Praised for its ‘exceptional pool of former Department of Justice lawyers’, WilmerHale‘s group in white-collar defense and investigations acts for prominent corporations, especially in the tech, healthcare, and education sectors, as well as senior executives, public officials, and other individuals, in their responses to government enforcement actions. The team is also well-placed to advise on multijurisdictional investigations. Overseeing the practice, Kimberly Parker in Washington DC focuses on white-collar criminal matters, internal corporate investigations, and compliance counseling, Michael Leotta, also in DC, conducts internal investigations and represents corporations and individuals in white-collar criminal and regulatory enforcement matters, and New York-based Boyd Johnson is a go-to lawyer for high-stakes disputes. The team in New York also includes Howard Shapiro, a white-collar litigation veteran, and trial lawyer Robert Boone, who focuses on government and internal investigations, white-collar criminal defense, civil litigation and regulatory compliance, while Ronald Machen practices out of DC, specializing in government enforcement, as well as in corporate and congressional investigations. In Boston, key lawyers are Benjamin Conery, a specialist in government-facing litigation and investigations, and Amanda Masselam Strachan, who rejoined the firm in April 2025 from the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Legal 500 Editorial commentary
Testimonials
Collated independently by Legal 500 research team.
‘Wilmer has an exceptional pool of former Department of Justice lawyers and lawyers with specialized in niche areas. ’
‘George Varghese and Amanda Strachan are exceptional lawyers that are aggressive, zealous advocates while also practical.'
‘Wilmer Hale has an outstanding roster of former DOJ lawyers that understand legal issues and the current political environment.'
‘WilmerHale has a substantial range of knowledge and experience in all forms of corporate internal investigations, and how to use such investigations in the service of defending government inquiries. The firm is able to assemble teams to deploy swiftly, when needed, and provide counsel in crisis situations.’
- 'Claire Guehenno and Michelle Diamond are both very versatile partners who can handle a variety of different criminal, civil and internal matters.’
‘Wilmer has two core strengths. First, its partners are excellent counselors; many of them have substantial government experience, which is invaluable in the context of government investigations, both in offering perspective and in serving as effective advocates. Second, Wilmer has excellent non-partners, and knows how to utilize them to the benefit of its clients.'
Key clients
- Cummins
- National Football League Players Association
- New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability
- Gilead Sciences, Inc.
- Intralot S.A.
- Glencore International AG
- Meta Platforms, Inc
- New Jersey Office of Public Integrity and Accountability
- New York State Department of Corrections
- Gilead Sciences, Inc.
- Georgia Institute of Technology
- UnitedHealth Group Inc
Lawyers
Leading lawyers: Advice to corporates
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading lawyers: Advice to individuals
The strongest partners in their field, leading on market-leading deals and endorsed by peers and clients alike.
Leading associates
Leading associates with regular involvement in their team's key work, and recognition from peers or clients as being ones to watch.
Practice head
Kimberly Parker; Boyd Johnson; Michael Leotta
Other key lawyers
Howard Shapiro; Robert Boone; Ronald Machen; Benjamin Conery; Erin Sloane; Matt Jones; Aaron Zebley; Anjan Sahni; Preet Bharara; Jay Holtmeier; Brendan McGuire; Claire Guehenno; George Varghese; Amanda Masselam Strachan; Matthew D. Benedetto; Michelle Diamond