Stephen V. Manning

Overview

Stephen V. Manning joined Brian Spears’ firm in 2015, after more than 10 years as an Assistant United States Attorney in Connecticut, followed by more than 15 years in private practice in Connecticut. Steve’s practice has focused on investigations conducted by federal and state law enforcement and related litigation, as well as white collar defense. Steve’s practice has also included medical malpractice and product liability defense. After a clerkship in the federal trial court, Steve spent 5 years practicing primarily commercial litigation in prominent law firms in Boston. Steve’s extensive courtroom experience includes jury trials and appeals in federal and state court.

In representing clients, Steve has drawn on substantial federal grand jury experience as well as significant trial experience in both federal and state courts. As a federal prosecutor for more than 10 years, Steve handled a wide variety of cases and investigations, including bank and mortgage fraud, health care fraud, public corruption, and tax fraud. One long-term investigation concerned over 200 fraudulent mortgage loans involving approximately $32 million, resulting in numerous convictions, including that of seven lawyers and three mortgage brokers, in a scheme that preyed upon distressed homeowners. Another involved over $4 million of fraudulent Medicare billings, based on conduct in Florida, Puerto Rico, Pennsylvania and then Connecticut, resulting in trial convictions for a cardiologist and his business partner.

In addition to Steve’s trial and other experience in prosecuting criminal matters, Steve also served as the Appellate Supervisor for the Office three years. In this capacity, Steve was responsible for the practice of both the Office’s Civil and Criminal Divisions before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

After his service as a federal prosecutor, Steve has spent over 20 years in private practice primarily focused on representing corporate and individual clients in complex criminal, civil and administrative investigations, conducted by federal and state law enforcement agencies. Steve has represented targets of grand jury investigations related to allegations of securities fraud, public corruption, tax fraud, defense contractor fraud, potential perjury, and unauthorized computer access. Steve has represented subjects and witnesses in connection with grand jury investigations of these types of alleged violations, as well as such investigations of health care fraud, insurance fraud, financial fraud, and anti-trust violations. In addition, Steve has represented defendants prosecuted for tax fraud, copyright infringement, insurance fraud, financial fraud and bankruptcy fraud. In connection with civil and administrative investigations and matters, Steve has represented clients in relation to the SEC, the OIG, DEA Diversion Control, the Federal Elections Commission, the Connecticut Department of Public Health, and the Connecticut Department of Banking.

In addition to his trial-level experience, Steve is also an experienced appellate lawyer, having briefed and argued over a dozen cases in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, the Connecticut Supreme Court and the Connecticut Appellate Court.

Steve is a member of the American Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, the Connecticut Bar Association, and the Hartford County Bar Association. Steve is also a member of the Criminal Justice Act panel for the District of Connecticut.

Following his graduation from law school in 1982, Steve spent two years as a law clerk to the Honorable T.F. Gilroy Daly, Chief United States District Judge for the District of Connecticut.

Steve is a cum laude graduate of Suffolk University School of Law in Boston, where he served on the Law Review. Steve received his A.B. from the College of the Holy Cross.