Brian M. Heberlig

Partner

• bheberlig@steptoe.com
• vCard
• Washington Office

Brian M. Heberlig is a partner in the Washington office of Steptoe & Johnson LLP, where he is a member of the Litigation Department and heads the firm's White-Collar Criminal Defense practice group, which was named Law360 White-Collar Group of the Year for 2011.

Mr. Heberlig was recognized as one of Washington, DC's top 40 lawyers under 40 by The National Law Journal in 2009.  He currently serves as Co-Chair of the American Bar Association's White Collar Crime Subcommittee on Public Corruption and Extortion.

White-Collar Criminal Defense
Mr. Heberlig defends clients in both state and federal courts in pre-trial, trial, sentencing, and appellate proceedings.  Mr. Heberlig has represented corporate executives, public officials, and other individuals and entities in matters involving allegations of public corruption, securities and accounting fraud, campaign finance violations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, antitrust conspiracies, health care fraud, tax evasion, obstruction of justice, environmental crimes, and export violations.

Mr. Heberlig has also conducted internal investigations on behalf of corporate clients to examine allegations of criminal conduct and handled parallel civil proceedings arising out of criminal investigations, including multi-district securities fraud litigation, Congressional investigations, Securities and Exchange Commission enforcement proceedings, and Federal Election Commission matters.

Representative Matters

Mr. Heberlig has served as trial counsel in several high-profile cases, including the defense of former WorldCom CEO Bernie Ebbers on securities fraud charges, DC real estate developer Douglas Jemal on bribery and tax evasion charges, Naval Academy quarterback Lamar Owens at a general court martial, and DC Metropolitan Police Department homicide detective Erick Brown on obstruction of justice charges. 

Mr. Heberlig’s recent representations include a defendant in the FCPA "sting" investigation, former Congressman Richard Renzi, Congressman Pete Visclosky, a DOJ trial attorney in the Special Counsel investigation relating to the prosecution of former Senator Ted Stevens, and Control Components Inc. in a criminal FCPA matter.

Mr. Heberlig has also actively participated in the representations of a former Blackwater security guard, a former Audit Committee Chairman of Chiquita Brands International, a former General Counsel of Tyco, a former Chairman of the US House of Representatives Transportation Committee, the Republic of Kazakhstan, a City Councilman in Michigan, a former CEO of Firestone, two high-profile individuals prosecuted by the Department of Justice's Campaign Finance Task Force, a former Secretary of Agriculture, and an executive of Archer Daniels Midland. 

Noteworthy

• Named one of Washington, DC's top 40 lawyers under 40 by The National Law Journal 2009
• Named a Top Lawyer in Criminal Defense by Washingtonian magazine, 2009, 2011 
• Listed in Washington, DC Super Lawyers 2010-2011
• Named a Rising Star in White-Collar Defense by Law360 2011

Select News & Events

• Law360 Names Steptoe ‘White Collar Group of the Year’
• Washingtonian Names Nine Steptoe Partners ‘Best Lawyers’
• Media Quote Brian Heberlig on Prosecutor’s Return to DOJ Public Integrity Section
• Washington, DC Super Lawyers Honors Steptoe Attorneys
• Law360 Names Steptoe’s Brian Heberlig a Rising Star in White-Collar Defense
• Super Lawyers Honors 24 Steptoe Attorneys
• Brian Heberlig on Panel at Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court: Recovery and Use of Electronic Data, March 15, 2007
• Brian Heberlig on Panel at ABA White-Collar Crime Conference: Successful Strategies in Managing a White Collar Investigation, March 1, 2007
• Brian Heberlig on ABA Subcommittee's Tales from the Courtroom Panel, January 17, 2007
• Brian Heberlig on Panel at the Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court: Tips for Trying Complex Fraud Cases, November 17, 2005

Selected Publications

• The Lamar Owens Case: How Digital Evidence Contributed to an Acquittal in an Explosive Rape Case
  December 2007, The Computer & Internet Lawyer
• Getting Your Hands on the Internal Investigation: Use of the Criminal Discovery Rules to Obtain Material Critical to Trial Preparation
  March 1, 2007, ABA White Collar Crime Conference 2007 Course Materials
• Legal Opinion Letter: US v Kandirakis: A Bellwether Ruling on Sentencing Guidelines?
  November 3, 2006, Washington Legal Foundation
• Defense Witness Immunity Doctrine
  The Time Has Come To Give It Strength to Address Prosecutorial Overreaching
  June 2006, American Criminal Law Review
• Avoiding Disparities Between Sentences of Co-Defendants is a Legitimate Sentencing Goal
  April 7, 2006, Washington Legal Foundation
• Representing the General Counsel
  2004, Litigation Magazine

Professional Affiliations

• American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section, Co-Chairman, Public Corruption and Extortion Subcommittee of the White Collar Crime Committee (2008-2012)