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1350 I Street, N.W.
Suite 700
Washington, DC 20005-3311
Washington

• Environmental Litigation
• White Collar and Environmental Crimes Practice
• Litigation

• Tufts University (B.A., 1988)
• University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law (J.D., 1992; Ecology Law Quarterly, Executive Editor)

• District of Columbia
• Pennsylvania
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 2nd Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals, 4th Circuit
• U.S. Court of Federal Claims

• Spanish

Nadira Clarke is a leader of the Firm’s White Collar and Environmental Crimes Practice Group.  She applies her experience as a former Assistant United States Attorney and trial lawyer with the Department of Justice Environment & Natural Resources Division to manage complex, high-stakes criminal and civil environmental matters for companies and individuals.

Among the ways Ms. Clarke assists clients include:

• Jury and bench trials in complex cases requiring a mastery of technical or scientific information, and the use of expert witnesses.

• Preparing for search warrants.

• Conducting internal investigations.

• Responding to grand jury and administrative subpoenas. 

• Negotiating with prosecutors regarding charging decisions.

• Selecting and supervising technical experts.

• Designing corporate compliance programs to conform with government expectations.

Examples of Ms. Clarke’s experience include:

• Representing a manufacturing company in connection with a multi-facility federal grand jury investigation involving allegations of illegal dumping of hazardous waste, bypassing of a treatment system, improper waste disposal, and failure to report waste releases.

• Representing a power plant operator targeted in a combined state/federal criminal investigation of alleged improper reporting of emissions in violation of the Clean Air Act.

• Representing a petroleum manufacturer in connection with a series of federal and state product liability cases involving alleged groundwater contamination by a gasoline additive. 

• Successful defense of a large public utility in a three-week products liability trial.

• Representing an oil company in an ongoing criminal investigation into a pipeline release. 

• Leading an internal investigation involving potential Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act violations at a coke manufacturing facility.

• Leading confidential internal investigations at the Department of Justice involving allegations of professional misconduct by Assistant Attorneys General, United States Attorneys, Assistant United States Attorneys, and other Department of Justice lawyers.

BACKGROUND

Ms. Clarke’s experience representing the United States as an attorney with the Department of Justice and the United States Attorney’s office for the District of Maryland and Eastern District of Virginia enriches her approach to litigation and environmental enforcement matters.  Following graduation from law school, she was selected into the U.S. Attorney General’s Honor Program at the Department of Justice where she served as a trial attorney with the Environmental Crimes Section and the Natural Resources Section.  She handled a broad array of cases – both criminal and civil in federal district courts across the country.  Based on her distinguished performance, Ms. Clarke was invited to serve as a Special Assistant to the Assistant Attorney General for the Environment & Natural Resources Division where she worked on leading civil and criminal matters impacting national environmental policy.  During her time with the government, she developed close relationships within the Department of Justice and other federal agencies, which endure to this day. 

Ms. Clarke also served as a federal prosecutor with the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the Eastern District of Virginia where she gained additional trial experience in a variety of criminal and civil matters, including healthcare fraud, defense procurement fraud, employment, toxic tort, and medical malpractice.  Ms. Clarke was selected to serve as a counsel in the Department of Justice’s Office of Professional Responsibility where she lead internal investigations into professional misconduct allegations against Assistant United States Attorneys, and other high-level officials.  In addressing concerns regarding federal prosecutor’s abuse of their charging discretion, Ms. Clarke developed a keen understanding of how prosecutors approach investigations and the factors that influence their charging decisions.  She also possesses a deep knowledge of the ethical guidelines against which federal prosecutors are measured.