Charles DeMonaco

Practice Areas

A former Chair of the firm's White-Collar Criminal Defense & Regulatory Compliance Practice, Charles remains an active member of the group.

He has a broad practice that focuses on corporate internal investigations, securities investigations and litigation, commercial litigation, corporate compliance and governance, environmental law and white-collar criminal defense. In addition to providing legal representation to both corporate and individual clients in the private sector, Charles is providing representation in federal civil litigation regarding restoration of the Florida Everglades.

In addition to his other legal work, Charles has or is representing clients in complex litigation, including allegations of breaches of fiduciary duties and corporate waste, federal securities fraud litigation, a Bivens cause of action against federal prosecutors, Qui Tam litigation, internal investigations and other commercial and white-collar litigation.

Charles is also a member of the International Law Practice Group, ESG Practice Group and the Environmental Law Practice Group. He made a presentation in 2022 at the University of Verona in Italy on a comparative analysis of ESG in the European Union and in the United States. He made previous presentations at the University of Verona on topics relating to private international law and Cross-Border issues.

Career

Charles was formerly a partner at Dickie, McCamey & Chilcote. Prior to that, he served as an Assistant District Attorney in Allegheny County for more than seven years, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania for more than six years, and as Assistant Chief of the Environmental Crimes Section of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., for more than nine years.

During his tenure with the Justice Department in Washington, D.C., Charles served as lead counsel for the United States in the criminal prosecution of U.S. v. Exxon and Exxon Shipping Co. for the massive 1989 Exxon Valdez Alaska oil spill. The criminal and civil settlements obtained by the government represented at the time the largest comprehensive settlement in the history of law enforcement. Charles has also prosecuted major environmental cases in Pittsburgh, Miami, Anchorage, San Juan and Washington, D.C.

While an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Charles was in the Narcotics and Organized Crimes Section and served as Chief of the Special Prosecutions and White Collar Crime Sections. He served as lead counsel for the United States Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh in the 1988 Ashland Oil spill, where the company was fined $2.25 million after a tank collapse sent 700,000 gallons of diesel fuel into the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers.

Professional Memberships

Federal Bar Association | Executive Committee and Former President, American Inns of Court (University of Pittsburgh - W. Edward Sell Chapter) | Allegheny County Bar Association, Chair, Amicus Curie Brief Committee, Federal Court Council (Former), Nominating Committee (Former), Past Chair and member, Hispanic Attorneys Committee | Pennsylvania Bar Association, Committee of Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility | American Bar Association | National Italian American Bar Association | The Justinian Society (Former) | President of the Italy America Committee of Commerce Pennsylvania West Virginia (Former)

Education