The lawyer who set the trap

Preet Bharara is the United States attorney for the Southern District of New York. Bharara formerly worked as a prosecutor in the office, which has a reputation for independence and non-partisanship. The Southern District's nominal jurisdiction includes Manhattan, the Bronx and six counties north of the city but has lengthened its arm internationally since the September 11 attacks.

Bharara has led a widespread crackdown on insider trading on Wall Street. Since Bharara became New York's top federal prosecutor in August 2009, his office has charged 47 people with insider trading; 35 of them have pleaded guilty. The most prominent was Raj Rajaratnam, the billionaire investor who once ran the Galleon group, which became one of the world's largest hedge funds. On May 11, 2011, Rajaratnam was found guilty of fraud and conspiracy and convicted on all 14 counts against him.

Every few days during Rajaratnam's trial, Bharara would quietly enter the courtroom and take a seat in the last row of the gallery. His consistent presence at the largest insider trading case in a generation — and the office's resounding victory — signalled that the chief federal prosecutor in Manhattan was back as the sheriff of Wall Street.

Bharara has loudly reaffirmed his office's leading role in pursuing corporate crime with the landmark insider trading case, which relied on aggressive prosecutorial methods and unprecedented tactics. For the first time, federal authorities used wiretaps to listen in on stock traders swapping illegal tips.

Background
After several years in private practice, including a stint at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher in New York, Bharara served as an assistant United States attorney in Manhattan from 2000 to 2005, handling organised crime, narcotics and securities fraud cases. In 2005, he became chief counsel to Senator Charles E Schumer of New York.

He drew praise from both parties for his role in the Senate Judiciary Committee's investigation into the 2006 firings of United States attorneys around the country. As he took sworn testimony from witnesses, handled the issuance of subpoenas and negotiated with administration officials over the production of documents and other materials, Bharara was lauded for his evenhanded approach.

The investigation, along with one by the House Judiciary Committee, culminated in the resignation of Attorney General Alberto R Gonzales in 2007.

As a prosecutor in the Southern District, he prosecuted organised crime, narcotics and securities fraud, and a major case involving Chinese organised crime. He has shown himself to be a hard worker who has a self-deprecating wit and stays cool under pressure, according to former associates.

Bharara was born in Ferozepur, India, and he was an infant when his parents immigrated to the United States in 1970. He is a naturalised citizen. Bharara, who grew up in Monmouth County, NJ, earned degrees from Harvard and Columbia Law School.

©2012 The New York Times News Service