Glen Kopp, who was chair of Bracewell's white-collar defense group, has joined Mayer Brown as a partner, the firm announced Wednesday.

Kopp has practiced at Bracewell since arriving from the Southern District of New York U.S. Attorney's Office in November 2013. Kopp served five-and-a-half years as an assistant U.S. attorney, leading investigations and prosecutions in cases involving fraud, terrorism, national security, hostage taking and narcotics and weapons trafficking.

Kopp became the leader of Bracewell's white-collar group within the past year. His clients at the firm have included a number of engineers involved in criminal investigations and civil suits related to the massive Takata airbag recall.

Kopp, 42, said he joined Mayer Brown because the firm has a bigger footprint and more of a broad-based clientele, adding that Bracewell is often focused on the energy industry.

“From a size and office perspective, [Mayer Brown] is very much a global large firm,” with multinational clients facing government enforcement in the U.S. and overseas, he said. “It was a better fit for me.”

While Kopp said he has observed a general slowdown in enforcement actions in the United States last year, he said foreign jurisdictions have ramped up their enforcement actions, especially in anti-corruption efforts.

“[Clients] are not just concerned about U.S. enforcement agencies and regulators. They're looking at an uptick in actions across the globe,” he said. “There is a demand for white-collar criminal defense lawyers who are comfortable working in any jurisdiction.”

Bracewell has seen several litigation partners leave in the last year, including former securities litigation co-chairman Michael Hefter and partners Seth Cohen and Ryan Philp, all of whom moved to Hogan Lovells, as well as David Shargel, who moved to Nassau County-based Westerman Ball Ederer Miller Zucker & Sharfstein.

Kopp said the departures did not influence his decision to leave Bracewell.