Joseph F. Savage Jr.

Joe Savage, of counsel in Goodwin's White Collar Defense group, has a national practice in white collar criminal defense, governmental investigations and complex civil litigation. He represents individuals and multinational companies in a wide variety of fraud, false claims act, securities, health care, tax, public corruption, environmental and other investigations by federal, state and local law enforcement and government regulators, as well as representing companies and individuals in civil litigation, especially complex commercial disputes. Joe counsels companies and their directors on establishing compliance programs, especially in the technology, life sciences and healthcare industries.

Joe is one of the most widely-respected and accomplished trial lawyers in the nation. He is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and of the Litigation Counsel of America, and is annually recognized by Chambers USA and U.S. News-Best Lawyers, which named him Boston White Collar “Lawyer of the Year." Sources say “he's probably the best lawyer I have ever dealt with," and is considered a "go-to white-collar lawyer and a passionate advocate."

Among his civic contributions, Joe served on Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick’s Task Force on Ethics Reform and is a founding board member and former chairman of the New England Innocence Project.

White Collar Criminal Defense

Joe has tried over 50 cases in U.S. District Courts throughout the country. His representations include:

• An individual charged by the U.S. Attorney’s office in an alleged college admissions fraud.
• Utility company executives in a DOJ Investigation related to gas explosions and fires.
• SEC Investigation of a former pharmaceutical company executive.
• A global law firm in its defense of claims by a legal recruiter for finders fees.
• The president of an international pharmaceutical company at trial in U.S. District Court for anti-kickback allegations that resulted in an acquittal.
• A medical device company in allegations by the FDA, OIG and U.S. Attorney, District of Kansas of off-label marketing resulting in a civil resolution.
• A medical device company in the District of Massachusetts in a criminal investigation of anti-kickback, sales and marketing violations resulting in a deferred prosecution and civil resolution.
• A waste-to-energy plant in a Massachusetts Attorney General criminal investigation and false claims act case resulting in a civil settlement.
• A major telecommunications provider in multiple false claims act, consumer protection and tax matters pursued by the Massachusetts Attorney General.
• A major financial institution sued by the DOJ for violation of the False Claims Act in underwriting Government backed mortgages.

Civil Litigation

Joe handles sophisticated trade secret, Lanham (Trademark) Act, RICO (money laundering), consumer fraud, business tort and other civil litigation, including multi-district class action litigation. Representations include:

• A national medical accreditation organization in connection with civil rights and discrimination claims.
• One of the world’s largest banks in connection with several different class actions alleging improper mortgage fees and charges.
• One of the country’s premier financial services providers in connection with employment discrimination cases and ERISA class action suits.

Joe served on the Massachusetts Governor's Task Force on Ethics Reform. He also served on the Boston Bar Association's Task Force on Preventing Wrongful Convictions and on the Criminal Justice Reform Task Force. He is a founding board member and former chairman of the New England Innocence Project, former co-chairman of the ABA Science and Technology Committee, former chair of the Criminal Justice Section of the Federal Bar Association, and former co-chair of the Boston Bar Association Section on Individual Rights and Responsibilities. He is a past member of the Steering Committee of the Boston Bar Association Criminal Justice Section and is an active supporter and coordinator of pro bono services for the Massachusetts Bail Fund.

Joe is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers, a Fellow of the Litigation Counsel of America, a member of the American Bar Association, Boston Bar Association, Federal Bar Association and the Federal Bar Council of New York, as well as a Fellow of the American Bar Foundation. He is a former Advisory Board member of the Boston Chapter of the American Constitution Society.

Prior to joining Goodwin, Joe was a partner in the Litigation Practice Group at Testa, Hurwitz & Thibeault, LLP in Boston, where he directed the group’s white collar crime and governmental investigations work. He was a federal prosecutor in Massachusetts, New York, West Virginia and Missouri.

Joe has been named a Senior Statesperson for his work in White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in Massachusetts. Previously Joe was recognized by Chambers USA 2023 for his work in White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations. Joe has been recognized by The Best Lawyers in America Best Lawyers for his work in Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation, Criminal Defense: White-Collar, Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy) and Qui Tam Law 2022-2023.

Benchmark Litigation recognizes Joe as a 2021 Litigation Star in Massachusetts for his work in White Collar Crime. Joe has been featured in U.S. News Best Lawyers (Bet-the-Company Litigation, Commercial Litigation and White Collar Criminal Defense), and named Boston White Collar “Lawyer of the Year”. He is repeatedly cited in Boston Magazine’s Top Ten Massachusetts Super Lawyers and Top 100 New England Super Lawyers, Chambers USA for White Collar Crime and Government Investigations, Who’s Who Legal for Business Crime Defense, International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers, and Legal 500 US for White Collar Criminal Defense, Venture Capital and Emerging Companies. He was also named 2007 Massachusetts Lawyer of the Year, Frank J. Murray Inn of Court. He is listed in Global Investigations Review 100, a guide to the world’s leading firms for corporate investigations, and as one of the world’s leading white collar crime lawyers by Euromoney’s Expert Guides: White Collar Crime Lawyers.

Joe is a frequent lecturer and the author of more than 90 articles on a variety of compliance, securities and white collar criminal matters.

He is a member of the Board of Editors of the White Collar Crime Reporter and former editor of Business Crimes Bulletin: Compliance and Litigation. Joe is the author of the “Trademark, Copyright and Intellectual Property Crime” chapter of White Collar Crime: Business and Regulatory Offenses and a co-author of “Chapter 115 – Joint Ventures, Business and Commercial Litigation in Federal Court,” Fourth Edition, American Bar Association Section of Litigation.

While in law school, Joe was a member of the Virginia Law Review.