Civil & Criminal Investigations
Bona Law assists clients in all types of antitrust and competition, criminal, civil, and regulatory matters, including government investigations, criminal prosecutions, cases brought by regulatory agencies, and internal investigations to respond to auditor inquiries or whistleblower complaints. We represent companies and individuals in investigations and prosecutions brought by both the Department of Justice and Federal Trade Commission, as well as state attorneys general and other government agencies. Our attorneys also have successfully represented clients involved in investigations and actions brought by competition law enforcement agencies in Mexico, Colombia, Brazil, Europe, and Asia.
Our experience extends beyond antitrust and competition and includes other white-collar criminal matters including healthcare fraud, money laundering, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
No matter what form the action takes, Bona Law can shepherd clients through the entire process, including responding to a subpoena or civil investigative demand (CID), conducting a confidential internal investigation, defending clients before the enforcer or agency as well as at trial, leniency, and appeals. We also represent clients in the follow-on private civil litigation that frequently follows criminal and regulatory matters.
We serve as lead counsel for companies in these matters, and can serve as independent attorneys for executives and employees who need separate counsel. We also co-counsel with other criminal defense attorneys who require antitrust law expertise.
Our attorneys have:
- Convinced the Mexican Department of Justice to revoke a $1 billion fine levied against an international telecommunications company for alleged abuse of dominance
- Represented a medical device company and its CEO in a DOJ investigation related to price fixing with no charges brought against our clients
- Defended criminal charges brought by the DOJ Antitrust Division, including price fixing and bid rigging charges, against the CEO of a major electronics manufacturer;
- Defended a Fortune 500 company in a DOJ Antitrust Division no poaching investigation, resulting in the closure of the investigation without charges;
- Defended a major foreign international consumer electronics manufacturer and its U.S. subsidiaries in multiple DOJ Antitrust Division investigations resulting in the closure of the investigations without charges;
- Defended a foreign international automotive component manufacturer and its U.S. subsidiaries in the DOJ Antitrust Division’s automotive parts investigation, resulting in the closure of the investigation without charges
- Defended a major corporation in an FTC investigation and follow-on competitor antitrust litigation that led to no action by the FTC and a defeat of the competitor at summary judgment.
- Represented a defendant against bid rigging charges brought by the DOJ Antitrust Division related to government auctions; and
- Obtained the withdrawal of a guilty plea for an executive charged with money laundering, ultimately resulting in the dismissal of all charges.
Finally, there may be situations in which a client’s interests are best served by convincing a federal or state agency to investigate or prosecute a particular practice of activity. Our attorneys have significant experience in working with the Department of Justice, the Federal Trade Commission, and state attorneys general to educate them about ongoing as well as incipient antitrust violations.