White Collar Defense/Corporate Compliance

Overview

The White Collar Defense/Corporate Compliance Practice at Beveridge & Diamond, P.C. protects its clients in criminal proceedings and works with them to avoid issues of criminal liability interfering with their businesses and careers. It does this in three ways: first, developing and implementing compliance programs that deter and detect unethical and criminal conduct such as executive misconduct or fraud; second, undertaking confidential internal investigations to assess and address potential risks; and third, responding to government investigations and enforcement actions. Beveridge and Diamond's criminal law practitioners have been involved in all aspects of white collar criminal and civil defense work, including trials, grand jury investigations, and administrative proceedings. Complementing the experience and resources of our attorneys is former Federal Special Agent Carl Jaworski, who provides forensic accounting and other specialized investigative support to the practice.

Full Description

The legal environment for businesses has changed because of the scandals involving such companies as Enron, WorldCom, Adelphia Communications, Tyco International and RiteAid. The White Collar Defense/Corporation Compliance Practice at Beveridge & Diamond is chaired by former United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Thomas M. DiBiagio. While serving as the United States Attorney and in the course of several major corporate fraud prosecutions, he witnessed firsthand how the failure of an effective corporate compliance program has the potential to torpedo stock prices, alienate customers and end careers. As a consequence, the practice is committed to helping clients develop and implement corporate and business compliance programs that deter and detect unethical and criminal conduct.

In addition, the practice group has the expertise to assist clients by undertaking confidential internal investigations so that potential risks can be timely assessed and effectively addressed. Whether it is executive misconduct or fraud, payback schemes between vendors and company personnel, embezzlement or other varieties of fraud, it is critical that clients have an accurate factual and legal foundation to make the right choices.

Finally, the practice has the experience aggressively to respond to government investigations and enforcement actions aimed at businesses, corporations and individual officers, directors and employees in federal and state jurisdictions throughout the United States. Our criminal and civil defense litigation team has been involved in all aspects of white collar defense work, including criminal and civil trials, grand jury investigations, and administrative proceedings, and internal corporate investigations. We have the experience and capability to protect corporations and company officials against allegations involving financial fraud, obstruction of justice, false statement, tax, public corruption, antitrust, health care fraud, money laundering, foreign corrupt practices and economic espionage. Our white collar defense attorneys have a unique environmental criminal practice, combining their experience on criminal matters with the Firm's national reputation in environmental law to provide comprehensive and effective defenses unmatched elsewhere.

Complementing the practice's criminal law attorneys is former Internal Revenue Special Agent Carl Jaworski. Mr. Jaworski provides forensic accounting and other investigative support. During his career, Mr. Jaworski served on the Webster Commission and in the review of the FBI internal security procedures after the arrest of Robert Hanssen on espionage charges; he also took part in the Department of Justice review of the Whitewater Independent Counsel investigation. Combining the expertise of a former United States Attorney and former federal special agent gives the criminal practice unique capabilities.