Areas of Practice

Financial Crimes/
Fraud

The federal government investigates a wide range of financial crimes, including bank fraud, wire fraud, mail fraud, Ponzi schemes, embezzlement, money laundering, mortgage fraud, and identity theft. You need an attorney experienced in these areas to protect your interests. Chris has taken the lead in multiple cases in each of these areas and will diligently represent you if you find yourself the target of a white-collar investigation or indictment.

Securities Fraud

Defendants may face a broad attack from the federal government, including criminal charges and civil investigations from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) or the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). Chris has considerable experience with cases involving these agencies, including insider trading, stock manipulation schemes, Ponzi schemes, and securities fraud. The SEC also has a whistleblower program, which can reward an individual who reports securities law violations. SEC whistleblowers also are entitled to confidentiality and protection from retaliation. If you believe you have information about possible federal securities laws violations, Chris can help you navigate the program.

Health Care

Defending against charges of health care fraud requires an attorney who understands the complexities of the American health care system, such health care billing, including Medicare and Medicaid. The government will charge doctors, other medical providers, patients, pharmacists, pharmaceutical companies, lab companies, and others with health care fraud relating to both private insurance and public payers. States are also active in this area, frequently through their Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCU). Chris is an award-winning attorney in these areas, with a depth and breadth of knowledge that can help you navigate this challenging area.

Investigated by the IRS, tax crimes impact a broad range of activities. They can include tax evasion, an employer’s failure to pay required payroll taxes, tax preparer fraud, and fraudulent conservation easements. Chris has significant experience dealing with the IRS and can assist you in fighting back against the tax collector. The IRS also has a whistleblower program that may pay monetary awards to individuals whose information is used by the IRS. If you know of tax fraud, Chris can help you get the award you deserve.

Tax Crimes

Environmental Crimes

Environmental crimes are a broad category of offenses, spanning the Clean Air Act, the Clean Water Act, the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), the Endangered Species Act, the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, the Animal Welfare Act, and the Lacey Act. Chris is an award-winning attorney who has handled many Environmental crime cases and can defend you if you are confronted with an investigation or indictment related to these issues.

Antitrust

The Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice prosecutes price fixing, bid rigging, market allocation, and other collusion, as well as monopolization. These prosecutions can involve regional, national, and international conspiracies affecting construction, agricultural products, manufacturing, service industries, consumer products, and many other sectors of the economy. The Antitrust Division partnered with the U.S. Attorney community to create the Procurement Collusion Strike Force, which Chris served on. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also enforces civil antitrust laws. Chris has been recognized for his work on antitrust matters and can help you navigate any interaction with the Antitrust Division and the FTC. Early advice is particularly important in the antitrust arena because corporations and individuals who report cartel activity and cooperate can avoid criminal conviction, fines, and prison sentences if they meet the requirements of the policy.

Public Integrity/
Corruption and Bribery

The Department of Justice aggressively investigates and charges public officials, including elected representatives, government employees, law enforcement officers, and prison guards. The charges can include giving and receiving bribes, extortion, abuse of position, embezzlement, and violation of citizens’ rights under color of law. Recently, determined defense lawyers have successfully battled back in court, resulting in several significant setbacks for DOJ. Early and active engagement by defense counsel can result in positive outcomes for the targets of these investigations. Chris can provide a vigorous defense if you are battling these charges.

Cyber Crimes

Cyber crimes is a broad category of crime, those that use or target computers, computer networks, or networked devices. As an emerging area, it is a high priority for the Department of Justice. Examples include business email compromises, unauthorized data access and exfiltration, distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks, malware and ransomware attacks, and unauthorized system or network intrusions. Because of the complexities in charging these crimes, an experienced defense attorney like Chris is invaluable.

False Claims Act

The False Claims Act (FCA) is a federal law that is intended to address fraud on the government. It is a broad law that allows the government to recover up to three times its damages from defendants. Cases generally arise out of government health care programs (Medicare, Medicaid, TriCare, and the Veterans Administration), military, or other government spending programs. Frequently, FCA investigations can spawn parallel criminal investigations and charges. The FCA also has a whistleblower provision that allows private citizens to sue individuals or companies that submit fraudulent claims to the government. The whistleblower can receive up to 30% of the government’s recovery. Chris spent four years focused exclusively on the FCA, receiving multiple DOJ awards for his work and can help you manage its complexities.

Government Investigations

Frequently, individuals and companies will learn of investigations before indictment. Taking early, aggressive action in response to investigations can lead to positive outcomes. Chris has experience working with multiple law enforcement and investigative agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), United States Attorney’s Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Secret Service, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), the Department of Homeland Security, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), state Attorneys General, and state Medicaid Fraud Control Units. Chris has the knowledge and experience to guide you through these difficult situations.

Internal Investigations

Periodically, companies will discover criminal activity by one or more employees. Sometimes, an employee is defrauding, embezzling from, or otherwise victimizing their employer. If the conduct is serious enough, the company may want to make a referral to an appropriate federal agency. Other times, the criminal activity could potentially give rise to liability for the company. An internal investigation can help the company to understand its exposure and allow it to make an early decision on what actions it should take, including possibly taking advantage of the Department of Justice’s self-disclosure policy. Companies that follow that policy may avoid criminal charges or other penalties. Chris’s experience can help companies work through the many issues that arise in these circumstances.

International

As the world gets smaller, criminal investigations can span the globe. The United States has a broad system of sanctions in place and violations can result in significant criminal penalties. Whether it is fighting extradition or seeking evidence from overseas, Chris’s understanding of the processes can assist you in addressing your concerns. He has had experience dealing with cases related to China, Russia, Nigeria, South Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, the European Union (Brussels), Canada, and France, among other countries.