[ by Melanie Gretchen ]

The head of the Justice Department's Criminal Division is stepping down after nearly 4 years in that position.  Lanny Breuer, 54, is scheduled to leave on 3/1/13.  As head of the Criminal Division since 2009, Mr. Breuer has been the target of criticism for the department's failure to bring major prosecutions against companies and individuals who played a role in the 2007-2009 financial crisis. 

While Mr. Breuer leaves the government without having another position to move into, he plans to join a law firm or assume another role in the private sector.   Before joining the Department of Justice, Lanny Breuer served as a defense lawyer and in the Clinton White House. 

Despite the criticism and blame for the perceived failures of the Criminal Division, it was under Mr. Breuer's leadership that the Division produced several record-breaking settlements involving financial and environmental crimes.  And he had some highlights that he can be proud of.  He successfully reached a $4 billion settlement with BP over that company's role in the 2010 Gulf oil spill.  He also settled Libor manipulation cases with several banks that resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars in fines.  During his time as head of the Criminal Division, Breuer often stepped aside to let the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan handled the biggest financial fraud cases.

"As I wrote to the President, and want to tell you, serving as the head of this remarkable Division has been the greatest privilege of my professional life." -- Mr. Breuer, in a memo to criminal division employees dated Tuesday.     [Reuters, 1/30/13].