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About Stephen
Stephen Braga chairs the firm's national Government Enforcement & Investigations practice. He has over 40 years of experience representing individuals and companies in their most important government enforcement matters. Whether it be handling sensitive criminal investigations or litigating the fall-out from such investigations in court, Steve has the sound judgment clients need to guide them carefully through such difficulties.
Over the course of his career, he has played a leading role in many of the most high-profile white collar cases and investigations in Washington, DC. This work has included the representation of numerous Executive Branch and Congressional officials in addition to private individual and corporate clients. In the course of this work, as exemplified below, Steve has represented numerous Executive Branch and Congressional officials in addition to private individual and corporate clients. Other career highlights include acting as lead counsel in securing the release in two separate high-profile representations of men who had spent decades in prison for wrongful murder convictions: Marty Tankleff, who was exonerated on an appeal argued by Steve, and Damien Echols, a member of the "West Memphis Three," who was freed from death row on a deal negotiated by Steve.
Steve was elected a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2008.
Experience
Recent Notable Matters
Poultry processing company — represented company and its senior management in an industry-wide price-fixing and bid-rigging investigation by the Antitrust Division of the US Department of Justice
Energy services company — represented company’s former country manager for China in an FCPA investigation by the Fraud Section of the US Department of Justice and the Securities & Exchange Commission
Energy services company — represented technical manager in an FCPA investigation of the company’s operations in Vietnam being conducted by the Fraud Section of the US Department of Justice and the Securities Exchange Commission
Energy company officers and employees — represented four officers and employees of a Fortune 200 Oil Field Services Company in FCPA investigations arising out of Africa and Russia*
Brazilian CEO — represented the CEO of leading Brazilian corporation in global FCPA investigation*
Harry I. Martin, Jr. — defended Intelligent Decisions’ Owner and Chief Executive Officer Harry I. Martin, Jr. against federal program bribery and fraud charges*
Officers of Japanese shipping corporation — represented two officers of Japanese shipping corporation in antitrust price-fixing investigation by the US Department of Justice Antitrust Division*
Korean employee — represented employee of Korean corporation in federal industrial espionage investigation*
Patricia Cornwell — represented author Patricia Cornwell in a Federal Election Commission investigation of presidential campaign contributions*
Pharmaceutical company — represented Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company in internal investigations of FCPA allegations in multiple countries around the world*
Pharmaceutical company — defended Fortune 100 pharmaceutical company in civil false claims act litigation concerning the off-label marketing of certain drugs*
Michael Scanlon — defended public relations executive Michael Scanlon against criminal proceedings arising from the Jack Abramoff lobbying scandal, including related Senate and civil proceedings*
John T. Korsmo — defended Chairman of the Federal Housing Finance Board John T. Korsmo against federal false statements charges*
Fortune 50 company — represented Fortune 50 company in internal investigations of FCPA allegations in China and the Philippines*
Larry D. Thompson — defended Deputy Attorney General Larry D. Thompson against post-911 civil litigation concerning the terrorist rendition program*
Ricardo Sanchez — defended Lieutenant General Ricardo Sanchez against civil claims arising from the Abu Ghraib prison scandal*
Enron employee — represented Enron employee in connection with the federal investigation of the company*
White House staff — represented White House Travel Office Director Catherine Cornelius in the Travelgate investigation; White House Special Assistant to the President and Director of White House Operations Janet Green in the White House Database investigation; and White House Assistant to the President for Management and Administration Jodie Torkelson in the Lewinsky grand jury investigation*
Defense contractor — represented Fortune 100 defense contractor in SEC accounting fraud and revenue recognition investigation*
Maryland politician — represented former Maryland lieutenant governor in a federal grand jury investigation of state government spending*
Marathon Oil — defended Marathon Oil in class action seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in product liability damages for the corrosive effects of allegedly defective gasoline on underground storage tanks in West Virginia*
Dominic F. Antonelli, Jr. — represented Washington, DC real estate magnate Dominic F. Antonelli, Jr. in federal bank and bankruptcy fraud investigations*
Mark Nathanson — defended California Coastal Commissioner Mark Nathanson against federal extortion and criminal RICO charges*
Rick Hendrick — defended NASCAR owner and Honda mega-dealer Rick Hendrick against commercial bribery charges*
ABC and Chris Wallace — defended ABC and Chris Wallace at trial against defamation claims arising from a “Primetime Live” news broadcast*
* Work completed prior to Bracewell