David Rybicki

Practice Areas

David Rybicki is co-leader of the firm's White Collar Defense and Investigations practice group, named by Global Investigations Review as one of the top 30 elite white collar practices in the world. David focuses on high-stakes white collar defense for companies and individuals in complex, cross-border disputes, internal and government-facing investigations, regulatory enforcement defense, congressional inquiries, compliance assessments, and corporate counseling. He has been ranked by Chambers USA, The Legal 500 United States, and The Best Lawyers in America® for his prominent work as a white collar practitioner in Washington, DC and nationwide.

David previously served as the second-in-command of the US Department of Justice's (DOJ) Criminal Division in Washington, DC, and represents corporations, audit committees, boards, executives, and high-net-worth individuals in matters involving corporate fraud, foreign bribery, economic sanctions compliance, the federal False Claims Act, civil and criminal RICO, securities and financial fraud, international money laundering, supply-chain compliance, including the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA), and in cross-border issues like extradition, asset forfeiture, and mutual legal assistance. He has deep and diverse experience advising clients on their most consequential legal and regulatory challenges before government bodies, including the DOJ's “Main Justice” Fraud Section, FCPA Unit, Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit, Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture Section (MLARS), National Security Division (NSD), Civil Frauds Section, Consumer Protection Branch, Office of International Affairs (OIA), US Attorney's Offices for the Southern District of New York (SDNY), the District of Columbia, and elsewhere; SEC headquarters and regional offices; Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and Treasury Office of Inspector General (OIG); Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS); Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI); Federal Trade Commission (FTC); FDA Office of Criminal Investigations (FDA-OCI); Department of Homeland Security (DHS); Customs and Border Protection (CBP); and state attorneys general throughout the country.

David also brings his experience as a former US Senate Judiciary Committee chief counsel in his representation of companies and individuals at all stages of congressional investigations. He has recently represented clients in inquiries, investigations, and hearings involving the following committees: House Committee on Oversight and Accountability; House Energy and Commerce Committee; House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis; House Select Committee on the 6 January US Capitol Attack; House Judiciary Committee and its Antitrust Subcommittee; House Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee; House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party; Senate Commerce Committee; Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP); Senate Committee on Finance; Senate Committee on the Judiciary, as well as inquiries from individual members of the House and Senate.

Before joining the firm, David served as Acting Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Assistant Attorney General—the second- and third-highest ranking positions in the Justice Department's Criminal Division. In these senior leadership roles, he led the investigation, prosecution, and coordination of the DOJ's most significant national and cross-border matters and initiatives involving corporate criminal enforcement, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), securities and accounting fraud, the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA), cybercrime and cryptocurrencies, the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and Trading With the Enemy Act (TWEA), OFAC sanctions enforcement, transnational organized crime, healthcare fraud, civil and criminal RICO, public corruption, and gaming law. David also served as counselor to the Attorney General of the United States and advised on the DOJ's top criminal enforcement initiatives.

David is a former member of the United States Sentencing Commission (2018-2020) and represented the DOJ in all aspects of federal sentencing law and policy, including the drafting of amendments to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines for corporate fraud and white collar crime.

Professional Memberships

United States Sentencing Commission, Ex Officio Member, 2018-2020

American Bar Association Criminal Justice Section Council, Member, 2017-2020

Edward Bennett Williams Inn of Court, Barrister

Publications

“Clearer carrots and more restrained sticks: Key updates to DOJ corporate enforcement policies,” Thomson Reuters’ Westlaw Today, 27 May 2025

“The Department of Justice Wants You to Call. And It Wants You to Put Its Number on Speed Dial,” The Journal of Federal Agency Action, September-October 2024

“4 Questions On Groundbreaking New Foreign Bribery Law,” Law360, 16 January 2024

“Foreign Agents Registration Act Reform: On the 2022 Agenda?,” Just Security, 7 February 2022

"DOJ Announces Major Changes to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies," Westlaw Today powered by Reuters, 8 November 2021

"Key DOJ Health-Care Enforcement Trends to Watch," Bloomberg Law, 16 September 2021

"House Subpoena Power Wins In McGahn Case, With Caveats," Law360, 6 August 2021

"Ukraine’s Gaming Market Presents New Opportunities," GBB News, 14 April 2021

Education