Over the years, Fortune 500 companies and individual business leaders have repeatedly turned to Goodwin Procter to handle their most sensitive, complex and potentially explosive white collar and government investigations. We have achieved great success in resolving many of these matters quietly and professionally, without any litigation at all, let alone criminal referrals or prosecutions. We view each criminal or regulatory matter from a big-picture business perspective, which allows us to achieve the best bottom-line results for our clients. When investigations result in enforcement...more »
Over the years, Fortune 500 companies and individual business leaders have repeatedly turned to Goodwin Procter to handle their most sensitive, complex and potentially explosive white collar and government investigations. We have achieved great success in resolving many of these matters quietly and professionally, without any litigation at all, let alone criminal referrals or prosecutions. We view each criminal or regulatory matter from a big-picture business perspective, which allows us to achieve the best bottom-line results for our clients. When investigations result in enforcement actions, indictments or civil lawsuits, we have a superb record of successfully defending our clients. Our White Collar Crime & Government Investigations Practice is made up of genuine trial lawyers who will not hesitate to take a case to trial when the client agrees that is the best approach.
Our lawyers conduct internal investigations and defend clients in bet-the-company cases and other significant matters. We excel at advising on corporate governance issues, structuring compliance programs and guiding our clients safely through government inquiries. Our lawyers have also successfully defended clients in False Claims Act and whistleblower lawsuits, many of which have sought hundreds of millions of dollars in damages.
Lawyers in our White Collar Crime & Government Investigations Practice work closely with lawyers in the firm’s other practice areas to ensure that our clients benefit from the breadth and depth of the firm’s expertise. In recent years, for example, we have represented mutual fund companies, financial institutions, broker-dealers, public companies, and their officers and employees in a range of investigations and cases in the securities arena. In doing so, we have brought to bear the talents of members of our nationally prominent securities, financial services and investment management practices. The tight integration of our practice areas enables us to create critical strategic advantages for our clients.
Goodwin Procter’s attorneys include nearly two dozen former Assistant United States Attorneys and Department of Justice attorneys with more than 200 years of combined experience as defense attorneys and prosecutors. Several of Goodwin Procter’s former prosecutors held positions of leadership and were recognized for outstanding achievement within the government, including:
- Wayne A. Budd – Associate Attorney General of the United States (3rd-ranking position in DOJ); United States Attorney, District of Massachusetts
- Richard M. Strassberg – Chief of the Major Crimes Unit, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York; recipient of the Director’s Award for superior performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney
- Joseph F. Savage, Jr. – Chief of the Public Corruption and Special Prosecutions Unit, U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Massachusetts; Senior Litigation Counsel, Southern District of West Virginia and District of Massachusetts; recipient of the Director’s Award for superior performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney
- James C. Rehnquist – recipient of multiple Special Achievement Awards for superior performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney
- John J. Falvey, Jr. – recipient of the Director’s Award for superior performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney
- David J. Apfel – recipient of the John Marshall Award from the Department of Justice for exceptional trial performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney
- Roberto M. Braceras – recipient of the Attorney General’s Special Achievement Award for superior performance as a Department of Justice Attorney
- David J. Goldstone – recipient of a Special Initiative Award from the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice for work on behalf of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section
- John Moustakas – recipient of multiple Special Achievement Awards for superior performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney
- David B. Pitofsky – Principal Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of New York; recipient of a Director’s Award for superior performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney
- Robert J. McGahan – Acting Deputy Chief, Major Frauds Section, U.S. Attorney's Office, Central District of California
Goodwin Procter’s white collar lawyers have continued to distinguish themselves in private practice. Richard Strassberg, Paul Ware, David Apfel and Joseph Savage were named as leading experts in their fields by Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business. Joseph Savage, James Rehnquist, Jack Falvey, Roberto Braceras and David Apfel were named “Super Lawyers” in Boston Magazine in the areas of litigation, criminal defense and white collar crime. Bob McGahan was selected as one of California's "Top 100" lawyers by the Daily Journal. In 2004, Richard Strassberg received the Burton Award for legal scholarship for his analysis of the attorney-client privilege in white collar investigations.
Our attorneys have authored many published articles in the area of white collar defense, and frequently instruct other defense attorneys as to best practices in the field. In addition, our attorneys have been recognized in International Who’s Who of Business Crime Lawyers and Best Lawyers in America.
Based in New York, Boston, Washington, D.C. and Los Angeles, Goodwin Procter’s White Collar Crime & Government Investigations Practice is national in scope. We have defended clients in jurisdictions from coast to coast and in several foreign countries, including Japan, Thailand, New Zealand and China. We have the resources, ability and dedication to aggressively defend clients anywhere in the United States and virtually anywhere in the world. less »