White Collar Defense and Corporate Investigations Attorneys

Overview

Sheppard Mullin’s nationally honored White Collar Defense and Investigations Team aggressively represents individuals and corporations in a broad spectrum of high stakes government inquiries, investigations and proceedings. We defend against all manner of allegations, including health care fraud, money laundering, False Claims Act, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, tax fraud, business fraud, securities fraud, foreign and domestic bribery, public corruption, mail, wire, and bank fraud, cyber-crime, customs violations, and environmental crimes. We often devise, monitor and revise compliance programs and, if necessary, conduct internal investigations to detect and remedy problems before they cause more damage. We are also more than ready to fight – be it through Grand Jury proceedings, court proceedings, trial and appeal. Our combined experience encompasses hundreds of jury trials, administrative proceedings and appeals. We have dealt with every major prosecutorial and investigative agency on multiple occasions, including the following:

U.S. Department of Justice, including U.S. Attorneys’ Offices all over the country
Federal and State Attorneys General
District Attorneys
City Attorneys
Securities and Exchange Commission and well as State Securities Commissions
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Internal Revenue Service
Federal Trade Commission
Department of Health and Human Services
Department of Homeland Security
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Food and Drug Administration
Defense Criminal Investigation Service
Drug Enforcement Administration
Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”)
State Medicaid fraud and other healthcare-related agencies
State insurance and banking regulators

We understand government bureaucracies, how and with whom to work throughout the investigative process, as well as how and when to strongly advocate our client's position. We represent clients from a broad cross section of industries, such as:

Healthcare
Financial services and brokerages
Government contractors and public utilities
Automobile and petroleum companies
Airlines
High technology and e-commerce
Life science and biotech
Media and telecommunications
Retail and Apparel
Real estate

The laws pertaining to white collar crime and civil fraud are not only complex, but also are in a constant state of evolution. Often criminal investigations run parallel to civil lawsuits or administrative investigations. Because decisions in one action can affect the others, it is imperative that these different prongs be headed by counsel with experience in each of these types of proceedings.

We have a demonstrated expertise in providing objective fact finding throughout the investigation process. Our attorneys approach each matter by establishing whether or not there is an actual basis for the investigation and determine where and how information should be submitted. On many occasions, the government has agreed with the findings of our attorneys. In these situations, advocacy gives way to building a productive working relationship geared toward swift resolution. Our experience in conducting investigations and our credentials as former federal and state prosecutors and financial regulators are ideally suited to independent internal investigations by Audit Committees or Special Litigation Committees of Boards of Directors.

Because a thorough understanding of the client's business and industry is a critical component in navigating the investigative process, our white collar attorneys are able to harness the firm-wide expertise of Sheppard Mullin by calling upon specific pockets of deep legal expertise in such areas as:

Finance, insurance and bankruptcy
Environmental, land use and real estate
Healthcare
Energy
Employment
Trusts and Estates
Antitrust
RICO
Securities
Tax
Intellectual Property
Municipal Law

We have successfully tried matters ranging from securities fraud, healthcare fraud, wire and mail fraud, customs fraud, tax fraud, environmental violations, financial services fraud, public corruption, ERISA and workplace safety infringement.

Sheppard Mullin’s white collar expertise extends to responding to grand jury subpoenas, civil investigative demands, and regulatory information requests. We are adept at securing agreements to narrow the scope of the production and extend production deadlines. Based on our collective government and regulatory experience, we are often able to determine if our client is the actual target of the demand. Further, we have created special review teams to conduct efficient document searches to streamline the response process.

In addition to investigations, trial and subpoena response, Sheppard Mullin provides compliance counseling and preventative advice geared toward mitigating the variety of changing regulations and associated challenges which many companies face. We regularly advise on the complex rules and regulations pertaining to our clients' business dealings, assist with review of and response to compliance measures and manuals, as well as obtain regulatory approval where appropriate.

We also represent clients who are victims of crime. We guide them through the proper investigative agencies and advocate for criminal prosecution and restitution where appropriate.

Because of the nature of white collar and civil fraud matters, it is critical that steps be taken to preserve the reputation of our clients in their business dealings with shareholders, regulators, and the press, among other constituencies. A distinct competency of Sheppard Mullin in this area is our ability to minimize potentially negative public relations through swift action and strategy.