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  1. Capabilities

White Collar & Government Investigations

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  • Overview
  • Experience
  • Related Insights & News
  • Key Contacts

    Suzanne Jaffe BloomMarc KrickbaumAngela M. Machala
    View Our Full Team

    Resources

    False Claims Act PlaybookInvestigations, Enforcement & Compliance Alerts

    Ranked Tier 1 Nationally for “Criminal Defense: White Collar” by Best Law Firms®2025, and recognized for “Corporate Crime & Investigations: Highly Regarded – Nationwide” by Chambers USA in 2025, Winston’s White Collar & Government Investigations Practice assists individuals, companies, and organizations with government investigations and enforcement matters; related criminal and civil litigation; trials; appeals; congressional oversight; internal investigations; and compliance counseling and program development and enhancement. We are comprised of 80+ litigators, with more than a dozen former prosecutors from the SEC, Main Justice, and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices nationwide, including four former U.S. Attorneys, Regional Supervisors, and a former Assistant Director, Enforcement Division, SEC. We are known for our zealous advocacy, our unyielding commitment to our clients, and for protecting and defending clients’ interests with legal acumen that’s second to none.

    Key Contacts

    Suzanne Jaffe BloomMarc KrickbaumAngela M. Machala
    View Our Full Team

    We routinely handle highly sensitive federal, state, local, and non-U.S. government investigations—including grand jury proceedings—and criminal and civil investigations conducted by nearly every law enforcement and regulatory agency in the United States, including the DOJ and U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the SEC, CFTC, CFPB, FTC, the Office of Inspector General, and other government authorities. With our deep understanding of government strategies and approaches, our attorneys manage the investigative process in a manner that puts our clients in the best position to assess potential exposure and present strong defenses, while promoting and protecting our clients’ multifaceted interests at all phases of a government investigation. We represent our clients, including organizations, board committees, management, and individuals, in connection with government investigations across myriad industries and involving various subject matters.

    We regularly conduct internal investigations for clients that have been alerted to potential wrongdoing, whether through internal-reporting mechanisms, reports of potential industry-wide issues, whistleblower or relator complaints, a government inquiry, or an audit. We have the skills needed to conduct effective internal reviews for clients, while also maintaining our ability to defend those clients should there be follow-on litigation or enforcement actions. We provide comprehensive solutions for improved processes and procedures to minimize future risk. We help clients understand and navigate the complexities and sensitivities of potential self-reporting, where appropriate, and related issues.

    We defend individuals and organizations in all aspects of federal, state, local, and non-U.S. government proceedings, including pre-trial hearings and motions, trials, and related litigation and appeals. Our client representations involve a diverse array of both criminal and civil allegations. We have tried cases in numerous state and federal courts and have appeared before dozens of federal and state courts of appeals and the U.S. Supreme Court.

    Our in-house, government, and defense experience is particularly valuable for organizations seeking to develop robust and reliable, or enhance existing, compliance programs. We enable clients to be proactive in developing strategies to prevent wrongdoing, ensure compliance with the ever-changing laws impacting diverse industries, including mediagenic matters such as the purported impact of microplastics, and meet the government’s expectations to be better positioned to secure leniency should government investigations or proceedings ensue.

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    We have significant experience handling congressional inquiries and know how to manage the investigative process from beginning to end to minimize adverse consequences. We have represented clients in connection with a wide array of investigations and oversight proceedings conducted by both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate. These proceedings often dovetail with executive branch investigations, and we are similarly experienced in navigating these parallel proceedings. Many of our engagements in this area have been matters that have dominated headlines.

    We have a deep bench of experienced lawyers who guide clients through adversity, handling crises such as cybersecurity attacks, government raids and investigations, product recalls, employee theft and malfeasance, senior management scandals, workplace harassment allegations, shareholder activism and hostile takeovers, geopolitical crises, natural disasters, OFAC sanctions, and more. Our team provides the leadership, and steady oversight not only to proactively navigate the thorny and often interrelated criminal, civil, regulatory, and business issues involved in a crisis, but to manage and advise on all aspects of the crisis.

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    We work alongside the firm’s Antitrust/Competition lawyers to defend clients facing allegations of criminal and civil wrongdoing under U.S. and other jurisdictions’ antitrust and competition laws.

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    We have decades of experience representing clients facing governmental investigations involving tax and financial matters, multijurisdictional investigations, and litigation conducted jointly by U.S. and non-U.S. governmental agencies.

