Peace has been instrumental in addressing systemic inequities, focusing on protecting individuals from discrimination, hate crimes, and unlawful practices.”
Peace’s leadership style
Tribhuvann also emphasized Peace’s collaborative leadership style and efforts to modernize prosecutorial practices. His reforms included strengthening measures against corporate fraud, enhancing public anti-corruption efforts through cross-agency task forces, expanding civil rights programmes, and promoting diversity and inclusion within his office. According to the website of Peace’s former firm, Cleary Gottlieb, he made history by becoming its first African American partner. Mint‘s inquiry to Cleary for comments regarding its former partner went unanswered.
“Peace is known for handling pressure with ease. It’s hard to fully grasp how culturally challenging it would be for a Black American from Brooklyn to seamlessly manage a partnership at one of the world’s top law firms, but Peace has done it successfully. There is no cultural aspect to this case that will challenge him or his team,” Tribhuvann said.
Complex cases
He also highlighted that the federal prosecutor’s office for the Eastern District of New York is known for handling complex cases, from a celebrity sex cult to the Chinese telecom giant Huawei.
The sex cult case gained widespread attention in 2017, when an expose shed light on Nxivm, a cult-like organization which branded women with the founder’s initials and coerced them into sex. In 2021, its founder Keith Raniere was sentenced to 120 years in federal prison for sex trafficking and other crimes. Several high-ranking members, including Smallville actress Allison Mack, were also convicted of various offenses.
The case against Huawei began in February 2020, when the company was charged with stealing trade secrets and assisting Iran in tracking protesters. Huawei denied the allegations asserting there was no evidence of a conspiracy and labeling the Department of Justice’s charges as “misguided China Initiative”, aimed at prosecuting individuals and companies with connections to China. A trial is set for 5 January 2026.
Experts also added that Adani’s indictment could act as a catalyst for further investigations into other companies. “It sends a clear deterrent message that corporate malfeasance will not be tolerated,” said Kunal Sharma, partner at Singhania & Co. “The active involvement of the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) suggests that the Adani case could prompt a broader review of companies within similar industries or those with comparable operational structures and business practices”.
Crime and civil rights
Peace was appointed to the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC) in October 2023, which advises the Attorney General on policies and procedures. He chairs the AGAC’s White Collar Fraud Subcommittee, working to combat crimes such as securities fraud and identity theft. He also serves on the AGAC’s Civil Rights Subcommittee, focusing on civil rights issues across US Attorney’s Offices.
Born in 1971 in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighbourhood, Peace began his legal career at Cleary in 1996. After a year, he served as a law clerk to Sterling Johnson Jr., a judge for the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. He then transitioned to the US Attorney’s Office, where he handled criminal cases, while also teaching clinical law at New York University School of Law, mentoring future prosecutors.
Peace returned to Cleary in 2003, where he represented corporations in sensitive internal investigations and complex litigation involving federal and international authorities. Among his notable achievements, he served as Special Master in a case addressing racial discrimination in the NYC Fire Department and played a key role in securing the exoneration of a wrongfully convicted man in 2016.
Peace, who has two children, is married to Jacqueline Jones-Peace, a senior attorney at the Equal Justice Initiative, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting for racial justice.
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