Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP is pleased to announce that Russell C. Menyhart has joined the firm’s Indianapolis office as of counsel in the Litigation practice group. Menyhart is a former diplomat with extensive international experience, most recently serving as political unit chief at the U.S. Consulate in Shanghai from 2011-2014.

Menyhart will help Taft clients navigate international legal issues, with a focus on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters and anti-corruption compliance, investigations, and defense in China. Fluent in Mandarin, he also will assist Chinese and other foreign companies and individuals with the legal aspects of investing and conducting business in the United States. His other practice areas include national security law, immigration law and white collar criminal defense.

“I’m excited to return from China to the Midwest to join Taft’s outstanding anti-corruption team. The combination of Taft’s stellar reputation and entrepreneurial culture made it the perfect fit for me. I look forward to utilizing the experience I gained in over nine years with the State Department to help Taft clients succeed,” Menyhart said.

Taft partner and FCPA & International Anti-Corruption practice leader Trent Sandifur said that Menyhart’s experience will strengthen Taft’s anti-corruption capabilities. “Given the current FCPA enforcement environment and the surge in China’s enforcement of its own domestic anti-corruption laws, Russell brings critical capabilities to Taft. There simply is no substitute for his on-the-ground experience in China working closely both with Chinese government officials and private sector businesses. We’re thrilled he chose Taft and are confident that he will add tremendous value to our clients that do business in China and elsewhere overseas,” said Sandifur.

In Shanghai, Menyhart led a team at the consulate that reported on developments in contemporary China, including corruption, rule of law and government regulations. His other positions with the State Department included special assistant to the assistant secretary of state for intelligence and research in Washington, D.C., (with a TS/SCI security clearance), second secretary at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and consular officer and staff assistant to the ambassador at the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. He received several Meritorious Honor Awards during his time with the State Department.

Before joining the State Department, Menyhart was a visiting scholar at the Lauterpacht Research Centre for International Law at the University of Cambridge and worked as a public defender in Indianapolis. He was a Chancellor’s Fellow and magna cum laude graduate of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law – Bloomington, has a B.A. in East Asian Studies from Oberlin College, and is a graduate of Lester B. Pearson United World College in Victoria, British Columbia.