Equipment manufacturer Caterpillar hired former U.S. attorney general William Barr in the wake of a federal raid on its headquarters earlier this month.
Caterpillar CEO Jim Umpleby said in a statement that Barr, who headed the Justice Department under President George H.W. Bush, would serve as outside counsel to "take a fresh look at Caterpillar’s disputes with the government, get all the facts, and then help us bring these matters to proper resolution based on the merits.”
Authorities from three agencies raided the company's headquarters and two nearby office buildings to execute a search warrant "focused on the collection of documents and electronic information." The company said that the warrant was related to previous probes of its foreign subsidiaries and tax strategies.
Barr, who Umpleby said had no previous connection to Caterpillar, works for law firm Kirkland & Ellis and formerly served as general counsel for Verizon.
“I am committed to maintaining Caterpillar’s long tradition of pursuing the highest ethical standards in conducting our business and, as we focus on restoring growth at Caterpillar, I am confident that Bill’s assistance will help our leadership team achieve these goals,” Umpleby said.
