Congressional Investigations

Clients facing hearings and investigations before the US Congress call on Jenner & Block’s bipartisan Congressional Investigations team for our extensive experience in preparing witnesses for, and defending, depositions and interviews, as well as managing the response to information requests and subpoenas. We regularly guide clients through the unique challenges of Congressional hearings, from intensive witness preparation and mock sessions to strategic messaging and engagement with key stakeholders. Often our clients face simultaneous legal inquiries across many different forums, including litigation and regulatory actions, on the same subject that Congress is investigating or legislating–therefore, we provide clients with a comprehensive strategy to address the issues across proceedings. Because these investigations frequently do not happen in a vacuum, we devise 360-degree strategies for clients to mitigate and anticipate related risks and handle parallel proceedings, such as civil actions, criminal and regulatory investigations, and business reputation attacks.

Our bipartisan team has a unique blend of experience—as congressional staff, as government lawyers, and in private practice—responding to some of the most high-profile congressional investigations and hearings in recent memory. With leadership drawn from the House, Senate, and Executive Branch, our team offers clients a rare 360-degree perspective—enabling them to navigate today’s scrutiny and tomorrow’s political shifts with confidence.

Congressional Investigations Require Specialized Counsel

The media landscape and congressional oversight tactics and strategy have changed dramatically in recent years. Our bipartisan Congressional Investigations team leverages deep experience with how congressional committees conduct investigations and apply pressure, including the unique norms and enforcement procedures wielded by different committees and Members of Congress, all with a view to the importance of the surrounding political and regulatory landscape. Our team knows how Members of Congress and congressional staffers pursue their inquiries and maximize the tools at their disposal, informing the strategic options available in response to an investigation, ranging from document negotiation, to proactive communications strategy, to litigation. Jenner’s Congressional Investigations team includes former government officials who understand how Congress leverages its oversight tools in today's complex political environment, including:

• • Emily Loeb, Co-Chair, Congressional Investigations Practice; Co-Chair, Government Controversies and Public Policy Litigation Practice; Former Associate Deputy Attorney General at the US Department of Justice; Former Associate White House Counsel 
  • Ashley Callen, Co-Chair, Congressional Investigations Practice; Former General Counsel to Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA); Former General Counsel to Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA); Former Deputy Staff Director for the Oversight and Government Reform Committee; Former Chief Oversight Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee
  • Matt Klapper, Co-Chair, Congressional Investigations Practice; Co-Chair, Global Crisis Management and Strategic Risk Practice; Former Chief of Staff to a US Senator; Former Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor to the Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice
  • Jon Skladany, Partner; former Special Counsel to the House of Representatives Task Force on the Attempted Assassinations of Donald J. Trump; former Republican Chief Counsel for Oversight to the House Committee on Financial Services, and former Republican Staff Director and Chief Policy Counsel to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
  • Tom Perrelli, Firm Chair; Co-Chair, Government Controversies and Public Policy Litigation Practice; Co-Chair, State Attorneys General Practice; Former Associate Attorney General of the United States

360-degree Approach to Preparing Clients

As high-profile legislative inquiries and regulatory oversight proliferate in governments across the globe, Jenner’s team ensures that executives are prepared to answer tough questions—whether before the US Congress or European parliaments. We help clients make judgments and navigate trade-offs in the context of contentious litigation, settlement of matters, regulatory advocacy, communications strategy, investor relations, and the myriad of other factors that go into advancing the client’s objectives in the most difficult of circumstances. We are thought partners with our clients and are invested in their success for the long term.

Complex Crises Need Holistic Strategies

While crises at the intersection of congressional attention, litigation, government investigations, and media scrutiny can arise in almost any industry, they require experienced counsel to navigate. Often multiple government actors may be examining the same nexus of facts: congressional committees demand to hear from the CEO despite ongoing internal, state, or federal investigations, while the threat from civil litigation looms. In that context, the role of legal advisor entails being a holistic strategist: understanding the evolving political motivations and incentives driving the inquiries; advising how to answer similar questions being posed in different forums at the same time; and anticipating and mitigating related legal and business reputation risks. In the age of social media, a full-blown corporate crisis can break out quickly and turn the tide for companies’ brands and financial strength, making advance preparation critical. Our team understands and counsels on how a legal strategy and a communications strategy must run on parallel and cohesive tracks.