    Our full-service team includes nationally recognized lawyers with experience representing clients from many industries across a broad spectrum of government contracts and grants matters, including litigation of disputes and all size bid protests, counseling, regulatory, and transactional matters. We counsel clients through all stages of the procurement cycle, including solicitation review, proposals/bids, negotiation of subcontracts and joint ventures, contract formation, contract administration, and teaming agreements.

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    We have extensive experience with the legal and practical challenges clients face when they participate in government programs and conduct business with federal, state, and local government entities, and routinely help them successfully navigate that process. Our deep experience in this area, including as former government lawyers, allows us to provide comprehensive advice to organizations, boards, management, and other individuals to minimize the risks of liability under the federal False Claims Act (FCA) and similar state statutes and to mount strong defenses to FCA investigations and litigation, including whistleblower and qui tam litigation.

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    We represent healthcare providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other healthcare industry clients in connection with federal and state civil, criminal, and regulatory investigations and litigations involving a wide variety of healthcare related matters, including the Anti-Kickback Statute, FCA, Medicare Secondary Payer Act, Medicare/Medicaid fraud, and related whistleblower and qui tam actions.

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    We routinely assist U.S. and non-U.S. clients in ensuring compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), the UK’s Bribery Act, various sanctions laws and orders, the Bank Secrecy Act and its AML regulations, exports controls, customs compliance, and the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFIUS), as well as navigating related investigations and actions.

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    We regularly defend companies, organizations, elected officials, political appointees, and other individuals in matters related to the alleged misuse of government power or public money and alleged violations of federal and state election laws and government ethics laws and regulations.

    We defend companies and individuals in connection with investigations by the DOJ, SEC, and state attorneys generals’ offices related to allegations involving securities fraud, insider trading, financial disclosure failures, and market manipulation. We also counsel clients as to compliance with SEC and other federal and state securities regulations.

    Related Capabilities

    Antitrust/Competition
    Antitrust Transactions
    Bankruptcy Litigation & Investigations
    Capital Markets
    Compliance Programs
    Derivatives & Structured Products
    Environmental
    Environmental Litigation & Enforcement
    Financial Services Litigation
    Financial Innovation & Regulation
    Government Program Fraud, False Claims Act & Qui Tam Litigation
    International Trade
    ITC – Section 337
    Litigation/Trials
    Mergers & Acquisitions
    Privacy & Data Security
    Private Equity
    Privacy: Regulated Personal Information (RPI)
    Securities, M&A & Corporate Governance Litigation
    Tax
    Tax Controversy & Criminal Tax
    Energy
    Financial Services
    Healthcare

    Recent Experience

    Following an Astounding Summary Judgment Win, Winston Secures Three Favorable Class Settlements in US$52+B Broiler Chicken Litigation
    Prevailed in Fifth Circuit for Prominent Real Estate Developer, Vacating Bribery and Conspiracy Convictions
    Secured High-Profile Acquittal at Trial for Matthew Grimes on Charges He Acted as an Unregistered Foreign Agent
    Secured Full Dismissal on Brink of Trial of Criminal Charges Against Dentist in Alleged US$158M Health Care Fraud and Money-Laundering Scheme
    Secured Sole Acquittal for Doctor in Massive, High-Stakes Multi-Defendant Health Care Fraud Trial

    Resources

    False Claims Act PlaybookInvestigations, Enforcement & Compliance Alerts

    Notable

    Ranked Tier 1 Nationally for Criminal Defense: White Collar

    Best Law Firms® 2025

    Ranked Band 1, Nationwide, for Corporate Crime and Investigations: Highly Regarded

    Chambers USA 2025

    Litigation Department of the Year: Best White Collar Defense, Washington, D.C.

    National Law Journal 2020

    6 Partners Named to “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” 

    Benchmark Litigation US 2025

    5 Partners Named to “Top 250 Women in Litigation”

    Benchmark Litigation US 2024

    34 Winston Partners named to 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management List 

    Lawdragon 2025

    Ranked for Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-collar Criminal Defense

    The Legal 500 US 2025
    Best Law Firms® 2025

    Ranked Tier 1 Nationally for Criminal Defense: White Collar

    Chambers USA 2025

    Ranked Band 1, Nationwide, for Corporate Crime and Investigations: Highly Regarded

    National Law Journal 2020

    Litigation Department of the Year: Best White Collar Defense, Washington, D.C.

    Benchmark Litigation US 2025

    6 Partners Named to “Top 100 Trial Lawyers” 

    Benchmark Litigation US 2024

    5 Partners Named to “Top 250 Women in Litigation”

    Lawdragon 2025

    34 Winston Partners named to 500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management List 

    The Legal 500 US 2025

    Ranked for Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-collar Criminal Defense

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