Jeffrey M. Kolansky is the co-managing partner of Archer’s Philadelphia Office. Mr. Kolansky is Chairman of the firm’s White Collar Defense and Corporate Compliance Group, and a member of the Government Affairs and the Civil Rights Practice Groups. He also serves as a member of the firm’s Finance Committee.
Mr. Kolansky began his legal career in 1977 as a Special Assistant United States Attorney in and for the District of Columbia. He served as an Assistant District Attorney from 1978-1985, and as Senior Supervising District Attorney, Major Felony Trials Unit from 1987-1990, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Between 1985 and 1987, he was a Senior Trial Attorney at the Philadelphia law firm, Griffith & Burr, P.C. In 1990, Mr. Kolansky founded the law firm Kolansky & Tuttle, P.C., which merged with Archer in 2004.
Mr. Kolansky is a nationally recognized expert on police and law enforcement practice and procedure. After his time in the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office, Mr. Kolansky was lead counsel to the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police for 14 years, involved in the daily defense of the rank and file officers on innumerable civil and alleged criminal matters, including federal civil rights defenses and allegations of conspiracy and 1983 violations. Mr. Kolansky has lectured and appeared on local and national radio and television regarding issues relating to allegations of excessive force and police abuse and other law enforcement topics, and at their request, has assisted numerous police organizations and departments with issues relating to federal and local grand juries and other investigations.
Mr. Kolansky has tried to conclusion hundreds of jury trials and thousands of bench trials, motions and other matters. Moreover, Mr. Kolansky has provided counsel in government and internal investigations, agency enforcement proceedings, and in many types of civil and criminal litigation. He has represented corporations, financial institutions, public entities, individuals, and business and government officials. He has also represented attorneys and legal departments in external investigations.
Mr. Kolansky’s years of private sector and government positions, his vast knowledge of the Federal and State Court systems and administrative agencies, and the styles and procedures of the jurists and practitioners on those benches and in those posts, have earned him a national reputation as an expert in the field of white collar defense and corporate compliance. As a result, he is often called upon to provide counsel and guidance to government officials and individuals on issues relating to compliance, criminal defense, public policy, police issues, civil rights defense, employment law and other areas of litigation, employment discrimination defense matters, and medical and professional practice issues.
Often involved in bet-the-company litigation, Mr. Kolansky has successfully represented many clients in complex, high-stakes criminal and civil litigation, and has provided counsel to corporations on legal compliance and compliance reviews. He counsels and defends national and international clients on issues relating to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and regularly provides advice to companies concerning Anti-Bribery and FCPA issues and Anti-Money Laundering (AML) matters. Additionally, Mr. Kolansky handles matters relating to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), alleged Campaign Finance Irregularities, Anti-Trust, False Claims Act and related defenses.
Mr. Kolansky’s clients also benefit from his skill and experience in navigating complex, multijurisdictional and multinational disputes in federal and state courts at all levels. Mr. Kolansky’s practice extends to the representation of clients, which include foreign nationals who face litigation under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA) and the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA) including the garnishee and interpleader actions involving OFAC sanctions and blocked assets by the United States Department of Treasury.
Mr. Kolansky has made frequent appearances on local Philadelphia and national television and radio programs, speaking on law enforcement, police and civil rights issues. He has also been a regular CLE presenter on a variety of topics such as civil rights, sentencing guidelines, and labor & employment.
Representative Experience
- Represents individuals and corporations in investigations and prosecutions of alleged pharmaceutical compounding fraud brought by the federal government
- Represents individuals and corporations in matters relating to alleged OFAC and Kingpin Act designations
- Represents individuals and corporations on allegations of FCPA violations, anti-money laundering and FCA issues
- Represents individuals and corporations on Homeland Security and I.C.E. issues and Audits
- Successfully resolved anti-trust litigation filed by the Justice Department against a British/American transportation corporation
- Represents major health care centers and physicians in broad scope of compliance, compensation, Stark Act, and Medicare and Medicaid matters
- Represents lenders in major litigation
- Represents multiple municipalities and governmental units, (most notably the City of Philadelphia for more than 28 years), and their employees, in major Civil Rights Defenses, Labor and Employment matters and other complex defenses, including, but not limited to, dozens of successful federal court defenses of allegations of police corruption by police units and individual police officers, police criminality, fraud, manufacturing of evidence and related matters
- Represents the Philadelphia Police Commissioner and the City of Philadelphia in various labor disputes
- Represents the Philadelphia Prison System and Prison Commissioner, and successfully resolved multiple Class Action suits alleging unconstitutional conditions of confinement arising from the practice of triple-celling of inmates within the Philadelphia Prison System
- Successfully resolved multiple major plaintiffs’ personal injury lawsuits for in excess of $3 million
- Successfully handled prosecution and defense of multiple qui tam actions
Professional and Community Involvement
- Commissioner on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD), as appointed by Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell, 2004; re-appointed by Governors Tom Corbett and Tom Wolf
- Former Chair, Law Enforcement and Justice Systems Advisory Committee, Pennsylvania Homeland Security
- Former Chair, Public Safety Advisory Committee, Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency
- Vice-President, Philadelphia Police Foundation Board of Directors
- Member, Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association
- Member, National Association of District Attorneys
- Member, American Trial Lawyers Association
- Member, Pennsylvania Trial Lawyers Association
- Member, American Association of Justice
- Member, Philadelphia Bar Association
- Former Member, Board of Directors, Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia
- Member, Board of Directors, Pinemere Camp Association – Stroudsburg and Philadelphia
- Former President and Treasurer, Board of Directors, Pinemere Camp Association – Stroudsburg and Philadelphia
- Former Member, Board of Directors, American Heart Association – Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter
- Former Member, Board of Governors, Germantown Cricket Club
- Member, Union League of Philadelphia
- Former Chief Counsel, Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police – Lodge No. 5 (1993 – 2003); Former Associate Counsel (1990 – 1993)
- Former Chief Counsel, Cheltenham Police Association
- Member, Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce
Articles and Presentations
- Speaker, Alternative Energy Seminar, “The Energy of the Future?,” Union League of Philadelphia (September 2011)
- Visiting Lecturer, Villanova University School of Law Sentencing & Punishment Program
- Guest Lecturer, “Prosecution of Drug Offenses,” Temple University (1982-1986 & 1988-1992)