The law governing white-collar crime and fraud issues is highly complex and changes rapidly. Piecemeal legislation has created federal, state and local governmental agencies, each with its own set of rules and investigative powers. In addition, legislation has broadened the investigative powers of traditional federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Some of these powers overlap, but there are critical differences between them.
The White-Collar Defense & Investigations Practice Team at Williams Kastner has outstanding skills in the area of investigations. Our experience covers all the larger investigative agencies, including:
- State and local police
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Internal Revenue Service/Department of Revenue
- Securities and Exchange Commission
- Department of Defense/Federal Aeronautics Administration
- Health Care Finance Administration/Department of Health & Human Services
- Occupational Safety & Health Administration/Department of Labor & Industries
- Environmental Protection Agency/Department of Ecology
- Department of Energy
- U.S. Coast Guard
- National Marine Fisheries Service/Department of Wildlife
- Professional licensing boards/quality assurance commissions
Our attorneys recognize that investigations should not be viewed in isolation—a thorough understanding of the law governing a client’s business is needed.
Our White-Collar Defense & Investigations Experience:
- Advising on the application of complex rules and regulations to the client’s business
- Preparing and reviewing compliance procedures and manuals
- Obtaining approvals and authorizations
- Establishing whether there is a proper basis for the investigation
- Advising on whether there is an obligation to provide information and documents
- Obtaining the best available information about the scope of the investigation
- Advising on what use the government may make of any material supplied
- Handling pretrial proceedings and trials including environmental violations, government contractor
fraud, bank fraud, securities fraud, import/export violations, maritime fisheries violations, workplace
safety, ERISA violations, health care law violations, and RICO. - Preparing the client for interview and drafting written submissions to the government investigator, where appropriate
- Attending interviews with the client to ensure that rights are protected
- Representing the client throughout any subsequent administrative, civil or criminal proceedings
- Locating and preserving misappropriated funds or property, where appropriate
- Advising on whether it is preferable to conduct an internal investigation or to report to, for example, the police
- Evidence gathering
- Litigation to recover misappropriated funds or property