White Collar Criminal Defense : Litigation

White collar crime is any illegal activity connected to business or commercial activity. A crime committed by business people and other respected professionals where deceptive practices and fraud are used to obtain money. Unlike many other crimes, this type of crime does not include any type of violence or physical harm. It may be a violation of a civil and/or criminal statute, and result in civil penalties such as fines or criminal penalties, including possible imprisonment.

Johnston Barton's White Collar Criminal Defense Practice Team has extensive experience in guiding clients through the thicket of white collar investigations and prosecutions. The Team's practice spans the entire civil and criminal process, from government investigations to grand jury proceedings to administrative hearings to trials and appeals. Our lawyers have significant expertise in assisting clients with respect to matters relating to antitrust, health-care fraud and abuse, government contracting, political corruption and related ethical matters, federal food and safety regulatory compliance, securities fraud, criminal tax investigations, and False Claims Act defense. Although we attempt to negotiate favorable resolutions wherever possible, we vigorously defend our clients at trial when it is in their best interests to do so.

We also frequently:

• Conduct internal investigations on behalf of some of the nation's largest corporations, as well as state and municipal bodies.

• Counsel corporate clients on the most appropriate means to redress and mitigate the consequences of prior employee misconduct, and to implement an effective compliance program to minimize the likelihood of future misconduct.

• Represent corporate and individual clients in defense of or in relation to grand jury and other governmental investigations.

• Represent corporate and individual clients at trial in defense of criminal and/or civil charges, including numerous qui tam claims filed under the False Claims Act.

• Handle appellate litigation.

Our lawyers recognize the value of early detection and claims prevention and understand the importance of compliance programs under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Toward that end, our lawyers work closely with senior management in developing effective compliance programs, carefully tailored to their industry, that comport with applicable laws and provide protection in the event of criminal prosecution. In cases where prevention is not possible, our lawyers have experience guiding companies through the criminal process from search warrants and subpoenas through trial and beyond.

Contact:

R. Marcus Givhan