Lightfoot Attorneys Explore Great Gatsby Archetype in White-Collar Trials for Law360
June 30, 2025
In the latest installment of their Law360 column on storytelling in white-collar defense, Lightfoot, Franklin & White LLC attorneys Jackson R. Sharman III and Mary Parrish McCracken draw on The Great Gatsby to explore the power of ally witnesses in trial strategy.
Published in honor of the novel’s 100th anniversary, the article applies the “Gatsby effect,” a storytelling device in which the audience understands a complex protagonist through the eyes of a secondary character, to white-collar trials. Sharman and McCracken argue that a reluctant but credible witness can shape a jury’s perception of the defendant
They outline five principles for helping defense witnesses embody the archetype of the ally:
- Balancing outsider credibility with insider access
- Maintaining a “Midwestern” air of trustworthiness
- Embracing the tension between distance and loyalty
- Remaining memorable without overshadowing the defendant
- Validating the defendant’s conduct through quiet endorsement
“If the defendant cannot tell their own story, then the ally-witness needs to do it for them,” they write.
Sharman is a partner and leads Lightfoot’s White-Collar Criminal Defense and Corporate Investigations practice. He has more than 30 years of experience representing clients in complex investigations, government enforcement actions and high-stakes trials. Mary Parrish McCracken is an associate in the same group, focusing her practice on white-collar criminal defense, internal investigations, and professional liability matters.
