We successfully represent both corporations and individuals in criminal and regulatory investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, federal regulatory agencies, and state and local authorities. We also conduct corporate internal investigations, assisting our clients in making critical judgment calls like whether to disclose adverse findings, waive privileges, and take remedial measures.
Our partners have extensive experience in white collar defense and investigation. David Reich has handled major criminal cases on both sides of the courtroom. He prosecuted white collar cases for over six years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Since returning to private practice, he has devoted twenty-five years to defending clients against government investigations, using his Justice Department experience to shape effective defense strategies. Chris Paolella’s criminal practice focuses on complex legal issues raised by government investigations. His advocacy has caused the government to drop investigations without bringing charges and has also been critical to the defense of criminal cases at trial.
Our experience is broad, covering the laws and industries that have been the focus of recent government enforcement actions, including securities, accounting, tax, antitrust, banking, environmental regulations, health care, defense procurement, mail and wire fraud, money laundering, RICO, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. In addition to our own capabilities in these areas, the firm has relationships with experienced investigators, forensic accountants and experts—including highly-regarded securities compliance lawyers—who assist us when needed. These partnerships sharpen our strategies, enhance our credibility with government investigators, and make it possible for us to provide more effective representation at a lower cost to our clients.
We are known not only for vigorously litigating against the government, but also for crafting creative legal strategies to resolve government investigations without indictment and before any public disclosure. Our experience in government helps us anticipate prosecutors’ tactics and address their concerns. Our industry-specific knowledge—particularly of the financial services sector—enables us to identify critical issues quickly and offer practical solutions. And our experience in defending against the private lawsuits and class actions that often accompany government investigations lets us develop and execute comprehensive strategies for resolving all legal attacks against our clients.
Our practice includes advising clients on how they can avoid regulatory trouble. We design corporate compliance programs and assist in due diligence investigations. We counsel clients in the day-to-day decisions they make in managing the legal and reputational risks posed by vigilant prosecutors and an aggressive plaintiffs’ bar.
We also represent whistleblowers in selected cases—both institutional clients reporting illegal conduct by competitors, and individuals with knowledge of fraud against the government or involving a public company. We know the protections and incentives provided to whistleblowers by federal statutes and programs, including the Dodd-Frank Act, the False Claims Act, and the Department of Justice’s asset forfeiture sharing programs and corporate leniency program for antitrust violations.
