William Jacobson, former co-general counsel and chief compliance officer of oil and natural gas services company Weatherford International, will join global law firm Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe as a partner in its White Collar & Corporate Investigations Practice Group, effective Sept. 2, 2014.

Jacobson joined Weatherford in early 2009 to guide the company in its implementation of a corporate compliance program in the midst of a Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and sanctioned-country investigation brought by the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, and other federal government agencies.

Jacobson aided the company in establishing what is widely recognized as a best-in-class compliance program. Prosecutors agreed to defer prosecution of Weatherford's parent company based, in part, on the improvements Weatherford made to its compliance program and system of controls.

Jacobson also has extensive government experience. From 2007 to 2008, he served as Assistant Chief for FCPA enforcement in the Fraud Section of the Department of Justice's Criminal Division. From 2001 to 2005, he was a trial attorney in the Fraud Section, investigating and prosecuting a variety of white collar crimes.