John Rowley

Career

John is a former federal prosecutor who represents companies and individuals in complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal cases. His experience includes the litigation of civil False Claims Act, procurement fraud, securities fraud, and business disputes. John also represents individuals in response to investigations conducted by the U.S. Congress. He has particular experience in FCPA investigations and devotes substantial time representing individuals and companies, including multinationals that trade their securities on the U.S. stock exchanges and are subject to the jurisdiction of the DOJ and SEC.

Prior to joining SECIL, John was a partner in two international law firms where he represented clients in high-stakes litigation and white-collar investigations. John has served as “first-chair” counsel in dozens of jury and bench trials. He regularly works with a company’s senior executive management and chief legal officer to enhance compliance programs and prevent, mitigate, and resolve associated risks. His clients include defense contractors, healthcare providers, and other companies and executives across a wide range of industries.

John has significant experience representing multinationals and executives in international FCPA investigations. He served as lead U.S. counsel for Embraer S.A. in the Justice Department’s first FCPA investigation of a Brazilian multinational. In United States v. Embraer S.A., he was the U.S. legal team point of contact with company management and negotiated a successful settlement with U.S. and Brazilian authorities.

John served as Assistant U.S. Attorney and Branch Chief for the Eastern District of Virginia and received the Department of Justice Director’s Award for Superior Performance. He also served as a federal prosecutor with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. During his career, John held two additional leadership positions in government: Chief Counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and Staff Director for the congressionally mandated U.S. Department of Defense panel created to investigate allegations of misconduct at the U.S. Air Force Academy.

After graduation from law school, John had the privilege of serving as law clerk for the Honorable John A. Field, Jr., U.S. Circuit Judge for the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Personal

EDUCATION

J.D., University of Richmond School of Law

M.B.A., University of Notre Dame

B.A., Political Science, State University of New York at Oneonta

BAR ADMISSIONS

District of Columbia

Virginia

Eastern District of Virginia

Southern District of West Virginia

Work Highlights

John specializes in complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense. He also represents clients in investigations conducted by federal agencies and the U.S. Congress.

John has led the defense of a wide range of important complex matters, including:

- Heading the U.S. legal team that defended Brazilian aerospace company, Embraer S.A., in a first-of-its-kind Foreign Corrupt Practices Act investigation by the U.S. Justice Department and Securities and Exchange Commission.

- Defending SAIC in a False Claims Act jury trial filed by the U.S. Department of Justice.

- Winning a jury verdict for Belgian company, Picanol, S.A., in a bet-the-company software patent infringement case brought by a European competitor.

- Preparing and defending individuals in investigations by the U.S. Congress.

- Obtaining a trial judgment for the Chairman of the Board of a technology company in a case pressed by investors under Virginia’s Securities Act.

In 2011, John earned an Executive MBA from the University of Notre Dame. He pursued a rigorous MBA program while meeting the demands of his busy legal career to better serve his clients and understand their businesses. (In a proud father moment, he and his son graduated on the same day from their respective programs at Notre Dame.)

After two decades in multinational D.C.-based law firms, John enjoys the collaborative environment of a specialized boutique and working alongside friends and trusted colleagues with in-depth legal experience.

Awards