White Collar Defense & Investigations

Blank Rome is recognized as a “Band 1” firm for White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in New York by Chambers USA, the leading guide to law firms and lawyers. Chambers reported that “the firm houses a strong team recommended for their expertise in handling a broad range of complex investigations and proceedings.” Chambers has also awarded individual rankings to members of our white collar team. Highlighted reviews have emphasized that the group is “top-notch,” “an excellent team with a wide range of areas of knowledge and experience,” and “a strategic partner” who “really works to understand the client’s concerns and objectives.” Legal 500 has noted that the team is “renowned for handling financial fraud, securities fraud, antitrust, and internal investigations.” 

Our highly credentialed team includes numerous former prosecutors, six former federal and state judges, and career defense attorneys. We have extensive experience advising companies, boards of directors, senior executives, and other individuals at every stage of criminal, civil, and enforcement proceedings, including:

• Grand jury investigations and subpoenas
• State and federal regulatory investigations and enforcement actions
• Federal and state trials and post-trial proceedings
• Federal and state appeals 
• Parallel proceedings, which can include a criminal investigation, a regulatory inquiry, a foreign proceeding, a Congressional investigation, or a civil lawsuit progressing simultaneously or in quick succession
• Congressional oversight hearings and investigations
• Conducting corporate internal investigations
• Representing individuals in corporate internal investigations

We advise boards of directors and special committees on corporate compliance and governance issues, often in collaboration with other practice groups. We design, update, and audit compliance programs to reduce enforcement risk, withstand government scrutiny, and demonstrate effective remediation when issues arise. Our programs are tailored to each client’s industry, risk profile, size, and geographic footprint. When investigations occur, we help clients strengthen controls, culture, training, and oversight to mitigate charging and penalty exposure.

We also conduct independent internal investigations for boards of directors, audit committees, and special committees in connection with allegations of financial misconduct, corruption, accounting irregularities, sanctions violations, cybersecurity incidents, and executive wrongdoing. We advise on privilege and work-product protection, cross-border data collection, witness strategy, and remediation planning, and we present findings to boards and regulators with a focus on credibility, risk reduction, and resolution.

Our work is global. We serve as counsel in cross-border litigation and government investigations and in U.S. matters involving foreign clients, witnesses, or evidence. We help clients obtain U.S. discovery for use in foreign proceedings.

The hallmarks of our practice are strategic thinking, sound judgment, and skilled execution. Each matter is different, and we take a deliberate, individualized approach to client service. 

We are seasoned, agile trial lawyers, with many decades of experience in courtrooms across the country. We have tried criminal and civil cases before juries in federal and state courts, administrative law judges, agency hearing panels, and a variety of arbitration tribunals—with notable successes in high-profile, high-stakes cases. Our team also has substantial criminal and civil appellate experience; when appropriate, we collaborate with the firm’s appeals group, Appellate Litigation.

We understand, however, that avoiding indictment or enforcement action altogether is the best possible outcome for clients facing investigations, and we have an extraordinary record of persuading prosecutors and regulators not to pursue charges against our clients. We also understand that, under certain circumstances, a negotiated resolution is the best way forward, and we are adept at securing favorable terms for our clients. 

Representative Areas of Substantive Expertise

Securities Fraud

We defend companies, directors, officers, and employees in investigations and proceedings brought by government regulators, including the Securities and Enforcement Commission (“SEC”), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”), state securities regulators, state attorneys general, other governmental agencies, and self-regulatory organizations. These matters involve alleged securities fraud, insider trading, front-running, market manipulation, and other securities violations. We also defend companies and individuals in parallel civil lawsuits alleging fraud, breach of fiduciary duties, mismanagement, negligence, and waste of corporate assets. We help our clients achieve positive outcomes and minimize or manage the huge financial exposure, time commitment, and operational distractions these matters often generate.

