White Collar/Investigations
White Collar/Investigations overview
Our global White Collar/Investigations team represents corporate and individual clients in a wide range of high-stakes and multijurisdictional matters. We also address the risks and complexities inherent in investigations and enforcement actions. With our global footprint, experience and skill, we provide comprehensive and cost-effective representation and advice to clients facing exposure to civil and criminal liability, whether in a single jurisdiction or across many.
Our team includes former prosecutors and regulators from agencies including the US Department of Justice, US Securities and Exchange Commission, US Treasury Department, Office of the White House Counsel, and former government regulatory officials or judges in France, Mexico and other countries where we practice. They draw on these experiences to provide multifaceted, integrated defense advice.
Our offering
Timely defense and global, cross-practice strength
- White & Case guides clients facing civil and criminal liability, whether in a single jurisdiction or across many, and provides a seamless platform from which to craft a swift, effective defense against sprawling risks.
- Our group collaborates with colleagues in antitrust, export controls and economic sanctions, financial services, regulatory and public company representation to bring clients the Firm’s full capabilities.
- We support clients in all phases of corporate compliance and regulatory enforcement, providing strategic advice related to risk assessments, compliance reviews, M&A due diligence, compliance program creation and uplifts, investigations, civil and criminal enforcement matters, and associated civil claims.
- Our guidance covers the application of global sanctions, export controls and national securities regulations, and we assist companies in areas of shifting regulatory focus, such as money laundering and anti-corruption, including under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), UK Bribery Act, and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) statutes and regulations.
SEC enforcement and regulatory defense
- Our team represents clients in SEC and CFTC investigations and enforcement actions, including matters involving accounting, tax, fraud, disclosure, market trading, manipulation and conduct, internal controls and supervision.
- We also handle related matters involving DOJ, FINRA, state regulators and other enforcement authorities, including OFAC, State Attorneys General and local prosecutors.
- With strategies designed to protect both the legal defense and the broader business, we help clients respond to subpoenas, document requests, testimony demands, Wells process matters and parallel inquiries.
Internal investigations and governance matters
- We conduct internal investigations for boards, audit committees and management involving whistleblower allegations, accounting issues, disclosure questions, compliance concerns and governance disputes.
- In these scenarios, we establish the facts, protect privilege, advise decision-makers, and help clients take the steps needed to address risk before it expands into litigation, enforcement or business disruption.
Efficient representation
- We draw on our worldwide data protection and privacy experience to handle these matters pursuant to the increasingly complicated rules in this area.
- Our local law experience and language skills in numerous countries facilitate efficient and cost-effective representation.
- We have a long track record of delivering excellent results working with internal company legal, audit and management teams, reducing costs and minimizing the disruption investigations cause.
Complex and consequential matters
Fraud and conspiracy convictions overturned in Varsity Blues case
We successfully defended US businessman John Wilson against claims of conspiracy, bribery and fraud by the US government in connection with the "Varsity Blues" college-admissions investigation. The government charged more than 50 individuals and all but three were convicted of corruption involving college admissions. Wilson contested the government’s charges, and the US Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reversed convictions against him on seven out of eight charges, upholding only a technical tax count. Following remand, the government dismissed all the fraud, bribery and conspiracy charges rather than retry them, but sought the same sentence for the tax violation—15 months’ incarceration—that Wilson had received before his appeal. In a highly contested sentencing, our team sought a non-custodial sentence, and the court agreed, ordering no prison time for Wilson and telling the prosecutors that with respect to the college admissions charges, "you fundamentally lost."
SEC v. Presto
Successfully obtained negligence-only, neither admit nor deny settlement with no financial penalties, and avoided all DOJ charges, in one of the first charged AI fraud cases.
Special Litigation Committee of the Board of Directors of a Fortune 25 company
Represented the Special Litigation Committee of the Board of Directors of a Fortune 25 company where the Board received a shareholder derivative demand that it commence proceedings against various officers, directors and external advisors in connection with addressing highly publicized transactions and financial reporting. We thoroughly investigated the allegations and advised the Special Committee with respect to its response to the shareholder demand.
