T. Markus Funk

Markus is a partner in global law firm White & Case’s litigation and white collar practices. Prior to joining the firm, Markus served as a federal prosecutor in Chicago, Section Chief with the U.S. State Department-Balkans, law clerk with the federal court of appeals and district court, and law professor at institutions including Oxford University and the University of Chicago. In 2010, he and Chicago US Attorney Andrew S. Boutros founded the ABA's Global Anti-Corruption Committee.

During his time in public service, Markus and his team prosecuted "Operation Family Secrets," which National Public Radio lauded as "one of the most important criminal investigations . . . In American history" (the 1995 movie "Casino" was based on the charged criminal activities). At the time of his departure from the Department of Justice, the Chicago Sun-Times described Markus as a "street-smart prosecutor with an Oxford pedigree."

A fellow of the American Law Institute, Markus uniquely received both the DOJ's prestigious Attorney General's Award for the nation's top trial performance and the US State Department's Superior Honor Award. The latter was awarded for his service as the DOJ Section Chief in Kosovo. He also received the ABA’s highest award for dedication to survivors of crime.

He successfully first-chaired dozens of federal and state civil and criminal trials, briefed and argued more than 20 federal and state appeals, directed more than 450 investigations, and argued more than 700 in-court evidentiary hearings and other contested proceedings.

In addition to authoring more than 300 law-related academic and popular articles, as well as chapters on a wide variety of topics, Markus has authored a number of critically acclaimed books, including Rethinking Self-Defense: The 'Ancient Right's' Rationale Disentangled (Hart Publishing, 2021); The ABA Compliance Officer Desk Book (American Bar Association, 2021); From Baksheesh to Bribery: Understanding the Global Fight Against Corruption and Graft (Oxford University Press, 2010; co-authored with Chicago US Attorney Andrew S. Boutros); Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking: Examining the Global Challenges and US Responses (Rowman Littlefield, 2nd ed. 2016; co-authored with Chicago U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Kendall); The Haiti Trial Skills Manual (American Bar Association, 2012); and Stemming the Suffering: Victims' Rights and the International Criminal Court (Oxford University Press, 2010). In addition, Markus wrote Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties and Letters Rogatory: A Guide for Judges (Federal Judicial Center, 20209), which the U.S. Government has distributed to all federal judges in the country.

Markus's cases and legal analysis have been featured by outlets such as The Atlantic, CNBC, CNN, The Economist, The History Channel, Investor's Business Daily, Los Angeles Times, MSNBC, The National Law Journal, Bloomberg, National Geographic TV, The New York Times, Reuters, and The Wall Street Journal, and has been an invited speaker at institutions including the DOJ, the U.S. State Department, The World Bank, The Mayor of New York City, the American Bar Association, The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, Georgetown University, Yale Law School, and Harvard University.

Markus started his legal career as a law clerk to The Hon. Morris S. Arnold of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and Chief U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry, and as a Lecturer in Law at Oxford University (where he also obtained his PhD in Law).

Courses