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White-Collar Criminal Defense

SECIL Law attorneys defend U.S. and foreign companies, as well as corporate executives and employees, in a wide range of white-collar criminal cases, including securities fraud, procurement fraud, and cybercrime.

Top Washington DC law firm for complex white-collar criminal charges and civil claims.

White collar investigations and enforcement actions are complex and can result in a wide range of criminal and civil penalties for public and private companies and their executives.  

Successfully defending such matters requires lawyers who understand federal agencies — how they investigate, evaluate, and prosecute cases.

SECIL Law, our firm’s namesake, represents Securities Enforcement, Criminal Investigations & Litigation, which identifies our core practice areas. 

In addition to litigation, we give comprehensive support to our clients from the moment of engagement, guiding them through the initial stages of investigations to any ensuing litigation, criminal or civil or both.

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Our deep bench and substantial experience allow us to prevent issues from spiraling into potentially adverse outcomes.

Often, the DOJ, SEC, and other federal authorities investigate these matters jointly or in parallel, which can necessitate defensive strategies. Federal agencies also routinely coordinate their law enforcement efforts with counterparts in other countries when investigating purported cross border transgressions by domestic executives and foreign nationals.

The complexity of simultaneously responding to grand jury subpoenas, civil investigative demands (CIDs), and other requests for interviews and testimony requires experienced former DOJ prosecutors and SEC enforcement attorneys, like those at SECIL Law.       

SECIL Law is comprised of experienced legal professionals, including former Justice Department prosecutors, Securities and Exchange Commission Enforcement attorneys, and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority lawyers. Notably, our attorneys are seasoned litigators with backgrounds from prominent firms and specialized boutiques. We bring substantial experience to the challenges confronting our clients, as recognized by our law enforcement counterparts in legal proceedings.

Our attorneys provide comprehensive white collar defense strategies for US and foreign companies, corporate executives, and employees.

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Specialized Mastery in White Collar Criminal Defense

We provide experienced legal representation to companies and individuals called to respond to government inquiries and investigations, allowed to present factual and legal explanations in potential or ongoing regulatory enforcement actions, or compliance reviews.

Our attorneys defend against complex white-collar criminal charges and civil claims in matters involving alleged violations arising from business transactions, financial reporting, and auditing and implicating the or federal securities laws, including applicable rules, and regulations, including the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Securities Act of 1933, the Investment Company Act of 1940, the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, the False Claims Act (FCA), and to Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), as well as  investigations arising from international business transactions.

Working with the right attorneys can provide the difference between bringing an investigation to conclusion without charges or, if that is not possible, finding ways to mitigate the consequences.

This could include charges of corporate fraud, insider trading, securities fraud, and violations of federal and state securities laws.

Our lawyers also defend individuals and businesses against violations of export control regulations, sanctions laws, customs laws (smuggling, false declarations, import/export regulations), and international trade compliance, including the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). 

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As the world grows smaller and more companies compete for business across national boundaries, federal enforcement activity is predicted to similarly increase.    

SECIL Law also has substantial experience defending healthcare providers and organizations accused of health care fraud, kickbacks, or civil and criminal False Claims Act violations. 

We defend clients in cases involving allegations of bank fraud, money laundering, embezzlement, and other financial crimes.

Many of our clients have business with state and federal governments in highly regulated areas such as defense procurement. We defend public officials, government contractors, and corporations accused of corruption, bribery, or violations of the Procurement Integrity Act or government ethics laws including conflicts of interest while engaged in government contracting.

  • Cybercrime Attorneys

    Cybercrime is on the rise and our attorneys represent companies and individuals who have been victimized by international and domestic fraudsters. Companies are faced with an increasingly complex patchwork of federal, state, and international data privacy laws. Our lawyers stay current with this rapidly evolving area of law and counsel clients about the effect on their businesses.

  • Congressional Practice and Congressional Hearing Attorneys

    At SECIL Law, we provide comprehensive legal representation to individuals who may become the subject of investigations conducted by any number of Congressional committees. Click here to learn more about Congressional cases.