Audit committee of a paper products and packaging manufacturer
Represented the audit committee of a US paper products and packaging manufacturer in an internal investigation into possible violations of company policies by senior executives regarding the reporting of corporate gift income.
Leading global financial institution
Represented a leading global financial institution in investigations by the French, UK, US and Asian regulatory authorities into the setting of LIBOR, EURIBOR and other benchmark rates.
Senior management of global financial institution
Represented senior management and business officials in connection with criminal and civil investigations by the US Department of Justice, New York District Attorney, New York Department of Financial Services and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York into OFAC and reporting violations of a foreign bank allegedly engaged in transactions with countries sanctioned by OFAC. Representation included Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) proceedings in the EU, and criminal law proceedings before US and New York State law enforcement agencies.
Private equity fund
Represented the Board of Directors of a US private equity fund in an internal investigation involving possible FCPA violations by the Latin American subsidiary of a US portfolio company.
Multinational conglomerate
Represented a publicly traded, multinational conglomerate in a global, risk-based FCPA compliance audit of operations in more than 70 countries and related internal investigations at numerous subsidiaries, including in the manufacturing services and healthcare sectors.
Multinational chemical company
Represented a US-based multinational chemical company in an investigation by the Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security into possible violations of the False Claims Act and US customs laws.
International commodities company
Represented a South America–based international commodities company publicly traded on US and foreign exchanges, in connection with a Securities and Exchange Commission accounting and reporting fraud investigation, Section 10b class action federal court proceedings and a home-country regulatory investigation.
Key contacts
Areas of focus
Related services
Global Elite Investigations Practice
GIR 100 2015 – present
Band 1: NY: Litigation: White Collar Crime & Government Investigations: Highly Regarded
Chambers USA 2026
Band 2: MA: Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations
Chambers USA 2026
Nationally Ranked Corporate Investigations & White Collar Criminal Defense Practice
Legal 500 US 2026
"This is a highly sophisticated team with exceptional experience and capabilities." Chambers USA – client quote
"White & Case has deep expertise and an excellent understanding. The team draws on wide-ranging expertise to connect dots across complex and entangled situations in insightful ways. " Chambers USA – client quote
White & Case LLP has an expert team frequently retained for its expertise in handling both internal and external investigations. Recommended for its strong cross-border capabilities. Serves a broad client base, while also offering particular experience in the energy industry. Chambers USA – editorial
Regularly called upon by both individuals and companies from industries including life sciences and financial services for sophisticated representation in criminal trials, appeals and investigations.
Chambers USA – editorial
"Fielding a 'very responsive and skilled' outfit, the White & Case LLP white-collar practice has extensive experience of handling multi-jurisdictional investigations brought by domestic and global enforcement authorities in relation to bribery, money laundering, and tax evasion. "
Legal 500 UK: Regulatory Investigations & Corporate Crime
"White & Case LLP has 'excellent breadth' in its white-collar and investigations team, frequently advising clients in multi-jurisdictional criminal investigations relating to data, money laundering, and regulatory matters. The firm draws on its network of international offices to provide guidance to c-suite executives, high-net-worth individuals, and politicians subjected to proceedings conducted by domestic and foreign enforcement agencies, including the SFO, US DOJ, and FCA. " Legal 500 UK: Fraud: White Collar Crime, Advice to Individuals
"White & Case has an expert team frequently retained for its expertise in handling both internal and external investigations. "
"The team is very strong on providing strategic advice. They understand what government agencies are likely to be focused on. "
Chambers USA – client quote
"They are really the people we are the most confident with, they provide us with the best service we can get. They are a global firm so they can provide advice in any jurisdiction where we are working, they have a client-oriented approach and they are just amazing in terms of timelines. "
"I turn to them for complex cases. They have expertise and they are one of the rare firms that takes a position on the subjects. The lawyers' conclusions and analysis give us a real direction to follow. "
Chambers Europe: France – client quote
