Congressional Oversight & Investigations Practice

Businesses, trade associations, and individuals have turned to Steptoe's congressional oversight and investigations team for decades. The firm has one of the premier Washington practices in this field, drawing on our depth of experience with high-profile matters, our substantive knowledge, our political acumen, and our understanding of congressional process. We are a go-to firm for everything from responding to an initial investigatory letter to preparing and defending our clients in nationally televised hearings. In many instances, our success involves keeping our clients out of the congressional eye altogether.

Changes in congressional control, committee leadership, and oversight priorities can rapidly alter an organization’s risk profile. We help clients monitor emerging areas of scrutiny, evaluate potential exposure, strengthen preparedness, and coordinate legal, government affairs, and communications strategies.

Our bipartisan team includes lawyers and advisors with deep roots in the House and Senate. This invaluable background means that our professionals are not only experienced in responding to congressional demands, but many also led or orchestrated such inquiries while serving on Capitol Hill. To further inform our counsel, the partnership also includes former senior officials from many government departments and agencies, including the Departments of Justice, Homeland Security, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and others.

We have served clients involved in investigations stemming from virtually every industry, including financial services and insurance, health care, telecommunications and the Internet, manufacturing, international trade, banking, energy and environment, food and drug, and other highly regulated industries. We work with clients to protect their legal position, reputation, business relationships, government-facing strategy, and long-term institutional interests.

Steptoe calibrates its approach to congressional oversight and investigations much like litigation. We master the facts and work with our clients to ensure that their businesses and reputations are protected in whatever proceedings ensue. At the same time, our lawyers are adept at working out solutions, even as we maintain our tenacity in protecting our clients' interests. The firm's deep bench and our experience in both civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense allow the firm to orchestrate a coordinated response to any parallel proceedings, such as enforcement actions.

Our clients benefit from the fact that we also represent businesses, trade associations, and individual clients on Capitol Hill on legislative matters on a day-to-day basis. Our portfolio includes representations before all of the major committees in the House and Senate. We counsel clients regarding legislative policy and procedure, advocate before the House and Senate, draft legislation and amendments, and work in all other facets of the legislative process. Those representations mean that we are in constant and close contact with the members and staff who are most heavily involved in oversight and investigations matters even when a client is not the subject of an inquiry.

Professionals

Jason Abel

Jason Abel leads both the Campaign Finance and Political Law and the Congressional Investigations practices at Steptoe, and is a member of the Government Affairs and Public Policy group. He advises...

Partner

Government Affairs & Public Policy, Campaign Finance & Political Law, Congressional Oversight & Investigations, Vetting & Government Ethics

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 6297

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Shannen W. Coffin

Shannen Coffin chairs Steptoe's Appeals and Advocacy practice. He frequently represents regulated businesses in trial and appellate courts in matters involving commercial disputes, constitutional and...

Partner

Government & Regulatory Litigation, Appeals & Advocacy, Congressional Oversight & Investigations, Energy Litigation

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 6255

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David M. Dailey

David Dailey draws on more than 20 years of experience on Capitol Hill advising on legislative, policy, and appropriations matters. He brings deep experience in legislative strategy, policy...

Of Counsel

Government Affairs & Public Policy, Congressional Oversight & Investigations, Appropriations

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 3761

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Dwight J. Draughon

Dwight Draughon defends corporations and individuals in white-collar criminal cases and government investigations, focusing on matters related to public corruption, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (...

Partner

White-Collar Defense, Independent & Internal Investigations, Congressional Oversight & Investigations, Education

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Brian J. Fleming

Brian Fleming is a deputy chair of Steptoe's International Trade and Regulatory Compliance group. He focuses his practice on matters at the intersection of national security and international trade,...

Partner

National Security & Cross-Border Transactions, Economic Sanctions, Export Controls, Independent & Internal Investigations

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 8158

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Matthew J. Flynn

Matthew is a seasoned attorney, strategic advisor, and military officer with extensive political experience and institutional knowledge. He focuses his practice on assisting clients with navigating...

