AttorneysEd Center

Bill Lawler represents corporations, organizations, government entities, and individuals in high-stakes, high-profile matters in federal and state courts and before regulatory agencies and Congress.

His practice focuses on government enforcement actions and his clients’ response to and interactions with them. The specific subject of the actions can vary—as different administrations in the United States and jurisdictions abroad prioritize different types of enforcement—but include the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”), criminal antitrust, healthcare fraud, public corruption, campaign finance, and other white collar crime issues.

Bill also represents and advises a broad range of clients, including corporate boards, audit committees, and management, on business and operational issues such as acquisitions, financings, risk evaluation and mitigation, and internal investigations.
Throughout his career, Bill has tried more than 70 jury cases to verdict, has had 15 appellate arguments, and has conducted hundreds of grand jury and motions proceedings. He has had matters in 37 U.S. states and more than 30 countries. His experience gives him insight into the nuances and developments in enforcement approaches and actions around the globe.

Prior to joining private practice, Bill served as the assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia (1989–1996).

Jane Thomas concentrates her practice on insurance recovery and a wide range of general litigation matters.

During law school, Jane served as a paralegal for the Department of Justice’s Environmental Tort Litigation Civil Division, sanctions consultant for a Washington, D.C.-based law firm, and law clerk for Break the Cycle. She also held numerous legal internships for the Department of Health and Human Services. In addition, Jane was a senior staff member of the Federal Circuit Bar Journal and involved in the Domestic Violence Project Clinic. She was also a member of the Student Bar Association and South Asian Law Students Association.

Jane is fluent in Malayalam.

Shawn M. Wright is a litigator who concentrates her practice in the area of white collar criminal defense, with a specific focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and international anti-corruption laws; criminal antitrust; public corruption; government contracts matters; and complex civil litigation matters. She represents corporations, boards of directors, and corporate executives in a wide range of internal and government investigations, audits and risk assessments, parallel proceedings, and complex commercial litigation. She regularly appears before enforcement agencies and bodies such as the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”), Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), and other regulatory authorities.

Shawn’s practice includes internal compliance program development for the FCPA, including establishing workplace compliance policies and procedures, due diligence in mergers and acquisitions, third-party relationships, and other transactions. She also conducts internal investigations and provides counsel on violations of the Department of Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”).

Additionally, she represents companies and nonprofit organizations and their boards of directors in various matters involving corporate governance, compliance, and internal controls issues. As a litigator, Shawn has represented individuals and corporations in state and federal courts throughout the country on a variety of criminal and civil matters.