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The regulatory and enforcement environment for businesses becomes more complex and challenging every day. Lawmakers and prosecutors are increasingly aggressive in criminalizing business and financial activities. Often a single set of circumstances can create problems on multiple fronts, including criminal probes by state and federal authorities, civil investigations by regulatory agencies (such as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Food and Drug Administration or the Federal Communications Commission), and lawsuits by a wide variety of parties.

A criminal proceeding presents one of the biggest challenges any company or individual can face. Criminal proceedings disrupt lives and businesses, damage reputations, and threaten people with the loss of their assets – and even their liberty. People who receive a grand jury subpoena, search warrant, or notice of a criminal investigation need to respond quickly and effectively. They need attorneys who understand the complex maze of legal rules and procedures, understand how the government approaches criminal matters, and know how to protect clients’ interests.

Conrad O’Brien’s seasoned trial lawyers and former prosecutors guide clients through all aspects of a criminal proceeding. Led by Jim Rohn, the former First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and a prosecutor on the highly publicized “ABSCAM” case, Conrad O’Brien attorneys conduct internal corporate investigations for clients, represent both individuals and companies in grand jury investigations, and defend clients in any related criminal, civil, or administrative proceedings. Our clients include large and small companies, non-profit organizations, executives, professionals, elected officials, and corporate and public employees.

The collective experience of the firm’s lawyers extends to a wide variety of matters, including: antitrust; bank fraud; computer crimes; embezzlement; False Claims Act; false statements and perjury; Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; forfeiture; health care enforcement; insurance-related crimes; mail fraud; money laundering; obstruction of justice; public corruption; Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act; Sarbanes-Oxley Act compliance; state and federal securities laws; state and federal tax laws; and wire fraud.

Conrad O’Brien’s paramount goal in dealing with any government probe is to satisfy the government’s concerns and persuade it not to file charges against the firm’s clients. We have achieved remarkable success in this regard. Through our efforts, for example, the government has decided not to prosecute:

• An executive for a large pharmaceutical company in a case involving alleged misrepresentations to a government agency;
• The former CEO of a publicly traded financial services company in an investigation involving a multi-million dollar bank fraud;
• An individual client in a securities fraud investigation based on a claim of insider trading;
• Insurance company executives in an investigation into insurance sales practices;
• A former executive of a bankrupt lending company in an investigation of alleged accounting and bank fraud.

Conrad O’Brien’s approach is straightforward. We work closely with each client to develop a comprehensive picture of the client’s business, the factual context, the legal issues, the challenges the client faces, and other practical and human factors. We work with the government’s representatives, advocating for the client, identifying and addressing the government’s concerns, and responding promptly to requests for information. We know first-hand what the government is looking for and what factors it finds compelling, and our clients benefit from our reputation for integrity, candor and expertise.

Sometimes a criminal prosecution cannot be avoided, and when that happens, we provide a vigorous and effective defense. Whether we negotiate with prosecutors to obtain a result acceptable to clients or we proceed to trial, our years of experience as prosecutors and trial lawyers serve our clients well. Collectively, we have dozens of trials under our belts, and we are able to handle the most complex and difficult prosecutions.