Companies are under intense scrutiny from federal and state investigators following recent high-profile corporate scandals. In this hostile climate, businesses, even ones that are not knowingly breaking the law, need savvy legal counsel and well-crafted contingency plans long before a government probe officially begins. Womble Carlyle’s Government Investigations/White Collar Criminal Defense Team focuses on helping companies proactively prevent potentially damaging government investigations and criminal charges, as well as defend against actual charges, if they occur.
But what happens when the phone still rings? Law enforcement agents are at your office door with a subpoena. Or a search warrant. What do you do then?
Clients facing potential white collar criminal charges or government investigations turn to Womble Carlyle’s team of nearly 20 defense attorneys—along with dozens more on our Case Management and Document Review teams—for help. Our team includes former Assistant U.S. Attorneys and prosecutors, as well as veteran criminal defense and government investigations lawyers with years of experience in untangling complex financial issues.
Government Investigations
Womble Carlyle’s team of veteran defense attorneys and former prosecutors guide companies through civil and white-collar criminal investigations related to claims of:
- Fraud—Mail and wire fraud; securities and other financial fraud
- False Claims Act allegations
- Tax violations
- Classification of independent contractors
- Insider trading
- Price fixing
- Bank fraud
- Export/import control violations
- Government procurement fraud
- Environmental crimes
- Campaign finance violations
- RICO allegations
- Obstruction of justice
- Trademark/copyright fraud
- Medicare/Medicaid billing
- Kickbacks and bribery
- Misuse of office
- Corporate embezzlement
- Illegal hiring practices
- Expert controls violations
- Marketing, sales and pricing practices
Companies and corporate leaders turn to us for guidance in all stages of the legal process, from representing witnesses in grand jury investigations to defending clients in trial and on appeal. We also counsel companies through internal investigations designed to identify and mitigate or even eliminate potential violations.
Team members have experience working with clients in a wide range of industries, including the pharmaceutical, health care, chemical, manufacturing, food, import/export, government contracting, banking and communications sectors. So we understand the specific regulations and requirements.
In addition, companies rely on us to counsel them through the related problems caused by government investigations, including negative publicity, customer inquiries and stockholder concerns.
Our attorneys have represented companies in investigations involving the U.S. Department of Justice, Department of Labor, Securities and Exchange Commission, numerous State Attorneys General and local law enforcement. Our Government Investigations Team works closely with Womble Carlyle attorneys who practice in antitrust, government procurement, health care regulatory, banking and environmental law.
Government Investigations Representative Cases (click for more information)
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.- Counseled an international pharmaceutical company regarding alleged off-label sales and marketing practices and violation of federal anti-kickback statute
- Counseled a Defense Department Contractor under investigation by Army Criminal Investigative Division and the Department of Justice for alleged irregularities in time keeping and overhead rates, and other procurement related conduct
- Represented a national insurance company in multiple federal grand jury and regulatory investigations of loan fraud involving HUD and federally insured lenders
- Defended a former executive before a grand jury investigating one of the largest residential real estate developers in Northern Virginia
- Defended manufacturing company executives under investigation by a state Attorney General’s Office concerning fraud in the negotiation and implementation of price lists under a state procurement contract
- Represented a highway contractor before a state grand jury investigation into alleged fraud against the state’s minority business program
- Defended a title insurance company before the Department of Justice under investigation for violations of the Civil False Claims Act for fraud against HUD
- Counseled a defense contractor in a Department of the Army debarment proceeding
- Represented a major airplane manufacturer in an SEC investigation involving improper foreign payments. Structured compliance program to prevent future violations of Foreign Corrupt Practices Act
- Represented an individual in a Department of Defense investigation involving bribery, defense secrets, and espionage allegations
- Defended a portfolio manager of a major mutual fund complex in an SEC investigation regarding stock market manipulation
- Represented the chief financial officer of a major mutual fund complex in connection with an SEC investigation regarding improper trading practices
- Counseled a major law firm in connection with an SEC investigation regarding a public offering of securities by a bank holding company
White Collar Criminal Defense
The best results in white collar criminal defense are when charges never enter the court system in the first place. So we aggressively defend clients in the initial stages of criminal investigations, grand jury inquiries and whistleblower controversies, working with companies and government investigators to resolve issues and prevent charges from being filed.
