Roderick L. Thomas

Rod is a former federal prosecutor who specializes in criminal and civil government investigations and litigation, internal investigations, civil fraud allegations, and congressional investigations. He served more than 10 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Washington, DC, in both the Criminal and Civil Divisions, and was lead counsel on numerous criminal and civil trials. He routinely represents clients in internal investigations, False Claims Act (FCA) and qui tam matters, investigations related to government contracts and grants, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) matters, subpoenas and civil investigative demands, congressional investigations, health care fraud and food and drug investigations, ethics issues, whistleblower claims, and parallel criminal and civil investigations.

Representative Experience

Rod represents companies, executives, and public officials in a range of investigative, litigation, and compliance matters.

Corporate Clients:

• Routinely represents companies in connection with procurement fraud, FCA, FCPA, Anti-Kickback Act, and other civil and criminal fraud allegations and issues.
• Frequently represents grand jury and administrative subpoena matters, civil investigative demands, internal investigations, and government investigations.
• Routinely represents government contractors on alleged fraud matters and compliance, training, and policies.
• Represents public companies in FCA investigations and litigation related to alliance agreements, kickbacks, defective pricing, and cost accounting claims.
• Counseled a global public company in relation to FCPA issues.
• Counseled a large telecommunications provider in qui tam litigation related to alleged improper billing.
• Counseled an audit committee of a large provider of pharmaceutical care in an internal investigation.
• Represented a large health care management company in relation to allegations under the FCA. 
• Represented a telecommunications services provider involved in Federal Communications Commission (FCC), U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigations.
• Counseled a company in relation to an Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE) investigation.
• Represented an engineering construction maintenance procurement company in FCA litigation.
• Represented a government contractor in relation to civil and criminal allegations by the Defense Logistics Agency and DOJ.
• Acted as counsel in investigations by the Office of Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) and Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction (SIGIR).
• Performed an internal investigation on behalf of a communications company related to FCC and compliance issues. 
• Routinely counsels clients in connection with potential voluntary and mandatory disclosures.
• Counseled a global media and entertainment company in relation to compliance issues.
• Performed an internal investigation and compliance for large public company related to gifts, gratuities, and conflicts of interest.
• Represented a global insurance company in relation to a grand jury investigation.
• Counseled a health care services organization in connection with a congressional investigation.
• Frequently represents aerospace, shipping, consulting, IT, manufacturing, and other government contractors in criminal and civil investigations.

Individual Clients:

• Represented a U.S. Congressman in relation to allegations of false statements and disclosures.
• Represented a director and officer of a pharmaceutical company in U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), DOJ, and SEC investigations.
• Routinely represents employees of companies or other individuals involved in inspector general or other government investigations.
• Counseled a White House official in Office of Special Counsel investigation.
• Represented an ambassador in relation to alleged false financial disclosures.
• Represented a senior White House official in connection with allegations of false statements and obstruction.
• Counseled a senior government official on alleged Hatch Act violations.
• Routinely represents individuals who have received a subpoena, civil investigative demand, and other criminal and civil requests for information, interviews, or testimony.

Non-Profit Clients:

• Counseled a public university in connection with an internal investigation.
• Represented a non-profit in relation to investigation by state attorney general.
• Counseled a large scientific trade association in relation to a congressional investigation.
• Represented a trade association in relation to due diligence issues.
• Counseled a television broadcaster in connection with a government investigation.
• Represented a non-profit in relation to a grand jury subpoena in a public corruption matter.

U.S. Attorney's Office:

• Lead counsel on more than 40 criminal and civil trials.
• Lead counsel in complex criminal and prosecutions, including an investigation that involved more than two dozen federal and state authorities in nine states. Complex investigations have involved substantial experience in grand jury and administrative subpoenas, wiretaps, search warrants, and other law enforcement methods.
• Briefed and argued numerous cases and motions before federal trial and appellate courts.

Professional Experience

• Assistant U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, Criminal and Civil Divisions (1994-2005)
• Litigation associate, large Washington, DC law firm (1990-1994)

Affiliations

• American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section, White Collar Crime Committee
• American Bar Association, Section of Public Contract Law
• Board Member and Officer, Assistant United States Attorneys’ Association for the District of Columbia
• Board Member and Officer, William B. Bryant Inn of Court
• The Barristers

Recognitions

• Named by The Legal 500 US a "recommended lawyer" in Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense (2019)
• Named to Law360's Government Contracts Editorial Advisory Board (2018, 2019)