Strasburger / Practice / White Collar Crime

NATIONAL LEVEL EXPERTISE

In the wake of recent headline-grabbing corporate scandals, executives across the country have become acutely aware of the perilous position in which errant business practices can put their organizations — and themselves. Unfortunately, businesses are discovering that business practices, once routine and accepted, are now becoming the targets of federal criminal prosecutions. To make things worse, new legislation, including the recently enacted Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, and expanding judicial interpretations, have both criminalized conduct previously believed legal and greatly increased the criminal penalties for such conduct. Furthermore, businesses and executives who find themselves in a web of criminal charges discover that the charges are only part of the story; they also face potentially severe restitution orders and other financial penalties.

Companies desiring to protect themselves from these horrors face difficult and complex problems, and require the assistance of counsel fully experienced in all areas of federal white collar crime.

STRASBURGER & PRICE, LLP

Strasburger attorneys have a national level of experience in white collar crime, particularly in criminal tax, antitrust, and related areas. Attorneys in Strasburger's white collar crime group have extensive experience in all aspects of criminal defense from investigation to trial and beyond, as well as advising businesses on compliance programs to avoid problems in the first place. Strasburger's attorneys moreover have a national reputation in this field. The team has handled cases involving criminal tax fraud, antitrust, money laundering, RICO, healthcare fraud, securities fraud, mail fraud, Customs violations and conspiracy charges, among others.

The team has also represented professionals, such as doctors, lawyers, accountants, bankers, officers of major healthcare providers and political figures, facing criminal investigations and trials.

Strasburger provides experienced and sophisticated counsel at every step of the way, from investigation through the trial and any necessary appeals, including representation in summons and grand jury subpoena compliance, Department of Justice review, pretrial motions, criminal trials, sentencing, and post-trial motions and appeals. The team also handles civil consequences, including forfeitures, restitution orders, civil debarment proceedings and defending against loss of professional licenses. A sample of Strasburger's cases include:

Obtaining Justice Department declinations to prosecute corporate and individual clients in numerous criminal tax investigations.

Acquittals of a banker charged with money laundering an accountant in a criminal tax shelter case, an attorney charged with filing false tax returns, and a businessman and spouse charged with filing false tax returns.

Defense of numerous cases involving alleged Title 18 violations, including mail fraud, bank fraud, securities, RICO and conspiracy.

Defense of numerous cases involving state crimes.

Obtaining a Presidential pardon for the owner and operator of a money exchange convicted as a result of an IRS sting operation.

STRASBURGER'S WHITE COLLAR CRIME TEAM

Strasburger's white collar crime team draws upon the varied experiences of its individual members in both public and private practice. Collectively, they have represented clients at all levels of industry and government. The attorneys on the team have held prominent roles in a variety of legal and professional associations and have spoken and published widely on white collar crime and related matters.

		CHAD MULLER, Partner – Team Leader Mr. Muller is a former litigator for the Criminal Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, Tax Division, where he prosecuted several major cases against national corporations and received the John Marshall Award, the Department's highest award, for the trial of complex litigation. Mr. Muller was the chair of the ABA Tax Section Committee on Civil and Criminal Tax Penalties, and the ABA Penalties Task Force. He has served as a member of the Department of Justice, Tax Section Advisory Committee, the Commissioner's Advisory Group and the IRS Integrity Review Panel. Mr. Muller is a frequent speaker and author on criminal tax and related areas and is listed in Best Lawyers in America. Mr. Muller is based in Strasburger's San Antonio office, and he can be reached at 210.250.6003 or at chad.muller@strasburger.com.
		FARLEY KATZ, Partner Farley Katz served as an attorney with the Appellate Section of the U.S. Justice Department, Tax Division. Mr. Katz has handled over 100 cases in the federal and state appellate courts and has more than 45 reported appellate opinions. Mr. Katz has extensive experience briefing and arguing criminal issues at both the trial and appellate levels, including prosecutorial misconduct, constitutional issues, suppression, substantive statutory issues, money laundering, and sentencing and restitution issues. Mr. Katz is a frequent speaker and author on tax law and is the author of the civil fraud and criminal tax fraud chapters in CCH's Federal Tax Service. He is listed in Best Lawyers in America. Mr. Katz is based in Strasburger's San Antonio office, and he can be reached at 210.250.6007 or at farley.katz@strasburger.com.
		JOHN PINCKNEY, Of Counsel John Pinckney served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas and has tried more than 160 jury cases to verdict. Mr. Pinckney is Board Certified in Criminal Trial Law and has represented corporations and individuals during federal and state investigations and trials in a great variety of cases. Mr. Pinckney is based in Strasburger's San Antonio office, and he can be reached at 210.250.6002 or at john.pinckney@strasburger.com.
		LAURA SANDERS, Financial Investigator* Laura Sanders, the Team's Financial Investigator, is a former IRS Special Agent with numerous government awards to her credit. Ms. Sanders is a Certified Fraud Examiner and has extensive experience in criminal investigation, reconstruction of financial transactions, and testifying as an expert and summary witness. Ms. Sanders is based in Strasburger's San Antonio office, and she can be reached at 210.250.6020 or at laura.sanders@strasburger.com.