Experience

- A prominent university in a highly publicized congressional investigation and university President’s testimony before the House Committee on Education & the Workforce related to issues of antisemitism on campus.
- The President of an Ivy League university in investigations by multiple congressional committees concerning antisemitism on college campuses.
- A multinational technology company with separate investigations by the House Judiciary Committee, the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and the House Ethics Committee.
- A multinational financial institution in an investigation by the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th attack on the United States Capitol.
- A multinational financial institution in response to an investigation by the House Financial Services Committee.
- A multinational financial institution in response to an investigation by the House Oversight Committee.
- A foreign sovereign wealth fund in an investigation by the Senate Finance Committee.
- A multinational ecommerce company in a criminal referral to the Department of Justice by the House Judiciary Committee.
- A government employee in an ongoing investigation by the Office of the Special Counsel.
- A former senior government official in an investigation by the House Judiciary Committee.
- The former CEO of a Fortune 20 financial institution in a hearing before the House Financial Services Committee and related document requests.
- J. Michael Pearson, the former CEO of Valeant Pharmaceuticals in Congressional investigations related to the company’s restatement and sales practices.
- Board of a major financial institution in responding to inquiries from the U.S. House Financial Services Committee.
- A global technology company and its former General Counsel in litigation involving encrypted data on a mobile device and related Congressional testimony before the House Judiciary Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
- A financial services company in responding to inquiries from the House Committee on Financial Services on fair lending and sales/financing activities.
- Multiple clients in responding to subpoenas from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations.
- A technology company in Senate and House Intelligence Committee investigations into the attempted manipulation of social media by foreign governments to influence elections.
- A technology company in a congressional inquiry related to the alleged use of private email servers by government personnel.
- A former senior executive of Fannie Mae in the review by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.
- JPMorgan Chase in inquiries from the New York Attorney General and Congress relating to executive compensation.
- A monoline insurance company in responding to a request by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission.
- A transportation services company in testimony before the House Select Committee investigating events relating to Hurricane Katrina.
- A trade association in Congressional testimony on the Volcker Rule and FSOC accountability issues.
- A technology company in Congressional inquiries regarding email usage data provided by an online search engine to Chinese government authorities.
- Global Crossing and more than 30 of its current or former officers, directors and employees in SEC enforcement proceedings and Congressional investigations, and in securities class action litigation, ERISA class action litigation and other commercial litigation in the Southern District of New York, all arising out of Global Crossing’s bankruptcy filing.

Debevoise attorneys understand that Congressional investigations carry a unique range of risks: they can result in misleading and unfair headlines, industry-changing legislation, career setbacks, regulatory enforcement actions, and criminal investigations. We also know that it takes a thoughtful and deliberate combination of legal skill, practical real-world experience, bipartisan credibility, and finely-tuned political judgment to respond effectively to inquiries from congressional committees and members of the House or Senate. In a battleground that can often appear to operate without any shared factual information, without any recognizable legal rules and procedures, and without any neutral arbiters of established precedent, it is critical for corporate clients and individuals to be represented by an experienced team of trusted advocates who can work across the aisle, behind the scenes, and in the eye of the camera, and who can negotiate the delicate balance between substance and personality as legal and factual arguments take shape and develop in a rapidly changing political environment.Debevoise attorneys have represented clients and served as senior congressional staffers in some of the most high-stakes, high-profile, and consequential inquiries of recent years, including investigations involving technology companies and election interference, financial institutions and complex cross-border transactions, and healthcare controversies Our practice handles complex legal and political challenges with attention to sensitive personal and corporate interests. Drawing on our bipartisan network, we negotiate with committee staff to reduce our clients’ exposure. When committees insist on public testimony, we prepare witnesses to navigate difficult partisan hearings. At all times, we tailor our clients’ messaging to the interests of individual members and the broader political landscape.Our dynamic practice draws on the experience of lawyers throughout the firm, allowing us to adapt quickly to the 24-hour news cycle and shifting Congressional goals. We rely on our proficiency in key industries and our top-tier regulatory defense capabilities to anticipate and manage collateral risks. With bipartisan experience serving at the highest levels of the federal government and behind the scenes for senior leaders in Congress, our team also has the political experience and judgment to engage successfully with stakeholders in both the legislative and executive branches. At each step of these proceedings, we work closely with our clients to develop creative and effective strategies for achieving their goals.

Congressional Investigations

Experience