Nicole Sprinzen

Practice Areas

White Collar Defense and Investigations; Antitrust; Securities Litigation and SEC Enforcement; Government Contracts; Financial Services.

Career

Nicole focuses her practice on representing companies and individuals in criminal matters and parallel civil proceedings, as well as in internal investigations. Her practice includes advising clients in matters arising under the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), U.S. export controls & sanctions and anti-money laundering regulations, the securities and commodities laws, as well as in connection with federal procurement, mortgage, and bank fraud allegations. She frequently represents corporate and individual clients in antitrust cartel internal and government investigations.

An experienced trial lawyer, Nicole has tried federal and state cases in the District of Columbia and throughout the country. She has litigated cases involving a broad range of industries.

Prior to joining the law firm, she served as a prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice, Criminal Division, Fraud Section, where she prosecuted FCPA, securities and commodities, procurement, and health care fraud cases, as well as cases involving fraud against the Export-Import Bank of the United States. Nicole was one of the first prosecutors of cases involving the manipulation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other international bank interest rates.

Professional Memberships

American Bar Association

National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers

Women's White Collar Defense Association

Experience

Represented an auto carrier in a case resulting in a reduced fine and the first-ever monitorship in a voluntary criminal antitrust plea.

Represented an ocean carrier in a DOJ antitrust investigation that was successfully closed with no charges.

Represented a defendant in a criminal and civil False Claims Act investigation in the District of Alaska relating to allegations concerning Small Business Administration (SBA) 8(a) program joint ventures.

Represented the National Hockey League Players Association in conducting an internal investigation into the association’s handling of allegations of sexual assault by a player within a professional member team.

Represented an international jewelry retailer, private lending firm, and other retailers in drafting and implementing FCPA, AML, and export controls compliance programs.

Represented an introducing brokerage firm in drafting and implementing a compliance program addressing commodity brokerage regulations and AML and FCPA laws.

Represented an international non-profit foreign language study placement organization in internal investigations, labor and employment matters, and civil disputes with implementing organizations.

Represented a corporate executive in parallel Canadian and U.S. Department of Justice prosecutions of FCPA violations.

Represented a U.S. Congressman in a U.S. Department of Justice investigation, dismissed with no charges.

Represented employees of a major international banking institution in S.D.N.Y. criminal investigation of mortgage fraud allegations relating to sale of underperforming assets.

Represented a pharmacy chain in successfully avoiding criminal indictment and resolving with a best-case scenario civil settlement allegations of federal healthcare fraud.

Represented a client in designing and implementing a new compliance program compliant with World Bank Group Integrity Guidelines, resulting in the release of sanctions and reinstated good standing with the World Bank Group in an expedited timeframe.

Represented a client in the largest investigation undertaken by the World Bank Group's Integrity Vice Presidency

Worked as an independent monitor for a company participating in the World Bank Group's Voluntary Disclosure Program, resulting in the successful graduation of the longest-serving participant in the program.

Industry Sector Expertise

Health Care; Financial Services; Commodities Trading; Securities; Construction; Government Contracting; Student-Loan Industry

Work Highlights

Nicole has conducted internal investigations into allegations of workplace harassment against an internationally renowned opera singer on behalf of the industry labor union; allegations of harassment and hostile workplace environment in the entertainment industry; and various allegations of sexual assault, harassment and student misconduct on behalf of a government program administrator.

She has also represented clients in investigations being conducted by World Bank Group's Integrity Vice Presidency, served as a monitor for a company participating in the World Bank’s Voluntary Disclosure Program, and consulted with clients in designing and implementing effective compliance programs to obtain the release of sanctions and reinstate good standing with the World Bank Group.

Nicole was one of the first prosecutors of cases involving the manipulation of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other international bank interest rates. She also tried one of the National Century Financial Enterprises cases in the Southern District of Ohio, then the largest private financial fraud committed to date.

Publications

Top DOJ Changes to its Evaluation of Corporate Compliance Programs (Mar. 07, 2023)

--As part of a sweeping revamp of its white collar criminal enforcement policies that began last year, the DOJ announced two significant changes in March of 2023.

DOJ Offering Increased Reductions in Fines to Incentivize Companies to Voluntarily Report Misconduct (Jan. 18, 2023)

--Nicole Sprinzen & Joseph Simpson discuss the Department of Justice's changes to its existing Corporate Enforcement Policy that will grant as much as a 75% reduction in fines for companies that voluntarily self-report wrongdoing.

Doing Battle on (At Least) Two Fronts: What Happens When Multiple Regulators Engage in Parallel Enforcement Efforts? (July 20, 2021)

--Multi-agency cooperation efforts can go a long way toward obtaining mitigated civil or criminal penalties.

CFTC Issues New Guidance Prioritizing Compliance Programs in Enforcement Decisions (Sept. 16, 2020)

--Nicole discusses the CFTC's new guidance memorandum outlining factors that the Division of Enforcement will consider when evaluating compliance programs in connection with actions it brings.

DOJ Antitrust Division Endorses International Cooperation in Cartel Investigations (Aug. 20, 2020)

--Nicole Sprinzen, Bruce Maffeo, and Thomas Ingalls discuss the DOJ's the Guidance on Enhancing Cross-Border Leniency Cooperation.

Emerging Trends Under the DOJ’s Corporate Enforcement Policy (Feb. 20, 2020)

--Niki Sprinzen and Kara Kapp authored an article in Corporate Compliance Insights, titled Emerging Trends Under the DOJ’s Corporate Enforcement Policy, offering guidance to help compliance professionals navigate the FCPA landscape given what lies ahead, particularly in terms of white-collar prosecutions.

DOJ Antitrust Division Now Gives Credit for Compliance Program in Cartel Investigations (July 22, 2019)

--Nicole Sprinzen and Thomas Ingalls discuss how, under the new Antitrust Division policy, an effective compliance policy would prevent antitrust violations but also remediate them when they do occur.

DOJ Issues Guidance Emphasizing Importance of Remedial Action to Corporate Monitorship Decisions (Oct. 17, 2018)

--Under new Justice Department guidance, corporate defendants have a crucial, time-sensitive window to implement remedial changes independently to potentially avoid the imposition of a government-required monitor to oversee that process.

Expert in these Jurisdictions

District of Columbia

Maryland

Education

Awards