Congressional Investigations
Navigating congressional investigations requires a rare blend of legal acumen and political savvy. Drawing on decades of government service, Morgan Lewis’s congressional investigations team helps companies and individuals to devise strategies for managing competing legal and political considerations while minimizing reputational risk from these often-very-public proceedings. Every member of our team has previously served in the US government, testified before Congress, or handled responses to congressional inquiries and subpoenas. Our first-hand knowledge of what it’s like to be in the “hot seat” means we can provide our clients targeted, real-world advice that approaches congressional inquiries from all angles.
We help targets of congressional investigations or other governmental inquiries to assess the nature and scope of the inquiry; prepare for in-person testimony; and limit related civil, criminal, or administrative exposure. We also help manage parallel investigations involving other federal and state executive branch enforcement agencies, including state attorneys general; shareholder litigation or whistleblower claims; the legal aspects of crisis communications and managing public relations concerns. We remain forward-thinking, factoring in potential post-testimony issues to limit the risk of information shared before Congress being used against our clients in litigation. Our clients also benefit from our ability to draw upon the talents and resources of lawyers in our white collar litigation and government investigations and Washington strategic government relations practices to ensure a full-scale, insightful, industry-focused approach.
With many of our lawyers returning to our firm after serving in the highest levels of government, we maintain strong relationships with government agencies and regulators. Our bipartisan congressional investigations team routinely represents clients before a wide range of Senate and House committees, subcommittees, and offices, including the following:
- Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI)
- Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE)
- Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
- Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP)
- House Committee on Education and the Workforce
- House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- House Energy and Commerce Committee