The spectacular corporate upheavals of recent years have spawned expansive new legislation and regulation, such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and given rise to heightened public sensitivity to and governmental scrutiny of all corporate activity. Now, perhaps more than ever before, individuals and businesses find themselves facing the prospect of legal entanglements that go beyond civil lawsuits and claims for money damages - that is, the threat of criminal investigation and even prosecution by federal and state authorities, as well as intrusive administrative inquiries by a variety of public and private regulatory bodies.

Such procedures bring with them the attendant assault on one's good name and professional reputation and, of course, ultimately, even the risk to one's personal freedom. Even those who are not the targets of such matters can find themselves entangled in these unfamiliar processes - as when a federal grand jury subpoena arrives, or an FBI agent calls, seeking information about an associate or competitor.

With experienced corporate and litigation attorneys, including former federal and state prosecutors, Carrington Coleman can bring to bear the expertise and capabilities needed to help its clients respond promptly and productively to any of these situations - whether it be federal or state criminal charges, a grand jury subpoena, or an investigation or inquiry by the Department of Justice, the SEC, the Texas Attorney General, or other agencies or authorities.

And, of course, we can also help in crafting processes and procedures to minimize the likelihood that businesses will find themselves confronted by criminal or regulatory challenges. Our corporate counsel, in particular, are skilled in assisting clients to develop compliance policies and programs in such areas as insider trading, employee relations, foreign corrupt practices, and the like. The importance of such programs can scarcely be overstated; even the federal sentencing laws provide for mitigation of sentences if such compliance programs are in place and operational.

In a related vein, Carrington Coleman has extensive experience in assisting corporations and their boards of directors and officers respond to whistleblower and shareholder complaints in the civil context, complaints and demands that give rise to the need for independent investigations and advice to the corporation. For a more detailed discussion of our experience and expertise in this area, please consult our Corporate Governance practice profile.

For further information on criminal defense and responses to criminal investigative inquiries,
please contact:

Luke Madole
214-855-3060
lmadole@ccsb.com

For further information on internal corporate investigations, please contact:

Bruce Collins
214-855-3018
bcollins@ccsb.com

For further information on corporate compliance and governance issues, please contact:

Jim Watson
214-855-3014
jwatson@ccsb.com

Related Practice Areas:

Corporate Governance
Securities and Director and Officer Litigation

 

 

Not certified by the Texas Board of Legal Certification except as noted.