Focus Areas
- White Collar Investigations
- Government Investigations
- Workplace Investigations
Erica conducts timely and custom-fit investigations, specifically tailored to the client's business needs. She recognizes that a robust internal investigation may best serve a client, particularly where it diffuses the need for litigation, reveals helpful defenses, negates the basis for criminal charges, or assists a client with meeting its business objectives.
Erica also appreciates that certain companies and individuals are under increased scrutiny from the government and other possible litigants. If a white collar, government, or workplace investigation progresses to the point where a civil, criminal, or regulatory action is filed, Erica stands ready to defend you against the claims. She will also collaborate with you and your public relations team to ensure that your reputation remains intact.
White Collar Investigations
Erica specializes in internal investigations involving a wide range of white collar matters.
- Bribery
- Money Laundering
- OFAC Sanctions Program Violations
- Health Care and Other Fraud
- Embezzlement
- Extortion
- Campaign Finance Violations
- Public Corruption
She also investigates any ethics and corporate governance issues that arise during the course of an investigation.
Erica is well-versed in the relevant law governing various white collar offenses.
- Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX)
- Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA)
- Bank Secrecy Act (BSA)
- U.K. Bribery Act
- Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO)
Industry Experience
Erica has handled white collar internal investigations for multiple companies across different industries.
- Publicly traded Global Retail Company
- Multinational Pesticide Manufacturer
- Global Security and Aerospace Company
- Multinational Telecommunications Manufacturer
- Various Financial Institutions
Erica understands that businesses face distinct challenges that require a focused response. She conducts targeted investigations and provides custom-fit advice tailored to a client's specific needs.
Global Capabilities
Erica's investigations practice is global. She has substantial experience in five countries across North, Central, and South America. Erica spent considerable time in Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica, Mexico, and Nicaragua, where she investigated alleged corrupt business practices, ethics violations, and other employee misconduct that implicated the FCPA. Erica has first-hand knowledge of the complex jurisdictional issues and parallel criminal or enforcement proceedings that could arise from cross-border investigations.
Government Investigations
Erica is uniquely leveraged to counsel and advise clients who are either the target of or a witness in a government investigation. She has a singular focus, to protect and advance her client's interests through creative strategies and intense advocacy.
Erica understands the complexities of dealing with federal and state government agencies who have investigative, prosecutorial, or enforcement authority and uses this insight to the benefit of her clients. Erica has first-hand experience with the government's enforcement strategies, particularly the importance the government may attribute to certain facts and transactions as they evaluate which cases to charge and prosecute. Erica’s insight comes from her extensive experience negotiating the scope of civil investigative demands, subpoenas, and witness interviews with multiple government agencies.
- U.S. House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Department of Justice (DOJ)
- Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC)
- Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC)
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
- Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI)
- Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC)
Workplace Investigations
Erica also specializes in workplace investigations. She has extensive experience investigating a broad spectrum of labor and employment issues that may vex even the most conscientious employer.
- Discrimination, Harassment and Retaliation Claims
- Violence and Other Employee Misconduct
- Workplace Safety Issues
- #MeToo claims
- Whistleblower Allegations
- Fraud and Other Illegal Conduct
- Data Breaches
- Conflicts, Ethics, and Other Policy Violations
- Collective Bargaining Agreement Violations
For more than twenty years, Erica has provided a variety of employers custom-fit legal advice tailored to their specific business needs. Because of her strong labor and employment background, Erica is able to conduct complex and highly-sensitive workplace investigations for a broad range of clients, including corporations, educational institutions, unions, government agencies, athletics conferences, non-profit organizations and professional sports teams or leagues.
Erica conducts workplace investigations with a solution-driven approach. If the investigative findings warrant, she provides employers day-to-day counseling on how to mitigate circumstances that pose a risk of civil litigation, criminal prosecution, or regulatory oversight. Erica advises clients on a wide range of labor and employment issues.
- Discrimination
- Retaliation
- Harassment
- Disability Accommodations
- Artificial Intelligence
- Data Security
- Collective Bargaining
- Unfair Labor Charges
- Grievances
- Workplace Safety
- Workplace Violence
- Executive Terminations
- Separation Packages
- Hiring Practices and Policies
- Background Checks
- Job Classifications
- Independent Contractors
- Wage & Hour Issues
- Pay Equity
- Compensation Studies
- Whistleblower Allegations
- Performance Management
- Post-Covid Work Policies
- First Amendment Issues