
Sanjay Bhandari is a Shareholder in Buchalter’s San Diego office and a member of the Firm’s White Collar and Investigations Practice. His practice focuses on government investigations, white-collar defense, and intellectual property litigation. He is a former federal prosecutor, a former Securities and Exchange Commission attorney, and an experienced trial lawyer in criminal and civil cases.
Mr. Bhandari has conducted numerous internal investigations, created and reviewed corporate compliance programs, and defended many individuals and corporations in government investigations and enforcement proceedings. He has particular expertise in anti-corruption laws (including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)), healthcare laws, and securities laws. He has also handled cases involving antitrust, environmental, money laundering, and tax issues, among others.
Mr. Bhandari’s intellectual property experience includes several copyright, patent, and trademark trials, and numerous litigated cases in a wide range of industries, including chemicals, memory chips, medical and dental devices, software, and television broadcasts.
Mr. Bhandari has tried approximately twenty cases before juries, judges, and arbitrators, including trials that ran from a few days to several months in length. The Department of Justice twice recognized his investigative and trial work by awarding him one of its highest awards for federal prosecutors, in 2006 and 2001.
Mr. Bhandari has been named one of The Best Lawyers in America, for Criminal Defense: White-Collar in 2025.
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05
Nov
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Buchalter Adds Former Federal Prosecutor to Los Angeles Office
Firm News
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Buchalter is pleased to announce that Kevin Lally has joined the firm as a Shareholder in the Los Angeles office. A member of the Litigation […]
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03
Oct
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Buchalter Attorneys Recipient of 2025 Benchmark Litigation Top Stars Award
Awards
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Buchalter is proud to announce the 2025 litigators of the Benchmark Litigation Top Stars Award to Sanjay Bhandari, Joshua Robbins, Michael “Sam” Sandmire, and Daniel […]
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15
Aug
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Buchalter Attorneys Named 2025 Best Lawyers in America
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Buchalter, is pleased to announce that 99 lawyers have been included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®. Best Lawyers was founded […]
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01
Apr
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Buchalter Attorneys Named 2024 San Diego Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Awards
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Buchalter is pleased to announce that several attorneys in the Firm’s San Diego office were named to the 2024 San Diego Super Lawyers and Rising […]
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06
Oct
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Buchalter Attorneys Recipient of 2024 Benchmark Litigation Top Stars Award
Firm News
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Buchalter is proud to announce the 2024 litigators of the Benchmark Litigation Top Stars Award to Sanjay Bhandari, Joshua Robbins, Michael “Sam” Sandmire, and Daniel […]
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31
Mar
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Buchalter Attorneys Named 2023 San Diego Super Lawyers and Rising Stars
Firm News
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Buchalter is pleased to announce that several attorneys in the Firm’s San Diego office were named to the 2023 San Diego Super Lawyers and Rising […]
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09
Jan
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Buchalter Wins Complete Dismissal of All Charges in Federal Healthcare Prosecution
Firm News
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A Buchalter team led by Sanjay Bhandari recently won a complete dismissal of all charges on behalf of its client in federal Healthcare prosecution. On […]
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29
Sep
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Buchalter Attorneys Recipient of 2023 Benchmark Litigation Top Stars Award
Awards
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Buchalter is proud to announce the 2023 litigators of the Benchmark Litigation Top Stars Award to Sanjay Bhandari, Joshua Robbins, Michael “Sam” Sandmire, and Daniel […]
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18
Apr
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Buchalter Shareholder Sanjay Bhandari Named 2022 San Diego Super Lawyer
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Buchalter is pleased to announce that Sanjay Bhandari has been name 2022 San Diego Super Lawyer. Attorneys named to this list have attained a high […]
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30
Mar
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Buchalter Strengthens White Collar & Investigations Practice Group
Firm News
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March 30, 2022. Buchalter recently added a number of new attorneys to round out its White Collar and Investigations Practice, including the former Acting United […]
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09
Nov
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Buchalter Welcomes New Attorneys in San Diego
Firm News
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November 09, 2021. Buchalter is pleased to welcome new additions to its San Diego office. Sanjay Bhandari joins as a Litigation Shareholder. Bryn Spradling also […]
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Publication
The SEC Under the Second Trump Administration
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January 27th, 2025
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Publication
PPP FRAUD ENFORCEMENT SHOWS NO SIGNS OF SLOWING
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October 31st, 2023
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Presentation
Buchalter Labor & Employment 2023 Seminar
October 25th, 2023
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Publication
High Court Ruling Boosts Defenses In DOJ Health Care Cases
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July 11th, 2022
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Publication
Prosecutors Strike Out on Barry Bonds as Ninth Circuit Narrows Obstruction Strike Zone
April 24th, 2015
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Presentation
Sanjay Bhandari Speaker, “Managing Third Party Corruption Risk under U.S. and U.K. Law,”
September 1st, 2014
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Publication
Who Is a ‘Foreign Official’ under the FCPA? Eleventh Circuit Weighs In
May 21st, 2014
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Publication
Supreme Court Rulings Expected to Curb Meritless Patent Litigation
April 19th, 2014
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Presentation
Sanjay Bhandari Speaker, “Combating Trade Secret Theft: What Every Company Should Know about the EEA and CFAA”
April 1st, 2014
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Publication
Companies Have a Friend in Economic Espionage Act
March 25th, 2014
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Presentation
Sanjay Bhandari Speaker, “Third Party Anti-Bribery Compliance Audits: How to Draft and Enforce Audit Clauses”
February 4th, 2014
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Presentation
Sanjay Bhandari Speaker at Plenary Session, California Minority Counsel Program Annual Conference
October 4th, 2011
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Presentation
Sanjay Bhandari Speaker, “Focus on Latin America: Legal Developments, Strategies and Opportunities for US Companies”
September 1st, 2010
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Presentation
Sanjay Bhandari Speaker, FCPA and Export Compliance Workshop, Life Sciences Compliance Boot Camp
June 1st, 2010
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Publication
Anti-Corruption Enforcement and Compliance in the Life Science Sector
October 1st, 2009
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Publication
FCPA Enforcement in the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device Sectors
May 1st, 2009
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Presentation
Sanjay Bhandari Faculty member, ABA National Institute on Health Care Fraud
May 1st, 2009
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Presentation
Sanjay Bhandari Speaker, Update on Criminal Enforcement of Accounting Matters and Evolving Standards of Internal Controls
February 3rd, 2009
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Presentation
Sanjay Panelist, at FDA 2009
January 2nd, 2009
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Presentation
Sanjay Bhandari Speaker, “FCPA Enforcement Trends,” Steering Committee for the California Society of CPAs
August 1st, 2008
Representative investigations and white collar matters include the following:
- Conducted worldwide investigations into potential FCPA violations at medical device, transportation, and other companies, including in-country investigations in Azerbaijan, Germany, India, Russia, and Turkey.
