Profile

Ralph is a trusted advisor and advocate for clients, navigating their most sensitive and high-stakes matters. From members of Congress and Executive Branch officials, to senior executives and corporations of all sizes, he represents clients facing significant legal issues and helps them navigate complex criminal and civil government enforcement actions, corporate internal investigations, and political and congressional investigations. A former federal prosecutor, Ralph develops and executes legal strategies on behalf of clients in cases involving health care fraud, the False Claims Act (FCA), antitrust, contract, grant, and procurement fraud, bribery, election law violations, securities fraud, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and environmental crimes. He represents clients across all industries, including hospitals, medical device and pharmaceutical companies, lobbyists, non-profit organizations, defense contractors, manufacturers, and political action committees.

Ralph garners widespread praise from his peers. Chambers USA recognizes him as being “effective, passionate, smart and thoughtful” (2022) and "cares passionately about his clients (2020). Ralph is chair of the firm’s White Collar and Litigation practice groups and is a member of the firm's Executive and Management Committees.

Experience

Representative Matters

  • Represented hospitals, defense contractors, and medical device manufacturers in FCA investigations.
  • Represented several high-level executives in a range of industries in FCPA investigations, criminal antitrust investigations, and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations.
  • Represented companies and executives in criminal investigations relating to off-label marketing of medical devices.
  • Represented generic drug manufacturers in government pricing investigations.
  • Representation of government contractors in criminal antitrust investigations related to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) 8A program.
  • Represented lead smelter in criminal environmental, OSHA and EPA enforcement matters.
  • Defended an antitrust investigation of the nation's largest privately held scrap metal company.
  • Represented numerous individuals in public corruption investigations, including a U.S. Senator, Members of the U.S. House of Representatives, Executive branch officials, and lobbyists.
  • Represented several nonprofit corporations in internal investigations involving allegations of board and management misconduct.
  • Routinely represents companies in connection with procurement fraud, FCA, FCPA, Anti-Kickback Act, and other civil and criminal fraud allegations and issues.
  • Representation of corporate and individual clients in Senate and House congressional investigations.
  • Representation of government contractors in investigations related to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) set-aside program.

Professional Experience

  • Assistant U.S. Attorney, United States Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia (1990-1995)
    • Focused on the investigation and prosecution of white collar criminal matters.
    • Prosecuted numerous jury trials in both the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and argued appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit and the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
    • Recipient of Special Achievement Awards from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) for his work as a prosecutor and special commendations from the U.S. Secret Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for his successful prosecution of complex financial fraud cases.

Affiliations

  • American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee
  • Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court
  • William B. Bryant Inn of Court
  • Board of Directors, Fordham University Club of Washington, DC
  • Course Advisor, Effective Prosecution of Financial and Cyber Crime, International Law Institute
  • Board Member, Washington Legal Foundation, Legal Policy Advisory Board
  • Member, Washington Tennis & Education Foundation (WTEF), Board of Directors
  • Out-of-State, Post 2, Board of Governors, State Bar of Georgia (2012-2014)
  • Assistant United States Attorneys' Association for the District of Columbia
    • President (2002, 2012)

Recognitions

  • Included in Benchmark Litigation guide as a "Litigation Star" (2023-2024) and as a "National Practice Area Star" (2024)
  • Listed by Chambers USA as one of “America's Leading Lawyers for Business” in Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (2014-2023)
  • Included in The Best Lawyers in America directory for Criminal Defense: White-Collar Law (2009-2022, 2024) and FDA Law (2018-2022)
  • Recognized in The Legal 500 US in Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense (2019-2023)
  • Named a “Top Lawyer” in White Collar Criminal Defense by Washingtonian Magazine (2020, 2022)
  • Named one of DC's “Super Lawyers” for Criminal Defense: White Collar by Super Lawyers magazine (2007-2009, 2013-2020, 2022-2023)
  • Received 2015 Burton Award for Distinguished Legal Writing
  • Named a “Life Sciences Star” for outstanding Government Enforcement/Investigation work in Euromoney's LMG Life Sciences (2015-2018)

Credentials

Education

J.D., Georgetown University Law Center

B.A., summa cum laude, Fordham University; Phi Beta Kappa

Bar and Court Memberships

  • District of Columbia Bar
  • Florida Bar
  • Georgia Bar
  • New York Bar

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