Scott Tenley, Esq.
Scott Tenley, a former federal prosecutor, is a partner in M&R’s Orange County office and member of the firm’s White-Collar Defense & Investigations Practice Group. In that capacity, Scott represents individuals and entities under investigation by the Department of Justice, state Attorneys General, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and other federal and state regulatory authorities for alleged health care and financial fraud, money laundering offenses, export control violations, CARES Act fraud, public corruption, U.S. economic sanctions violations, and theft of trade secrets, among many other things. Scott also conducts sensitive internal investigations for corporate clients and advises boards of directors, audit committees, and special committees on matters involving potential misconduct by corporate employees.
Prior to joining M&R, Scott spent over seven years as an Assistant United States Attorney in Los Angeles and Orange County, where he investigated and prosecuted a variety of complex financial crimes, including health care fraud, embezzlement, bank fraud, CARES Act fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and money laundering. Among other notable matters, Scott prosecuted one of the largest health care frauds in California history, involving nearly $1 billion in fraudulent billings generated by over $50 million in illegal kickback payments. Scott also devoted significant attention to combating violent crime throughout Southern California, including leading the investigation and prosecution of a 22-defendant robbery conspiracy described by GQ magazine as “one of the most sophisticated and lucrative smash-and-grab sprees in U.S. history.” For those efforts, Scott was awarded the 2019 ATF Honor Award and the 2020 Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an AUSA. In addition to his active investigation and trial docket, Scott also briefed and argued numerous matters before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Before joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Scott was an associate at large law firms in New York and Washington D.C., where he worked on white-collar defense matters, internal investigations, and complex civil litigation. From 2007 to 2008, he served as a law clerk to United States District Judge Cormac J. Carney in the Central District of California