William J. Stuckwisch, P.C.
Overview
William Stuckwisch is a partner in Kirkland’s Washington, D.C., office. Bill focuses his practice on government and internal investigations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) enforcement matters and white collar criminal defense.
Experience
Representative Matters
Representative matters include:
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Represented global mining company in DOJ and SEC investigations of alleged FCPA violations in Africa resulting in DOJ declination and SEC administrative resolution.
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Represented multinational conglomerate providing high-tech products and services in the aerospace, building systems and other industries in DOJ and SEC investigations of alleged FCPA violations in multiple countries resulting in DOJ declination and SEC administrative resolution.
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Represented aerospace company in DOJ and SEC investigations of alleged FCPA violations in multiple countries resulting in declinations.
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Represented multinational technology and manufacturing company in DOJ and SEC investigations of alleged FCPA violations in Brazil resulting in DPA and SEC administrative resolution.
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Represented global pharmaceutical company in DOJ and SEC investigations of alleged FCPA violations in Eastern Europe resulting in declinations.
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Represented a multinational corporation in a DOJ investigation of alleged FCPA violations in connection with an infrastructure project in Africa resulting in declination.
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Currently representing corporate and individual clients in multiple government FCPA investigations.
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Served as the independent investigator appointed pursuant to a negotiated resolution agreement between the World Bank Group and a major multinational corporation with operations in more than 100 countries.
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Led numerous internal investigations for corporate and board clients into allegations of foreign bribery, accounting fraud, circumvention of internal controls, money laundering, expense fraud and other sensitive issues in numerous foreign and domestic jurisdictions.
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Defended the former CFO of a publicly traded company in criminal securities fraud prosecution.
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Defended former employee of international company in SEC accounting fraud investigation.
Bill also regularly advises publicly traded and other corporate clients on FCPA compliance and enforcement issues. He is a frequent speaker on such issues, having appeared at conferences sponsored by the American Bar Association, Practising Law Institute, and American Conference Institute, among others, and has published articles on FCPA enforcement issues.
Prior to joining Kirkland, Bill served as a federal prosecutor for eight years in several positions in the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. As Assistant Chief in the Fraud Section’s FCPA Unit for two years, he supervised approximately half of the department’s FCPA matters, as well as assisted in the development and implementation of FCPA enforcement policy, strategy and initiatives.
Bill was the lead prosecutor in numerous FCPA cases, including one of the largest FCPA matters ever — the investigation and prosecution of five major U.S. and foreign corporations and several individuals for a scheme to bribe Nigerian government officials in connection with the Bonny Island liquefied natural gas plant construction project. He also supervised or prosecuted over two dozen of the department’s other corporate FCPA cases, which spanned a wide range of industries and countries.
Previously, Bill served as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, where he advised and assisted the head of the Criminal Division on corporate fraud, securities fraud, FCPA and other white collar criminal matters and enforcement initiatives. Earlier, he served as a senior trial attorney in the Fraud Section, where he investigated and prosecuted FCPA, securities fraud, public corruption, tax, money laundering and other complex white collar crime cases.
Prior to joining the Department of Justice, Bill was with O’Melveny & Myers LLP in Washington, D.C., where he defended corporations and individuals in white collar matters, conducted internal investigations, and litigated antitrust and other complex civil cases.
Clerk & Government Experience
Law ClerkHonorable Emmett Ripley CoxUnited States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit1995–1996
Prior Experience
U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Washington, D.C.
Assistant Chief, FCPA Unit, Fraud Section, 2010–2012
Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General, 2009–2010
Senior Trial Attorney/Trial Attorney, Fraud Section, 2004–2009
O’Melveny & Myers LLP, Washington, D.C.
Counsel, 2002–2004; Associate, 1996–2001
More
Recognition
Recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA, America’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2015–2023) (“Tremendous talent,” “highly experienced in FCPA enforcement and is a go-to attorney for internal and external investigations,” “always accessible, very calm and thoughtful in his advice,” “the credibility he has in the relationship with regulators provides a marked advantage if you have a complex and difficult DOJ issue.”)
Recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers Global, The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business (2016–2023) ("an incredibly smart, diligent and conscientious lawyer with an encyclopedic knowledge of the FCPA and its precedents.”)
Recognized as a leading investigations lawyer by Global Investigations Review
Recognized by Super Lawyers magazine as a “Washington, D.C. Super Lawyer” (2016–2023)
Recognized by The Legal 500 U.S. (2014)
Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Service (2009)
Assistant Attorney General’s Award for Safeguarding and Maintaining Confidence in the American Marketplace (2007)
Department of Justice Special Achievement Awards (2006, 2009–2011)
Department of Justice Meritorious Awards (2005, 2007–2008)
Barrister, Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court
Credentials
Admissions & Qualifications
- 1996, Virginia (inactive)
- 1998, District of Columbia
Courts
- Supreme Court of the United States
- United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
- United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin
- United States District Court for the Central District of Illinois
Education
- University of Virginia School of LawJ.D.1995
- University of VirginiaB.A., International Relations1990