Practice Areas & Industries: Bracewell & Giuliani LLP

Practice/Industry Group Overview

Bracewell represents public and private corporations in investigations initiated by governments, law-enforcement entities and administrative agencies.  We help clients to conduct internal inquiries, design proactive compliance programs and respond to allegations of fraud.  Our attorneys work alongside corporate audit committees, boards of directors, senior management and general counsels to identify and resolve problems involving Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, disclosure obligations and special audit inquiries.  The investigations include special inquiries in response to accounting irregularities, conflicts of interest, self-dealing, embezzlements, financial reporting misstatements, theft of corporate assets and other fraud and misconduct allegations.

Services Available

We represent clients at every step of an investigation, and hold to the highest standards of professional discretion.  We determine the credibility of allegations, the severity of any wrongdoing, and the quantitative extent of potential damage.  Upon completion of our investigations, we prepare a legal plan of action including specific strategies for:

• Responding to the complainant
• Dealing with related employee issues
• Determining the actions of individuals, whether those actions were improper, and what remedial steps are necessary
• Advising officers and directors on their fiduciary responsibility
• Updating or correcting internal policies and controls
• Reporting the allegations, findings and results of the investigation to constituents, shareholders, and relevant state and federal regulatory and prosecutorial authorities
• Defending clients in potential litigation due to criminal conduct.