WilmerHale placed second in Global Investigations Review’s (GIR) annual ranking of the world’s 30 leaders for investigations, with the Outstanding Career Award bestowed upon New York-based Senior Counsel Roger Witten. GIR is a news source focused on the law and practice of international investigations.
For the fifth consecutive year, the firm has been ranked among the top three on GIR’s list of the world’s most accomplished investigations practices. This year’s rankings were announced at GIR’s awards dinner on October 24 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington DC.
In a write-up of the firm, GIR lauded WilmerHale’s continued strength in investigations: “WilmerHale is one of the heaviest hitters in the white-collar market with a sustained record of acting in the largest and most complex of cases. The firm has only enhanced its reputation in the last year by achieving favourable results for individuals in two high-profile SFO investigations.”
GIR notes that WilmerHale has advised on more FCPA settlements than virtually all other firms since 2008, highlighting the firm’s representation of Panasonic Avionics in its $280 million FCPA settlement with the Department of Justice.
GIR also pointed to the large number of lawyers, exceeding 100, at the firm with government experience, many who previously held senior level positions at the Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission. It is noted that Robert Mueller, who left the firm in 2017 to lead an investigation into Russian interference, rejoined the firm in October 2019.