Anti-Money Laundering & Bank Secrecy Act 

We represent financial institutions, FinTechs, and market participants in Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”) and anti‑money laundering (“AML”) investigations and enforcement matters, including suspicious activity reporting, transaction monitoring, and asset forfeiture. We conduct internal investigations, engage with the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), the U.S. Department of Treasury, and banking regulators, and design and remediate AML and sanctions compliance programs aligned with evolving enforcement expectations. We also advise foreign financial institutions and individuals on U.S. AML regulations and other legal exposure arising from cross‑border activity.

False Claims Act & Government Program Fraud

For more than two decades, Blank Rome's cross-practice False Claims Act (“FCA”) team of more than 30 attorneys—including several former federal prosecutors—has defended government contractors, healthcare providers, and executives in FCA investigations and litigation. We represent clients across industries, including defense, aerospace, healthcare, life sciences, professional services, software and information technology, trade, and grant-funded research. 

Our team works with the firm’s Government Contracts, Life Sciences, Labor and Employment, and Insurance Recovery practices to provide comprehensive counsel across parallel civil, criminal, and administrative proceedings. We negotiate with DOJ and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices; neutralize relator leverage; and build fact-driven presentations, motions, and trial strategies. We also advise on proactive compliance, internal investigations, disclosure decisions, and repayment strategies to mitigate FCA exposure and avoid collateral consequences such as suspension, debarment, and exclusion from federal programs. To learn more about our FCA capabilities, please visit our False Claims Act Investigations & Defense page. 

Government Contracts & Procurement Fraud

In collaboration with the firm’s Government Contracts practice, our white collar team represents government contractors and executives in criminal, civil, regulatory, administrative, and investigative matters relating to government contracting, procurement, and debarment proceedings. We defend contractors and executives in criminal matters and civil FCA (including qui tam) investigations and lawsuits. We offer clients experienced counsel during audits by inspectors general, the Government Accountability Office, the Defense Contract Management Agency, the Defense Contract Audit Agency, and state counterparts.

 Anti-Bribery & Anti-Corruption (including Foreign Corrupt Practices Act)

We handle highly sensitive Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) investigations in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, and the Middle East and defend corporations and senior executives before the DOJ and the SEC in bribery and corruption matters. We have significant experience defending FCPA grand jury investigations and conducting internal investigations; reviewing gift and hospitality proposals to government officials; handling due diligence for third-party agents and consultants, including sales representatives and distributors outside the United States; and assessing potential joint ventures. 

Congressional Investigations & Hearings

The group has experience representing individuals (including executives, members of Congress, and congressional staff) and companies in connection with congressional investigations, inquiries, and hearings. Our firm has represented clients before the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, the House Committee on Ethics, the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission, and the House Committee on Agriculture. The group works closely with the firm’s Government Relations team when representing clients before congressional committees.

National Security, Sanctions & Trade Controls 

We represent companies and individuals in national security investigations involving U.S. sanctions, export controls, defense trade controls, and sensitive cross‑border activity. We bring trial‑ready advocacy and disciplined crisis management to matters before the DOJ, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”), and the Departments of Commerce and State.

Healthcare 

The group provides a wide range of services to healthcare institutions, companies, and other providers in criminal, civil, regulatory, administrative, and other proceedings. We defend organizations and individuals facing criminal Medicare and Medicaid fraud investigations. We have extensive experience handling civil False Claims Act litigation as well as qui tam lawsuits brought by whistleblowers. These matters frequently involve allegations of Anti-Kickback Statute violations, off-label or false marketing, Controlled Substances Act violations, or Stark Law violations. We counsel providers undergoing state and federal government audits by a range of oversight federal and state entities, including the HHS Office of Inspector General, Medicare recovery audit contractors, Zone Program Integrity contractors, Medicare Administrative Contractors, and state agencies such as the New Jersey Office of the State Comptroller. We also represent providers and companies in Medicare and Medicaid exclusion proceedings and other administrative actions, and we defend healthcare professionals in licensing investigations involving a wide variety of fraud, abuse, and other related allegations.

Trade & Tariff Evasion / Customs Enforcement

We represent importers, manufacturers, logistics providers, and executives in alleged anti-dumping and countervailing duties matters; evasion, misclassification, undervaluation, country-of-origin, and forced-labor investigations; and Enforce and Protect Act proceedings. We handle Customs and Border Protection and Department of Homeland Security investigations, coordinate audits and prior disclosures, defend seizures and penalties, and guide corrective actions that preserve supply chains and market access.

