Representative Engagements

At Sonnenschein, our White Collar & Government Investigations attorneys aggressively and efficiently defend and protect our clients by anticipating and proactively responding to the pursuits and demands of federal and state criminal, civil and regulatory enforcement authorities.

Significant Representative Trials:

• We represented a Fortune 500 company in a federal criminal trial involving allegations of antitrust violations. The trial resulted in the acquittal of the company, its joint venture and all of its executives.
• We won the acquittal of the president of a Greensboro, N.C., metal building insulation contractor on federal criminal price-fixing charges in a 10-week trial in the Southern District of Texas.
• We won the acquittal of the three-term county executive of Jackson County, Mo., on political corruption and fraud charges after a three-week jury trial in the Western District of Missouri.
• We represented a pharmaceutical executive in a three-month federal trial for alleged kickbacks in which the executive and 11 other defendants were acquitted.
• We won the acquittal on a vast majority of charges, after a nine-week trial in federal court in New York, for an investment advisor accused of operating a Ponzi-type scheme for 20 years.

Representative Engagements by Subject Matter:

Securities Fraud

• We represented the chairman of the board of a public company in an options-backdating investigation, which resulted in no civil or criminal charges filed against the client.
• We represented the board of First Merchants Acceptance Corporation, a NASDAQ-traded corporation, in conducting an investigation relating to financial fraud, and in connection with the related SEC investigation.
• We represented a Fortune 500 utility company in a financial fraud investigation by the SEC and Department of Justice.  During the course of this representation, we managed the production of more than one million documents, defended more than a dozen witnesses during their SEC testimony, drafted and submitted a Wells response and negotiated a tentative settlement with SEC staff.
• We represented a large public advertising firm in a Sarbanes-Oxley auditor independence inquiry conducted by the client’s audit firm and the SEC Enforcement Division.  Following our own internal investigation, we persuaded SEC Enforcement, the Division of Corporation Finance and the Office of the Chief Accountant not to pursue action.
• We represented a Canadian investor against SEC charges of insider trading.  We persuaded the SEC to drop their case and dismiss the complaint.
• We represented the CFO of Team, Inc. in connection with a board of directors and SEC investigation relating to financial fraud.
• We represented the vice president of finance for a public software company in a revenue recognition fraud investigation, which resulted in no criminal, civil or regulatory charges being filed.

Health Care Fraud

• We represented large physician group in grand jury investigation considering fraudulent Medicare billing practices. No indictment was returned.
• We represented a pharmaceutical executive in a three-month federal trial for alleged kickbacks in which the executive and 11 other defendants were acquitted.
• We represented numerous hospitals, medical suppliers and corporate executives in cases involving allegations of health care fraud.
• We represented a major hospital foundation defrauded of millions of dollars in insurance proceeds by an insurance agency.
• We represented high-ranking executives in an off-label marketing, anti-kickback and false claims investigation of a public pharmaceutical company, which resulted in no charges being filed against the executives.
• We represented a medical supplies company in a grand jury investigation of alleged health care fraud.

Public Corruption/Government Contract Fraud

• We represented a former governor of the State of Illinois, his campaign fund and numerous state agencies and employees in a major public corruption investigation.
• We won the acquittal of the three-term county executive of Jackson County, Mo., on political corruption and fraud charges after a three-week jury trial in the Western District of Missouri.
• We represented one of the nation’s largest defense contractors in numerous cases involving litigation against the government, including a default termination of a major weapons system.
• We represented the director and former president of an environmental products company indicted on charges of making false claims to the government in connection with a government contract.

Other

• We successfully represented CEO of large real estate development company in multi-count $200 million criminal RICO and money laundering case relating to alleged fraud in his acquisition of the company from its ESOP.
• We represented one of the nation’s largest insurance companies in numerous matters involving  allegations of fraudulent sales practices.
• We represented an insurance company and key executives in a Georgia Attorney General’s Office and Georgia Insurance Department investigation, which resulted in deferred and non-prosecution agreements.
• We represented two corporate executives in the appeal of a price-fixing conviction before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
• We represented the lead cooperator in the KPMG tax shelter investigation and prosecution.
• We represent, as court-appointed counsel, the executive director of the Islamic-American Relief Agency of Columbia, Mo., who has been charged in a 38-count indictment for alleged violations of international sanctions imposed on Iraq, money laundering, and theft of USAID grants.
• We have an ongoing representation of an employee of a major airline in connection with parallel investigations by the FAA, the Department of Transportation’s Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. attorney’s office, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.