Congressional Oversight & Investigations

Overview

Congressional oversight authority is extremely broad and congressional investigations can be fast-paced and unpredictable. Such inquiries often involve requests or subpoenas for documents, interviews, depositions, and testimony at public hearings. This process has its own set of rules and necessitates strategies that are distinctly different from those that apply in standard civil or criminal litigation.

Blank Rome is uniquely qualified to guide you through the politically charged environment of a congressional investigation. The oversight and investigations group includes individuals who have held high-level positions with both Senate and House investigative committees, and who have personally conducted congressional investigations and managed congressional oversight hearings.

In providing full-service representation to its clients, Blank Rome’s oversight and investigations group develops overall strategies to respond to congressional investigations. Members of the group have extensive experience in representing businesses and individuals before both House and Senate Committees. The attorneys in the group provide strategic counsel that is tailored to the particular Committee and investigation. They have managed many different types of investigations for clients, including responses to large-scale document requests, requests for information, and preparation of top executives for interviews and hearing testimony. The Blank Rome team has a deep understanding of the unique legal and political attributes of congressional investigations, as well as the relationships necessary to successfully navigate the challenges of congressional hearings and investigations.

Experience

  • Senate Commerce Committee inquiry into the safety practices of the cruise line industry.
  • Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions inquiry into the career schools industry.
  • House Energy and Commerce Committee investigation of events surrounding the Deepwater Horizon.
  • Senate Commerce Committee investigation of e-commerce companies' post-transaction sales practices.