Stephen Frank, the highly regarded federal prosecutor who led the “Operation Varsity Blues” investigation into the U.S. college admissions scandal, has joined the prestigious law firm Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan as a partner. Based in both Boston and New York, Frank will focus on white-collar crime, investigations, and litigation. His arrival marks a significant expansion of Quinn Emanuel’s expertise in financial and corporate crime.
Frank’s most high-profile role was overseeing the sweeping Varsity Blues probe, which resulted in more than 50 convictions, including wealthy parents, coaches, and celebrities who sought to secure spots at elite universities through fraud and bribery. As chief of the securities, financial, and cyber fraud unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Massachusetts, Frank made a name for himself in the realm of high-impact financial crimes.
In addition to the Varsity Blues case, Frank was involved in several other major prosecutions, including the conviction of Vladislav Klyushin, a Russian businessman sentenced to nine years in prison for insider trading, which was part of a $93 million scheme. Klyushin was later included in the August 2023 prisoner swap between Russia and the West.
Frank, a former Wall Street Journal and CNBC reporter, brings over 16 years of experience as a federal prosecutor. Starting in Brooklyn and later Boston, Frank led investigations into major business and financial crimes, helping to elevate the district’s profile for prosecuting high-stakes white-collar cases. His efforts have demonstrated that Boston is more than capable of handling complex fraud cases, often testing the limits of federal bribery and fraud laws.
His work on the Varsity Blues scandal—arguably one of the most infamous college admissions cases in U.S. history—exposed a vast network of corruption in higher education, where wealthy parents used bribery, fraud, and cheating to secure college spots for their children. Frank personally handled the sentencing of the mastermind behind the scheme, William “Rick” Singer, who received a 3.5-year prison term for his role in orchestrating the fraud.
Quinn Emanuel, known for its litigation expertise, has been steadily growing in Boston, and Frank’s addition further strengthens its position as a leader in white-collar crime defense and litigation. The firm currently has over 40 lawyers in the Boston office, including former Acting U.S. Attorney William Weinreb, who joined Quinn Emanuel in 2018.
In a statement, William Burck, Quinn Emanuel’s co-managing partner, praised Frank’s track record, saying, “Stephen Frank built a team of prosecutors who brought hugely impactful financial crime prosecutions. He is nationally renowned for his expertise in white-collar criminal matters and investigations.”
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