Anti‑Terrorism Act & Terror‑Finance Exposure

We defend corporations and financial institutions in Anti-Terrorism Act (“ATA”) criminal litigation and related investigations involving sanctions exposure, alleged material support theories, correspondent banking, and third‑party risk. We also design and test risk‑based AML/sanctions controls to reduce ATA and reputational exposure.

Multilateral Development Bank Investigations & Sanctions

The firm represents companies and individuals in investigations and sanctions proceedings before multilateral development banks (“MDBs”), including the World Bank Group, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the African Development Bank Group. We defend allegations of fraud, corruption, collusion, and obstruction; manage parallel U.S. and foreign enforcement exposure; and advise on compliance, debarment risk, and remediation to protect eligibility for MDB‑funded projects.

Antitrust

We assist clients in all phases of antitrust-related internal investigations, criminal investigations, grand jury matters, trials, sentencing, and appeals. We work with corporations and individuals confronted with allegations of price fixing, bid rigging, market allocation, monopoly, and other anticompetitive conduct. We represent clients before various government agencies, including the DOJ Antitrust Division, the SEC, and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), regarding alleged violations of the Sherman and Clayton Antitrust Acts and Section 5 of the FTC Act. We also represent individuals and corporations facing criminal antitrust investigations by state authorities, including the New York Attorney General’s Office. We have handled criminal antitrust cases for corporations and individuals in many industries, including shipping, chemicals, film production, electronics, automobiles, insurance, pharmaceuticals, and food services. To learn more about our antitrust capabilities, please visit our Antitrust Counseling & Litigation page.

Cybersecurity, Data Privacy & Technology‑Related Enforcement

We advise companies and executives facing investigations and enforcement actions arising from cybersecurity incidents, data breaches, and technology‑related disclosures. Our work includes matters involving the DOJ, SEC, FTC, state attorneys general, and foreign regulators, as well as parallel civil litigation and shareholder actions.

Environmental Crimes

We have extensive experience in environmental matters, including defending against allegations of violations of the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and other environmental criminal statutes before federal, state, and local regulatory agencies. We are part of the firm’s Maritime Emergency Response Team, handling U.S. Coast Guard investigations of vessel owners and managers for environmental violations and casualties from marine pollution. We provide compliance counseling and defend refineries, chemical facilities, and manufacturers in administrative, civil, and criminal enforcement actions at the federal and state levels. We are proactive when appropriate, guiding clients to civil and administrative dispositions before they become the subject of criminal investigations. 

Public Corruption 

We represent individuals across the country in federal and state public corruption probes and proceedings, including in connection with charges of honest services fraud, bribery, receipt of gratuities, conspiracy, and related tax charges. We understand the unique challenges confronting a public official who has been charged with misusing his or her office, and we have extensive experience navigating not only the legal landscape but also the complex and dynamic public relations aspects of such representations.

Tax Defense

We represent companies, executives, and other professionals in criminal and civil tax investigations, enforcement actions, and high‑stakes tax controversies. We defend matters involving the DOJ, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including allegations of tax evasion, fraud, failure to file, and related financial crimes. We also handle complex civil tax litigation in U.S. Tax Court, federal district courts, and the Court of Federal Claims, and represent accountants and advisors in criminal investigations and professional liability matters. The firm has an offshore tax compliance team with significant experience advising foreign financial institutions and individuals as to their obligations under U.S. tax law (including offshore tax enforcement programs) and resolving potential risks. 

Crypto, Digital Assets & FinTech Enforcement

We advise exchanges, decentralized finance projects, custodians, payment firms, and institutional market participants confronting inquiries by the DOJ, SEC, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, OFAC, and state attorneys general. Our team handles allegations of fraud, market manipulation, AML/BSA failures, sanctions violations, and unregistered activity; pursues and defends forfeiture actions; and traces digital assets across chains and mixers with expert partners.