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Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense


Who We Are:

Managing internal and government investigations, responding to subpoenas and search warrants, dealing with the government, and trying complex cases require substance, experience, and presence.

With decades of white-collar defense, prosecution, and in-house experience, Post & Schell’s Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense Group provides corporate clients and senior executives with effective internal investigations, seasoned risk assessment, insights into high-level law enforcement decision-making essential to pursuing an informed defense strategy, and sure-handed representation in and out of the courtroom and the boardroom.

Based in Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., the Group represents individuals and companies located throughout the United States and abroad. The Group focuses on criminal and civil fraud and corruption investigations involving the False Claims Act, health care, tax offenses, energy, federal procurement, financial and securities violations, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), public corruption, cybercrime, and environmental violations, among others.

The Group is led by three Principals, including former federal prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • John Joseph, the former Deputy Chief of the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office, in charge of all the affirmative fraud and environmental enforcement litigation within the Eastern District, and Trial Attorney with the Department of Justice Civil Fraud Division;
  • Ron Levine, the former Chief of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and Group Chair;
  • Abe Rein, whose practice focuses on the intersection of technology and the law, advising clients on legal aspects of data security, social media compliance, electronic discovery, the application of certain constitutional rights in a digital era, and related topics. 
  • They are joined by Principals and Associates with substantial in-house and industry-specific experience, all of whom combine to provide seamless representation and counseling for all phases of investigation and litigation.

The Group has extensive experience with federal and state enforcement agencies, including the Department of Justice, FBI, IRS, SEC, EPA, ICE, DEA, state Attorney Generals offices, and the Offices of Inspector General (OIG) for the Departments of Health & Human Services, FDA, Defense, Transportation and Labor.

What We Do:

We conduct internal investigations, structure defenses, and interact with the enforcement community. We defend corporate enterprises and officers, directors, managers and employees, nationwide, in criminal, civil and administrative matters, at the federal, state and local levels.

Specifically, we:

  • Conduct internal investigations to assess compliance issues and determine whether questionable conduct has occurred, providing a complete factual, legal and risk analysis.
  • Defend enterprises, corporations, and persons who are subjects, targets or witnesses in government investigations, including False Claims Act and qui tam investigations, and related civil or administrative litigation.
  • Track and respond rapidly to all stages of an investigation (ranging from subpoena compliance and grand jury practice to the execution of search warrants or the unsealing of criminal indictments and civil fraud complaints).
  • Avoid or mitigate enforcement action by working with clients to fashion, implement compliance measures which conform to agency guidance and the federal Organizational Sentencing Guidelines.
  • Evaluate the need for and, where appropriate, negotiate voluntary disclosure to relevant government agencies.
  • Negotiate corporate integrity agreements, and monitor corporate compliance moving forward.
  • Defend collateral civil proceedings such as suspensions, debarments or exclusions or civil lawsuits in which fraud is alleged.
  • Defend enterprises, corporations, officers, and directors at criminal or civil trial and/or on appeal.
  • Counsel and defend on matters including alleged health care, securities, tax, insurance, mail, wire and financial institution fraud, plus matters concerning regulatory compliance, FCPA, government contracting and reimbursement, immigration, internal theft, public corruption, computer security, identity theft, and labor racketeering.

Industries We Represent:

Enterprises, corporations, and individuals in a broad spectrum of industries, including:

  • Health Care
    • Institutional health care providers
    • Pharmaceutical manufacturers
    • Medical device manufacturers
    • Retail pharmacies and PBMs
    • Individual physicians and health care providers
  • Publicly traded and multi-national corporations
    • Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Dodd-Frank and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) compliance
    • Brokerage firms and securities dealers facing SEC investigations
  • Financial institutions
    • Banks and mortgage lenders 
    • Realtors, appraisers, and title companies
  • Government contractors, including defense contractors
    • False Claims Act investigations and qui tam litigation
    • Debarment, exclusion and license revocation proceedings
  • Construction
    • Government regulations/specifications/bidding
    • Immigration
  • Environmental Contractors & Utilities
    • Laboratories
    • Energy

How We Add Value:

The Internal Investigations & White Collar Defense Group embraces Post & Schell’s commitment to efficiency, adding value and cost-effectiveness. We get to the heart of matters, without reflexively “staffing up” cases; we encourage review of our monthly line-item billing, and we monitor overhead fiercely. Post & Schell’s philosophy is exemplified by its universal sized offices, competitive billing rates, and effective use of cutting edge technology.