Sarah E Walters

Practice Areas

Sarah Walters is a partner in Ropes & Gray’s global litigation and enforcement practice group. A former federal prosecutor and experienced trial lawyer, she is highly recognized by Chambers USA for her “sophisticated representation” of health care and financial services clients in the white-collar criminal defense, regulatory enforcement, compliance counseling, and complex civil litigation space.

Valued for her thoughtful approach and firsthand knowledge of the prosecutorial mindset, Sarah conducts independent investigations on behalf of audit and other board committees and counsels companies and individuals across industries on investigations and other civil and criminal matters involving:

Financial fraud, including honest services or commercial fraud, accounting and disclosure issues, and public corruption;

Health care fraud, including alleged violations of the False Claims Act (“FCA”) and the federal Anti-Kickback Statute (“AKS”);

Compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (“FCPA”) and anti-bribery laws; and

The design, implementation, and audit of compliance programs consistent with the U.S. Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”), and other relevant guidance.

Sarah served 10 years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, holding the position of Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit during the last four years of her tenure. She successfully led investigations and numerous jury trials covering a broad spectrum of financial crimes and notably, served as a liaison to President Obama’s Financial Fraud Enforcement Task Force.

Widely recognized as a thought leader, Sarah regularly presents at major industry-leading conferences and is an active member of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association. She maintains a robust pro bono practice and is a member of the Criminal Justice Act panel for the U.S. District Court for the District of Massachusetts.