They have a strong team and a collaborative approach. They are responsive to the needs of the client, and they focus on the big picture. They’re very strategic.

Legal 500 US, 2024

Experienced Counsel for High-Stakes Matters

When the stakes are high, companies and individuals turn to Bracewell’s government enforcement and investigations team. We have one of the most respected teams in the United States and the UK, with decades of collective experience as defense lawyers, former prosecutors, regulators, federal judges and in-house counsel. We were named White Collar Group of the Year by Law360 in 2018, and our lawyers and practice consistently receive high rankings in Chambers USA, Chambers UK, Legal 500 US and Legal 500 UK.

We draw on our broad and diverse experiences to provide strategic, informed advice to companies and individuals faced with federal or state enforcement actions and investigations.

We focus on four main areas:

  • Prevention — Our team conducts internal investigations on behalf of companies, audit committees and special board committees. We develop, review and audit corporate compliance programs to help minimize the risk of violations and reduce the likelihood of prosecution in government investigations.
  • Detection — We help companies identify and address issues related to discrimination, harassment and retaliation. If we uncover past misconduct during an internal audit and investigation, we make confidential recommendations on the best way to handle the situation and avoid similar issues in the future.
  • Defense — We vigorously defend individuals and companies in white-collar investigations and prosecution at various levels of government. Our team has been at the forefront of numerous notable actions and secured favorable outcomes in highly sensitive, and often complex, matters.
  • Resolution — Our lawyers are highly regarded among their peers and are frequently sought out by judges and corporate executives to monitor compliance with policies, procedures, laws, regulations and ethics programs. We regularly serve as court-appointed monitors in high-profile cases, as well as independent external reviewers.

Our lawyers represent clients across an array of enforcement and investigation matters, including:

  • accounting and financial fraud
  • antitrust issues
  • broker-dealer violations
  • cyber threats and data security
  • economic and financial sanctions and export control
  • environmental and ESG litigation
  • Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and Bribery Act diligence and litigation
  • False Claims Act and Qui Tam matters
  • government contracts
  • healthcare fraud
  • insider trading
  • money laundering
  • tax issues