Ann Mason Rigby is counsel in the Washington, D.C. office and a member of the White Collar & Regulatory Enforcement Group. Her practice focuses on the representation of corporate and individual clients in criminal litigation, in criminal, regulatory, congressional, and internal investigations, and in related civil matters. She has defended clients under investigation for or charged with manipulation of commodities prices, violation of antitrust laws, violation of mine safety laws, securities fraud, tax fraud, conspiracy, wire fraud, obstruction of justice, and federal narcotics and firearms offenses. Ann also has represented corporations in civil matters, including civil forfeiture actions, False Claims Act qui tam litigation, contract disputes, and copyright infringement litigation.
Representative cases include:
· Defense of former senior trader at public energy corporation charged with criminal conspiracy to manipulate commodities prices.
· Defense of major private energy corporation in parallel investigations by federal prosecutors, regulators, and multiple congressional committees.
· Defense of major public energy corporation in congressional investigation.
· Defense of foreign private airline company in U.S. and E.U. investigation into price fixing in the air cargo industry.
· Defense of individual charged with federal felony narcotics and firearm offenses.
· Defense of individual in criminal and congressional tax shelter investigation.
· Defense of individual in parallel investigations by federal and state prosecutors and regulators, and multiple congressional committees.
· Defense of private company in parallel federal grand jury and civil investigations of potential False Claims Act violations.
· Representation of foreign corporation in False Claims Act qui tam litigation.
· Representation of individual claimants in civil forfeiture action related to major narcotics conspiracy investigation.
· Representation of public telecommunications company in multiple licensing disputes.
Ann received her law degree in 2003 from the William and Mary School of Law, where she served as the Senior Notes Editor for the William and Mary Law Review and as a member of the William and Mary Journal of Women and the Law. She graduated from the University of Virginia in 1999 with a B.A. in American Politics.
Before joining Crowell & Moring in 2004, Ann served as a law clerk to the Honorable G. Kendall Sharp, Senior United States District Judge for the Middle District of Florida.
Ann is admitted to practice in Washington, D.C. and New York.
Other Affiliations
Co-chair, ABA Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee, Young Lawyers' Subcommittee (2010-2012)
Publications
· "Critical Issues in the Law of Civil and Criminal Liability Under the Mine Act," Energy & Mineral Law Foundation 31st Energy & Mineral Law Institute (May 2010). Co-Authors & Co-Presenters: Bridget E. Littlefield and Ann Mason Rigby.
· "The Government's Overlooked Weapon in Protecting the Public Fisc: Dismissals Under 31 U.S.C. § 3730(c)(2)(A)," ABA 7th Annual National Institute on the Civil False Claims Act and Qui Tam Enforcement (June 2008). Co-Authors: Brian C. Elmer, Andy Liu and Ann Mason Rigby.
Alerts & Newsletters
· "Latest False Claims Act Developments Further Erode Safeguards Against Parasitic Whistleblower Suits," Government Contracts Bullet Points (March 31, 2010). Contacts: Brian C. Elmer, Andy Liu, Ann Mason Rigby.
· "Mitigating the Risk of Subject-Matter Waiver When Disclosing Privileged Materials to the Government," White Collar Alert (October 16, 2009). Contacts: Stephen M. Byers, Ann Mason Rigby.
· "Decision Could Limit Work Product Protection for Cooperating Companies," White Collar Alert (July 13, 2009). Contacts: Thomas A. Hanusik, Stephen M. Byers, Ann Mason Rigby.
· "DOJ Issues Revised Guidelines on Corporate "Cooperation" Hours After Second Circuit Finds Prior DOJ Policies Unconstitutional," White Collar Alert (August 29, 2008). Contacts: Stephen M. Byers, Philip T. Inglima, Ann Mason Rigby.
Speaking Engagements
· "Responding to Investigations and Enforcement Actions by Regulatory Agencies," Crowell & Moring Product Risk Management Seminar (October 19, 2011). Moderator: Ann Mason Rigby. Panelists: Mark Josephs (United States Department of Justice); Phil Inglima.
· "Proffers, Queen For a Day and Asserting the Fifth," 25th Annual White Collar Crime Institute, ABA Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee (March 2011). Panel Moderator: Ann Mason Rigby.
· "It's 12 o'clock. Do You Know Where Your Federal Investigators Are?" The ABA Criminal Justice Section Presentation (July 2009). Moderator: Ann Mason Rigby.