Partner

Government Contracts, Congressional Oversight & Investigations, Government Affairs & Public Policy, Appropriations

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 3085

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Elizabeth Goodwin

As a member of Steptoe's Government Affairs & Public Policy group, Elizabeth Goodwin helps clients navigate complex public policy issues, political law matters, and congressional investigations. She...

Associate

Government Affairs & Public Policy, Campaign Finance & Political Law, Vetting & Government Ethics, Congressional Oversight & Investigations

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 1347

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Michelle Kallen

Michelle Kallen, the former Solicitor General of Virginia, co-chairs Steptoe's Appeals and Advocacy practice. Building on her deep administrative law knowledge and her experience in both state and...

Partner

Government & Regulatory Litigation, Appeals & Advocacy, Data Centers, Blockchain & Cryptocurrency

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 6415

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Patrick F. Linehan

Patrick Linehan's diverse practice focuses on representing corporate and individual clients in internal investigations, criminal investigations/trials and civil litigation. He has handled numerous...

Partner

White-Collar Defense, Cartels & Conspiracies, Independent & Internal Investigations, Securities Enforcement

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 8154

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Claire Rajan

Claire's cross-border practice includes representing multinational corporate clients in investigations, including government-facing and internal investigations relating to corruption, fraud, sanctions...

Partner

White-Collar Defense, Independent & Internal Investigations, Anti-Corruption/FCPA, Global Anti-Corruption Insights: FCPA Years in Review

Washington, DC
+1 202 429 6455

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Representative Matters

We have represented clients in all the major investigatory committees of the House and Senate, including: House Energy and Commerce; House Ethics/Office of Congressional Ethics; House Financial Services; House Committee on Oversight and Accountability; House Science, Space and Technology; House Ways and Means; Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs; Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation; Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs/Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations; and, Senate Judiciary.

Some of our more prominent engagements include:

Representing a major law firm in connection with its agreement with the Trump administration regarding pro bono and diversity.
Represented a contractor to the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6^th Attack on the Untied States before a Select Sub-Committee within the House Judiciary Committee.
Advising a major insurance company in connection with a congressional committee investigation.
Advising a global data and marketing services company responding to a request from the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Representing an online information organization in government inquiries concerning allegations related to content practices.
Advising an employee benefit fund regarding a House Committee on Education and the Workforce inquiry involving retirement assets and organized labor.
Representing nonprofit organizations in congressional investigations and hearings concerning the involvement of outside organizations in university campus issues.
Representing a policy organization in separate inquiries by the House Committees on the Judiciary and Homeland Security involving substantial political, operational, and reputational exposure.
Representing an individual in an inquiry conducted by the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
Representing an executive in government investigations and related civil litigation arising from the failure of a financial institution.
Representing a leading social media company in connection with House and Senate oversight hearings, including appearances by the company’s founder.
Representing investor-owned utilities in a House Energy and Commerce Committee investigation concerning implementation of environmental policy.
Representing an energy company in a House investigation concerning technology transfers.
Representing major corporations with respect to various aspects of COVID-19 response, including health and travel insurance matters, before the House Ways and Means Committee and the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
Represented prominent health care insurers with respect to regulation under the Affordable Care Act before the House Ways and Means Committee.
Represented high-ranking officials of the Trump Administration with respect to implementation of environmental policy before House Science Committee and the US Environmental Protection Agency's Inspector General.
Represented the nation's largest pharmaceutical distribution company in a high-profile House Energy and Commerce Committee opioid investigation.
Represented leading nuclear energy company in a House Committee on Oversight and Accountability investigation of technology transfers.
Represented an internet security company before the Senate Commerce Committee with respect to its involvement in a major consumer data breach.
Represented an online ticket marketer in a House Energy and Commerce investigation of its industry.