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  1. Capabilities

White Collar & Government Investigations

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  • Overview
  • Experience

Key Contacts

Suzanne Jaffe BloomMarc KrickbaumAngela M. Machala
View Our Full Team

Resources

Government Program Fraud, False Claims Act & Qui Tam Litigation 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 three former U.S. Attorneys, Regional Supervisors, and a former Chief of IRS Criminal Investigation. 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

Areas of Focus

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 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 health care providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and other health care industry clients in connection with federal and state civil, criminal, and regulatory investigations and litigations involving a wide variety of health care 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
Health Care

Recent Experience

Secured Another Massive Summary Judgment Victory in Chickens Price-Fixing Case for Claxton Poultry Farms
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

Government Program Fraud, False Claims Act & Qui Tam Litigation 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

Related Insights & News

View All Insights & News
Recognitions
Winston Partners Included on Forbes’ Inaugural List of America's Best-In-State Lawyers

June 26, 2025

Blog
DOJ Declines Prosecution of PE Firm – Lessons for International Trade Violations and Beyond

June 23, 2025

Recognitions
Winston Team Led by Tom Melsheimer Recognized in Litigator of the Week Column

June 23, 2025

In the Media
Tom Melsheimer Discusses Successful Retrial for Client Ruel Hamilton with Texas Lawyer

June 20, 2025

Article
Anatomy of an Acquittal — Delayed Vindication

June 17, 2025

Blog
DOJ’s June 9, 2025 FCPA Guidelines: A Recalibration of U.S. Anti-Corruption Enforcement

June 16, 2025

Recognitions

Winston & Strawn Recognized in The Legal 500 U.S. 2025

June 12, 2025

Client Alert
“SEC Speaks” Shift in Regulatory and Philosophy Priorities

June 3, 2025

Blog
Supreme Court Rules Wire Fraud Prosecutions Can Stand Even in Those Cases in Which the Defendant Did Not Seek to Cause Economic Loss

May 30, 2025

Blog
The U.S. Court of International Trade Held IEEPA Tariffs Exceed the Trump Administration’s Executive Powers

May 30, 2025

Press Release
Winston & Strawn LLP Announces Former U.S. Attorney Matt Graves Joining Washington, D.C. Office as Partner

May 29, 2025

Client Alert
Proposed New York Consumer Protection Law Signals the Future of State Enforcement

May 27, 2025

Recognitions
Winston Partners Included on Forbes’ Inaugural List of America's Best-In-State Lawyers
June 26, 2025
Blog
DOJ Declines Prosecution of PE Firm – Lessons for International Trade Violations and Beyond
June 23, 2025
Recognitions
Winston Team Led by Tom Melsheimer Recognized in Litigator of the Week Column
June 23, 2025
In the Media
Tom Melsheimer Discusses Successful Retrial for Client Ruel Hamilton with Texas Lawyer
June 20, 2025
Article
Anatomy of an Acquittal — Delayed Vindication
June 17, 2025
Blog
DOJ’s June 9, 2025 FCPA Guidelines: A Recalibration of U.S. Anti-Corruption Enforcement
June 16, 2025
Recognitions

Winston & Strawn Recognized in The Legal 500 U.S. 2025

June 12, 2025
Client Alert
“SEC Speaks” Shift in Regulatory and Philosophy Priorities
June 3, 2025
Blog
Supreme Court Rules Wire Fraud Prosecutions Can Stand Even in Those Cases in Which the Defendant Did Not Seek to Cause Economic Loss
May 30, 2025
Blog
The U.S. Court of International Trade Held IEEPA Tariffs Exceed the Trump Administration’s Executive Powers
May 30, 2025
Press Release
Winston & Strawn LLP Announces Former U.S. Attorney Matt Graves Joining Washington, D.C. Office as Partner
May 29, 2025
Client Alert
Proposed New York Consumer Protection Law Signals the Future of State Enforcement
May 27, 2025
View All Insights & News
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