Former U.S. Attorney Robert S. Brewer, Jr. Returns to Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek
Seltzer Caplan McMahon is pleased to welcome Robert S. Brewer, Jr., the former U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California, back to the firm as of counsel. After serving over two years as the San Diego region’s top federal prosecutor, he returns to private practice to focus on civil litigation and white collar defense.
“We are pleased that Bob is rejoining the firm,” said SCMV Shareholder and President Robert Caplan. “His experience overseeing some of the region’s most high-profile and complex federal court cases, coupled with his unrivaled litigation and management background, makes him an invaluable asset to clients and colleagues alike.”
Brewer’s practice includes government investigations, fraud, business and commercial torts, health care and intellectual property disputes.
“I feel very privileged to return to SCMV, a firm I have known and respected for more than three decades,” Brewer said. “Serving as U.S. Attorney was a career highlight and I am proud of what I was able to accomplish alongside the office’s remarkable attorneys and dedicated staff. It was an honor to serve with such dedicated public servants. I am looking forward to counseling clients facing serious legal entanglements and putting my experience to work for them in the pursuit of justice.”
After being appointed U.S. Attorney by former President Donald Trump in 2018, Brewer oversaw the office’s unprecedented growth, strengthened relationships with law enforcement and reorganized sections of the Criminal Division, including the creation and implementation of the Violent Crime and Human Trafficking section. He also energized the diversion programs that offer alternatives to prison for selected criminal defendants and eligible military veterans. He made the battle against opioids and other illegal drugs a top priority.
Under his leadership, attorneys in his office handled some of the most high-profile and sophisticated prosecutions in the U.S., including former Chabad of Poway Synagogue Director Rabbi Ysiroel Goldstein and his five associates for a multi-million-dollar tax-evasion scheme, Gina Champion-Cain for the largest Ponzi scheme in the District’s history, and Abdullahi Ahmed Abdullahi, who is facing trial for allegedly providing material support to terrorists.
Brewer previously served as a deputy district attorney in Los Angeles and as an assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California before entering private practice in 1982. Before attending law school, Brewer served in the U.S. Army as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer and received the Silver Star and two Bronze Stars for his combat service in the Vietnam War. He has been a fellow in the American College of Trial Lawyers since 1999. Brewer earned his bachelor’s degree from St. Lawrence University and his law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law.
“SCMV is honored to have two former Southern District U.S. Attorneys at the firm,” added Caplan. “Bob will be joining Shareholder and Litigation Department Chair Gregory A. Vega, who served as U.S. Attorney from 1999 to 2001.”