  • Foreign and Domestic Corporations Facing Fraud Charges
    • One of our attorneys was lead US counsel for an aerospace and defense company in the US government’s first FCPA investigation of a Brazilian multinational. The investigation involved transactions in Latin America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa and was jointly conducted by the DOJ, FBI, and SEC. The matter was successfully concluded by a Deferred Prosecution Agreement with the DOJ and a Settlement Agreement with the SEC that allowed the company to move forward and continue to develop its global business with an enhanced compliance program and clean slate.
    • We represented a Central American corporation and affiliates in debarment proceedings before the Inter-American Development Bank involving bribes paid to obtain the award of a contract to supply computer equipment and software.
    • We represented the CEO of a manufacturing company who received a target letter from the Department of Justice for possible violations of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act in connection with Russian Sanctions.  We convinced the DOJ not to pursue any charges against our client.
    • We represented the former leader of an organization who received a target letter from the DOJ for possible obstruction of Congressional proceedings.  We convinced the DOJ not to pursue any charges against our client.  
  • Government Contractors
    • We represented a Department of Defense contractor in a theft of trade secrets and Economic Espionage Act investigation conducted by the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation, resulting in a no-charge decision by the government.
  • Company Executives and Employees
    • We represented the former Chairman of the Board of Managing Directors of Royal Dutch Shell in parallel with DOJ, SEC, and UK Financial Services Authority (FSA) investigations into Shell’s restatement of one-fifth of its proved oil and gas reserves. The company agreed to a Non-Prosecution Agreement with the DOJ and the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York noted that his office was “continuing to evaluate the case against the individuals.” Shell settled to a civil claim of securities fraud with the SEC and paid a $120 million civil penalty. Shell also settled to market abuse with the FSA and paid the UK regulator $30 million in penalties. Despite the company’s settlements, we successfully demonstrated to each government agency, including in a hearing before the FSA’s Regulatory Decisions Committee, that no violations had been committed and all government investigations concluded with no charges brought against our client. Ultimately, the SEC significantly modified its rule on proved oil and gas reserves–we believe as a result of our work in these investigations.
    • We represented the Chairman of the Board of a technology startup in a securities fraud case filed by multiple investors who alleged they relied on the Chairman’s false assurances about the viability of the company and its technology product when they purchased their stock. The company’s CEO was convicted of criminal securities fraud after trial in US District Court (Alexandria Division). We successfully obtained a declination of charges from the US Attorney’s Office and subsequently prevailed in the securities fraud case filed by the investors in Fairfax Circuit Court under the Virginia Securities Act, 13.1-502 & 13.1-522 (A) and (C).
  • Congressional Charges
    • We represented a world-renowned virologist who was invited by a congressional committee to testify about the scientific paper he authored concerning the origins of the Covid-19 pandemic.
    • SECIL Law represented a senior presidential advisor accused of criminal contempt in violation of 2 USC 192 after he declined on the basis of executive privilege to comply with a subpoena issued by the January 6th Committee. The case is currently on appeal to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. 
    • Our firm represented several individuals who testified before a Congressional committee pursuant to subpoena. We successfully negotiated with the staff of the committee the grounds rules for our clients’ appearances and the matters were concluded without further action.
    • We challenged the FBI’s seizure of a cell phone pursuant to a search warrant on behalf of a Member of Congress. The matter resulted in no charges filed against our client.
  • 15 U.S.C. 77e
  • 15 U.S.C. 77q
  • 15 U.S.C. 77t
  • 15 U.S.C. 78j(b)
  • 15 U.S.C. 80b-1
  • 15 U.S.C. 80b-7
  • Anti-Bribery
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Anti-Fraud
  • Bitcoin
  • Bitcoin mining
  • Blockchain
  • Books and records
  • Broker license
  • Chief compliance officer
  • Chief financial officer
  • Code of Conduct
  • Compliance
  • Compliance Audit
  • Conflict of Interest
  • Control person liability
  • Corporate Investigations
  • Crypto currency
  • Crypto exchange
  • Crypto wallet
  • Customs
  • Digital tokens
  • Due Diligence
  • Economic Crime
  • Ethereum
  • Ethics Audit
  • Failure to register
  • False statements
  • Family office
  • FINRA Violations
  • Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
  • Foreign jurisdiction
  • Forensic Accounting
  • Fraud
  • Fraud Audit
  • Fraud Examination
  • Injunction or penalty
  • Investment adviser code of ethics
  • Investment Advisers Act of 1940
  • Investment fraud
  • Joint settlement
  • Material misstatement
  • Material omission
  • Misappropriation
  • Misappropriation theory
  • Officer and director bar
  • Parallel investigation
  • Private equity
  • Prohibited transactions
  • Prohibition from serving as officer or director
  • Retaliation
  • Sale of unregistered security
  • Section 10
  • Section 17(a)
  • Section 20
  • Section 20
  • Section 20(b)
  • Section 5
  • Securities
  • Securities Act of 1933
  • Securities crime
  • Securities Exchange Act of 1934
  • Securities fraud
  • Securities law
  • Securities litigation
  • Securities regulation
  • Securities violation
  • Shadow trading
  • Subpoena
  • Tippee
  • Tipper
  • Tipping
  • U.S.C. 78t
  • Venture capital fund
  • Whistleblower
  • Whistleblower Investigations

Credibility, communication, empathy

Our team is staffed with former Justice Department prosecutors, Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement attorneys, and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority lawyers. SECIL Law attorneys are experienced litigators who previously worked at large firms and specialty boutiques. In other words, the lawyers on the other side of the table know and respect our capabilities.

We excel at presenting our clients’ cases after an in-depth evaluation of the evidence backed by a comprehensive understanding of the law. We are able to explain the most complex concepts in terms that a jury can understand and appreciate. Because many of our attorneys worked for the federal government, we also know how prosecutors approach charging decisions and evaluate the strength of the cases they file. We leverage all of this in settlement discussions as well as at trial.

Defending against criminal charges can be a trying time for any defendant. We pride ourselves on being trusted advisors who not only provide nuanced legal advice but leverage our tested expertise to help our clients through the process.

Our firm’s name, SECIL Law, stands for Securities Enforcement Compliance Investigations & Litigation, and that is precisely what we do. We aren’t simply able to handle litigation; we also serve our clients from the early phases of an investigation and through any litigation, criminal or civil.

Do you need the best white collar defense attorneys?

We take a client-centered approach to legal representation, focusing on personalized attention, clear communication, and dedicated advocacy to achieve the best possible outcomes for our clients.

Contact us to discuss your case.

Who We’ve Helped

Foreign and domestic corporations

Represented a Central American corporation and affiliates in debarment proceedings before the Inter-American Development Bank involving bribes paid to obtain award of a contract to supply computer equipment and software.

Government contractors

Represented a Department of Defense contractor in a theft of trade secrets and Economic Espionage Act investigation conducted by the Department of Justice and Federal Bureau of Investigation, resulting in a no-charge decision by the government.

Company executives and employees

Represented an executive of a technology startup in a securities fraud case filed by multiple investors and obtained a declination of charges from the government.

How We Can Help You

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