Sullivan & Cromwell partner Tracy Richelle High has helped to counsel some of the world’s largest banks through high-stakes cases with rivals and the U.S. government. And that’s just the cases the public knows about. “If you’re doing your job well,” she said, “it’s something that is resolved quietly, hopefully, and doesn’t really come to light, to the extent that the issues allow that to be the outcome.” High, 37, specializes in guiding companies through investigations. She was part of the team that in August 2010 represented Barclays PLC as the bank agreed to deferred-prosecution agreements with the U.S. Justice Department and the Manhattan district attorney’s office over allegations it violated economic sanctions with countries such as Iran. Earlier, she helped The Goldman Sachs Group Inc. successfully fight off a claim that it violated antitrust law in connection with transactions of “hard to borrow” securities.
“I like dealing with complex issues, and trying to break them down into manageable components where you can get to the best outcome,” she said. The daughter of a career police official, Melvin High, who’s now the elected sheriff of Prince George’s County, Md., High said her interest in becoming a lawyer began early. Attending Harvard Law School solidified her goal of going into litigation, and she’s been with Sullivan & Cromwell in New York since graduating in 1999.
