Sandra Moser is a partner in Morgan Lewis’s white collar litigation and government investigations practice and former chief of the US Department of Justice’s (DOJ’s) Fraud Section in Washington, DC, which has exclusive jurisdiction over the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and routinely handles many of the world’s most significant economic crime cases. A veteran trial lawyer, she represents companies and executives in a wide range of matters involving the DOJ, US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), US Congress, and various other domestic and international enforcement agencies.
Sandra has obtained declinations from the DOJ’s FCPA Unit, the SEC, and the UK Serious Fraud Office for a global public company in one matter and a full dismissal of a False Claims Act (FCA) complaint for a public automotive technology supplier in another.
As chief of the DOJ’s Fraud Section, Sandra led a team of 150-plus white collar prosecutors and oversaw the FCPA Unit as well as the section’s healthcare, securities, and financial fraud prosecutions. She led, negotiated, or approved dozens of corporate enforcement resolutions, including global coordinated resolutions involving multiple domestic and foreign authorities, and played a key role in the selection and oversight of corporate monitors.
Sandra also helped develop and implement significant policy changes affecting corporate criminal enforcement throughout the DOJ, including the FCPA Corporate Enforcement Policy and various reforms to the Justice Manual. She has tried numerous cases to verdict and played a lead role in investigating and prosecuting many of the world’s largest financial institutions and their employees for manipulating the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and foreign exchange (FX) markets.
In addition to her deep background representing clients in matters related to the FCPA and other complex fraud, Sandra focuses on matters related to the FCA, securities, commodities, and anti-money laundering. She handles major corporate investigations and crises, including those involving #MeToo claims. Sandra represents companies, boards of directors, and senior executives in investigations, corporate crises, and litigation involving US federal and state governments and international enforcement agencies.
Sandra regularly speaks in the United States and abroad at forums addressing enforcement policies, trends, and priorities in the white collar space. She also guest lectures at academic institutions including Harvard Law School, Harvard Business School, and the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School.
Before joining Morgan Lewis, Sandra was a partner at another global law firm, where she co-chaired the investigations, government enforcement, and white collar criminal defense practice. Prior to serving the DOJ’s Fraud Section in various leadership positions, Sandra spent several years as an assistant US attorney in the District of New Jersey Special Prosecutions Division.
Results may vary depending on your particular facts and legal circumstances.
Recommended, Dispute resolution: Corporate investigations and white-collar criminal defense, The Legal 500 US (2024)
Ranked, FCPA, USA, Chambers Global (2024)
Ranked, Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, District of Columbia, Chambers USA (2023, 2024)
Ranked, FCPA, Nationwide, Chambers USA (2022–2024)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Litigation - Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy), Washington, DC (2022, 2023)
Listed, The Best Lawyers in America, Ones to Watch (2021)
Listed, Global Investigations Review, Top FCPA Practitioner (2021)
Member, White Collar Editorial Advisory Board, Law360 (2021–2023)
Listed, Best Lawyers – Best Law Firms, Best Lawyers in America, Litigation–Regulatory Enforcement (SEC, Telecom, Energy) (2020)
Listed, DCA Live, Emerging Women Leaders in Private Practice (2019)
Listed, Global Investigations Review, Top 100 Women in Investigations (2018)
Member, American Bar Association, Women in White Collar Subcommittee
Member, Women’s White Collar Defense Association, Monitor/Receiver Initiative Subcommittee
US Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service (2016)
US Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service (2014)
Assistant Attorney General for Exceptional Service Award (2014)
Articles Editor, Journal of Criminal Law & Criminology, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law (2002)
No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey. A description of the selection methodology for the above awards can be found here.