Whitney C. Ellerman

Whit Ellerman represents Fortune 500 companies, high-ranking public officials and corporate executives throughout the nation in complex criminal cases involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, fraud and corruption, antitrust, environmental, export control and other criminal statutes.  Whit also assists clients in designing, customizing and implementing comprehensive compliance programs.  Prior to founding Ellerman Enzinna Levy, Whit was the head of the litigation department and the co-head of the white collar defense practice for the DC office of a large international law firm.  Whit served as an Assistant US Attorney for the District of Columbia from 1996 through 2000.  He is a former chairman of the White Collar Crime Committee for the Bar Association of the District of Columbia, the former chairman of the Advisory Committee on Admissions and Grievances for the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, and the former co-chair of the American Bar Association’s White Collar Crime Committee’s Subcommittee on Financial Institution Fraud/Money Laundering and the Patriot Act.  He has served on the editorial advisory boards of Bloomberg BNA’s Criminal Law Reporter and White Collar Law360.

While in law school, Whit was a member of the editorial board of the Virginia Law Review.

Representative Engagements

• Representation of CFO of multi-billion dollar high-tech startup in DOJ investigation alleging fraud.

• Representation of former CEO and Chairman of the Board of international corporation in connection with multiple criminal and civil investigations related to a failed multi-billion dollar energy project.  Our client, who was initially a target of DOJ’s investigation, was ultimately not charged criminally and not liable in any civil suit.

• Representation of a Fortune 50 energy company in connection with grand jury investigations relating to violations of the Clean Air Act and Clean Water Act.

• Representation of international investor in connection with a DOJ antitrust investigation of US data company.  Our client, who was an owner of the company, was not charged by DOJ.

• Representation of international businessman in his extradition, plea, and sentencing on felony charges in the United States.  We obtained a favorable sentence of time served as well as early termination of his period of supervised release.

• Representation of senior government official in connection with subpoena to testify at impeachment trial of former President Trump.

• Representation of a Middle East-based architectural engineering firm in a DOJ FCPA investigation.

• Representation of a significant witness/potential target in connection with criminal and civil investigations into the BP-Deepwater Horizon Gulf oil spill.

• Representation of a large Scandinavian construction company accused of violating the FCPA in connection with a $500 million infrastructure project in Africa.  The matter involved several government authorities, including the DOJ, the World Bank and the IMF.

• Representation of the acting CFO of a global manufacturer of engineered products in a wide-ranging FCPA case involving more than 30 different countries including China and several others in Asia.

• Representation of an oil and gas services company in connection with a criminal matter relating to an offshore drilling platform explosion.

• Representation of a Southern California-based electric utility company in connection with a grand jury investigation regarding alleged Clean Water Act violations.

• Representation of senior executives of a Japanese auto parts company in connection with investigation by the Department of Justice into alleged criminal violations of antitrust laws.

• Representation of an executive of an energy company in connection with a DOJ criminal matter relating to the Upper Big Branch coal mine disaster in West Virginia which involved multiple fatalities.

• Representation of two executives of a large facility management provider in a DOJ-FCPA investigation relating to alleged bribes paid in connection with an $80 million facility services contract in the Middle East.

• Representation of numerous current and former executives of a large government-sponsored enterprise and financial institution in several different investigations by DOJ, the SEC and FHFA.

• Representation of a Switzerland-based employee of an international pharmaceutical company in connection with a grand jury investigation into alleged violations of trade sanctions against Iran involving the sale of unlicensed medical products and devices.

• Representation of the former CEO of a multibillion-dollar global energy services company subsidiary in a far-reaching FCPA investigation by the DOJ and the SEC into alleged corruption regarding liquid natural gas contracts in Nigeria.

• Representation of two employees of a major bank in connection with an investigation by a government-sponsored enterprise into fraud in the mortgage securities business.