If criminal charges ultimately are filed, clients rely on Womble Carlyle to earn dismissal of charges or, if that is not possible, to win acquittal. Team members have argued dozens of hard-fought cases in federal and state courts, including the U.S. Court of Appeals and various State Supreme Courts.
We defend clients facing white collar criminal charges related to:
- Tax fraud
- Securities fraud, including investigations involving the SEC and FTC
- RICO Act violations
- Mail fraud and wire fraud
- Campaign finance fraud
- Bank fraud
- Perjury/false statements
- Government contracting fraud
- Embezzlement
- Identity theft
- Money laundering
- Data breaches
- Administrative misconduct, including defending clients in debarment proceedings
- Deceptive trade practices
- Price-fixing
- Workplace harassment
- Bid rigging
- Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) violations
- Tax evasion
- Professional malfeasance
In addition, we defend corporate clients in federal and state criminal cases involving violent crimes, drugs, weapons charges, espionage, cybercrimes, domestic violence and serious traffic offenses. Our attorneys have defended cases involving capital murder charges.
We also have represented physicians in drug diversion and prescription fraud cases, as well as defended law enforcement officers and agencies in excessive force and police brutality cases.
White Collar Criminal Defense Representative Cases (click for more information)
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.- Currently defending former U.S. Sen. John Edwards against federal charges of alleged campaign finance law violations. This case is receiving prominent national media attention.
- Defended a Northern Virginia federal government contractor in a federal grand jury investigation involving the alleged backdating of stock options by a company executive.
- Defended a former director of research for a major tobacco company in both civil and federal criminal proceedings involving allegations of fraud.
- Defended executive of failed financial institution in federal criminal prosecution.
- Represented a former White House Travel Office employee in a federal grand jury investigation concerning allegations of financial irregularities in the operations of the White House Travel Office, otherwise known as “Travelgate.”
- Defended a client against federal fraud charges. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspectors, had claimed several million dollars in fraud involving thousands of alleged victims.
- Earned dismissal for a former New York corporate executive charged with a bid-rigging plot.
- Counseled a former Smithsonian Institution employee in an inspector general investigation concerning the destruction of records.
- Earned a dismissal of a first-degree murder charge.
- Defended a federal government contractor in a federal grand jury investigation involving allegations of procurement fraud.
- Defended one of the wrongfully charged lacrosse players in the “Duke Lacrosse Rape Case” by securing a dismissal of the charges and a declaration by the Attorney General of North Carolina that the player was innocent.
- Represented two real estate developers in connection with a federal prosecution involving several counts of mail fraud in connection with the sale of fractional interests in a converted resort hotel.
- Defended a convicted death row inmate by exposing the prosecutorial misconduct that led to his wrongful conviction and sentence of death.
- Defended an Internal Revenue Service employee on criminal charges brought by the United States Attorney’s office in the Eastern District of Virginia.
- Defended an individual in connection with a federal grand jury investigation concerning allegations of mail fraud relating to healthcare services.
- Defended a convicted death row inmate by gaining a reversal of two first degree murder convictions and death sentences that had been imposed 26 years earlier.
- Represented a supplier of food products in responding to a federal grand jury subpoena issued in connection with a price fixing investigation.
Case Management and Document Review
Womble Carlyle’s Case Management Facility and BullDox document review teams often help clients handle large-scale government investigations, particularly those involving a huge volume of documents.
Case Management Facility—The CMF organizes, tracks, searches and synthesizes the documents generated in complex government investigations into information attorneys can use.
BullDox—Offering e-discovery advise and counsel, e-discovery management, document production and review, privilege review and early case assessment, with a focus on providing value and controlling costs.
