Moving between the public and private sectors, Bill Codinha has led some of the highest profile governmental investigations conducted in the past 20 years and now defends corporations and individuals caught up in similar investigations. Bill brings his unique and effective experience to the defense of all of his clients.
I leverage my years of experience defending individuals and corporations who are the subject of government investigations. As a prosecutor, I tried jury trials in all of the courts in Massachusetts and ran major investigations for the federal government in Washington, DC. Currently, I focus on the defense of investigations and cases brought by myriad federal agencies and United States Attorneys’ offices as well as investigations and cases brought by the various state attorneys general offices and various state offices of the Inspector General (OIG).
I spent five years in Washington, DC, as chief counsel to two Senate investigative committees. The first was leading the Senate Select Committee Vietnam POW/MIA investigation (the Kissinger hearings, leading to the ultimate reopening of normalized U.S./Vietnam relations after the Vietnam war) and next was as chief counsel to the Senate Banking Committee, leading the Whitewater investigation (involving President Clinton and the Madison Guarantee Trust). Relatively few lawyers have actual experience running these investigations, nor do they know the senators and congressman (and their aides who assist the committees) and thus do not know how to best defend their clients during the investigation. I, and others at NP, have this experience.
I’ve successfully defended clients against False Claims Act (FCA), civil and criminal securities fraud, and RICO as well as numerous other civil and criminal charges. I have defended domestic and international Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) cases, including foreign companies alleged to have committed U.S. securities fraud violations. I also recently defended a foreign citizen alleged to have committed U.S. Arms Export Control Act violations.
As the federal government has refocused many of its investigation priorities, the various state attorneys general offices and offices of the Inspector General have also become much more aggressive, routinely issuing Civil Investigative Demands and subpoenas requiring extensive discovery of potential wrongdoing. I recently defended a Fortune 75 company, located in Minnesota, against alleged bid rigging and false claims allegations. The risk assessment of potential damages to this multinational company could have run well into the billions of dollars had a prosecution and debarment occurred. The case was successfully resolved with no admission of liability.
Fundamentally, I remain a trial lawyer, having tried over 100 jury trials during the course of my career, from organized crime cases as a prosecutor, to civil trials obtaining multi-million-dollar verdicts for my clients. I have taught trial tactics and trial strategy locally and at the national level.
With the election of President Biden there will be a refocus by the federal government on regulatory offences as well as an enhanced focus by the DOJ on fraud cases. I expect the passage of the 2.2 trillion dollar CARES Act (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act), the largest stimulus package in U.S. history, and follow-on legislation, will engender numerous congressional, IG, and quasi-investigative commission investigations and prosecutions. If the past is precedent, we will see a robust investigative landscape involving CARES related cases for years to come. We will continue working with our clients to both avoid them being the target of these investigations and to successfully defend these cases should they be brought.
Law360 | May 20, 2021
This article, which profiles firms that have recently established State Attorneys General practices, features NP’s practice team and quotes team co-leader and Boston Government Investigations & White-Collar Defense partner Bill Codinha on the different skills required in this area and how our firm is responding to increased sophistication in investigations.
Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly | February 04, 2021
This feature article on the formation of NP’s State Attorneys General team quotes Boston Government Investigations & White Collar Defense partners Bill Codinha and Rob Fisher throughout the story on the team’s work both in Massachusetts and across the country. The article also quotes Litigation chair Scott O’Connell and mentions the team’s co-leaders, Affordable Housing & Real Estate partner Erica Buckley and Government Investigations & White Collar Defense partner Travis Hill, both in New York City.
Bloomberg Law | February 01, 2021
The launch of the firm’s State Attorneys General practice team is included in this roundup of notable legal news. The team is led by New York Affordable Housing & Real Estate partner Erica Buckley; New York partner Travis Hill and Boston partners Bill Codinha and Rob Fisher, of the Government Investigations & White Collar Defense group.
New York Law Journal | January 28, 2021
The launch of the firm’s State Attorneys General practice team is included in this roundup article of notable legal news. The team is led by New York Affordable Housing & Real Estate partner Erica Buckley; New York partner Travis Hill and Boston partners Bill Codinha and Rob Fisher, of the Government Investigations & White Collar Defense group.
Law360 | August 06, 2018
Government Investigations & White Collar Defense partner Bill Codinha and Complex Commercial Disputes associate Chris Queenin are mentioned in this story as counsel to telephone provider Paetec Communications Inc. in an ongoing matter regarding emergency dispatch surcharges paid to Massachusetts.
Boston University School of Law, J.D.
Ohio Wesleyan University, B.A.
Massachusetts
District of Columbia
U.S. District Court, District of Massachusetts
U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
