Lecturer Bios
Sharon Cohen Levin
Sharon Cohen Levin is the Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Unit in the Criminal Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for
the Southern District of New York, where she has served as Chief since 1996. Under her guidance, the Asset Forfeiture Unit
handles all criminal and civil forfeiture actions in the Southern District of New York. These cases include the forfeiture of the
proceeds of corporate and securities fraud, economic crime, cybercrime, health care fraud, international narcotics trafficking,
terrorism, money laundering and public corruption. In the past six years, the Southern District of New York has forfeited nearly
$6 billion in crime proceeds.
As the Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Unit, AUSA Levin pioneered the use of federal forfeiture laws to recover and return stolen
art and cultural heritage property. The SDNY Asset Forfeiture Unit has initiated dozens of proceedings under the forfeiture laws
seizing and returning artwork and cultural property to the persons and nations who rightfully own them. Notable examples
include the forfeiture and repatriation of stolen paintings by Lavinia Fontana, Jean Michel Basquiat, Roy Lichtenstein, Serge
Poliakoff, Anton Graff and Winslow Homer; drawings by Rembrandt and Duhrer; an Etruscan bronze statute dated circa 490
B.C.; an antique gold platter dated circa 450 B.C.; a rare Mexican manuscript; and a medieval carved wood panel which was
originally inside the historic Great Mosque in Dvrigi; and an Ancient Hebrew Bible owned by the Jewish Community of Vienna
and stolen during the Holocaust.
In 2001, AUSA Levin was awarded the Attorney General’s John Marshall Award for Outstanding Legal Achievement for Asset
Forfeiture for her use of the federal forfeiture laws to recover and return stolen art and cultural heritage property. AUSA Levin
was also awarded the Attorney General’s Asset Forfeiture Award in 2006, 2007 and 2010 for her work in the forfeiture of fraud
proceeds and their restoration to victims. In 2009, she was awarded the Department of Justice’s National Asset Forfeiture
Award for Sustained Exceptional Service by an Individual. In 2011, AUSA Levin received the Henry L. Stimson Medal
presented to the Outstanding Assistant U.S. Attorney, Criminal Division, Southern District of New York. In addition, in 2011
she was awarded the Women in Federal Law Enforcement Outstanding Federal Law Enforcement Employee Award. In 2012,
AUSA Levin was a recipient of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director’s International Achievement Award for her
contributions to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Cultural Property, Art and Antiquities Program.
Lauren M. Paxton, Esq.
Lauren is a Partner with Calcagni & Kanefsky. She focuses her practice on litigation and internal investigations, concentrating on all matters of employment law.
A seasoned trial attorney, Lauren has vast experience in federal, state, and regulatory matters, as well as arbitration. She regularly handles employment litigation, workplace investigations, government inquiries, high-stakes workplace disputes, and C-suite employment negotiations.
Lauren is adept at identifying litigation risk in the workplace and crafting custom-tailored solutions to mitigate exposure. She provides training, prepares legally compliant workplace policies and procedures, and counsels her clients throughout the employee lifecycle, from onboarding through performance management, dispute resolution, restructuring, and terminations. Lauren is often called upon to structure and negotiate employment agreements, restrictive covenants (including non-competition clauses), separation agreements, and executive compensation arrangements.