- Led internal investigation and defense of public healthcare system in Department of Justice False Claims Act matter related to pharmacogenomics testing.
- Represented multiple employees of a U.S. technology company in U.S. and Swiss investigations into violations of U.S. and Swiss anti-corruption laws, securing no U.S. charges, and, together with Swiss counsel, dismissal of Swiss charges.
- Created anti-corruption compliance program for a multinational chemical manufacturer.
- Reviewed and provided recommendations for improvement of the anti-corruption compliance program of a multinational medical device company.
- Represented numerous individuals in internal and government investigations relating to adulteration, anti-kickback, misbranding, off-label promotion, and other FDA and health law issues.
- Conducted pharmaceutical company’s internal investigation into off-label promotion issues in the Western Region.
- Represented numerous individuals and companies in SEC investigations and enforcement actions relating to fraud, insider trading, registration exemption, reserve accounting, and other issues.
- Defense of several individuals in federal and state criminal and civil tax enforcement matters, including active prosecutions in federal and state courts.
- Representation of several individuals in antitrust investigations and prosecutions, including bid-rigging and cartel allegations.
- Defense of a transportation company against charges of criminal violations of California environmental law; charges dismissed.
Representative intellectual property and business litigation matters include the following:
- Represented a television broadcasting company in copyright and trademark infringement lawsuit through jury trial, resulting in a favorable multimillion-dollar verdict.
- Representation of an electronic design automation company in patent litigation involving semiconductor chip design, including handling infringement, validity, and damages issues.
- Representation of an orthodontic products company in patent litigation involving self-ligating orthodontic brackets.
- Representation of a foreign automotive products manufacturer through arbitration hearing in patent misuse litigation involving rocket science patents.
- Representation of a clothing distributor in contract and intellectual property litigation with customers and business partners.
- Representation of a medical software company in copyright and contract litigation with former business partner.
- Representation of companies and individuals in employee mobility cases involving claims of theft of trade secrets.
- Led civil defense of financier accused of racketeering and fraud, resulting in voluntary dismissal of claims by plaintiff and sanctions against plaintiff’s counsel.
Mr. Bhandari was in government service from 1999 to 2008, as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of California and an SEC Enforcement Attorney at the SEC’s headquarters in Washington, D.C. Matters he handled included:
- United States v. Cunningham: The then-largest bribery and tax evasion case brought against a sitting United States Congressman (Randy “Duke” Cunningham).
- United States v. Foggo: The bribery and procurement fraud prosecution of the Executive Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
- United States v. Wilkes: The bribery prosecution of a defense contractor.
- United States v. Gardner et al.: The securities fraud prosecutions of numerous executives and business partners of Peregrine Systems, Inc., a San Diego-based business software company that engaged in improper revenue recognition and other irregularities. Those convicted of fraud included the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer, the Controller, the Worldwide Head of Sales, and many others.
- United States v. Fanghella et al.: The fraud and tax evasion prosecutions of numerous executives and business partners of PinnFund USA, Inc., a Carlsbad sub-prime mortgage lender run as a Ponzi scheme (wherein investment funds from new investors were the basis for returns and capital withdrawals paid to old investors).
Mr. Bhandari received his J.D. cum laude from Cornell Law School, where he was an Editor of the Cornell Law Review, and a John M. Olin Scholar. He received his B.S.F.S cum laude from Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
- U.S. District Court for the Central District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
- U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit
- U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- Board Member of the Federal Bar Association (San Diego Chapter).
- Member of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
- Member of the Association of Securities & Exchange Commission Alumni.
- Member of the Southern District of California’s Pro Bono Panel for indigent civil rights plaintiffs.
- Member of the Rotary Club of Coronado.
- Member of the South Asian Bar Association of San Diego (past Board Member, President-Elect, and Chair of the Endorsements Committee).
- Past service as a Judge Pro Tem of the San Diego Superior Court.