Zachary Terwilliger

Zachary (“Zach”) Terwilliger, a highly ranked Chambers white collar practitioner and the former Senate confirmed United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, has both extensive experience in the trenches of all manner of complex investigations at the Department of Justice as well as in the private sector. Those frontline skills combine with his mastery of strategy, problem solving, and crisis management—skills honed by prosecuting multi-national complex cases and then serving in the highest levels of the Department of Justice and leading one of the most prominent U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the country. Over the past years in private practice, Zach has rapidly advanced from a former government official to serving as go-to counsel on a series of complex and high profile representations. His matters, which involve top corporate clients as well as C suite executives and other prominent officials, have been recognized by his peers and the market, where after just four years in private practice Zach has been recognized as part of the Global Investigations Review 100, The Best Lawyers in America for False Claims Act, and as part of The 500 Leading Litigators in America and The 500 Leading Cybersecurity Lawyers in the World by Lawdragon, as well as the previously mentioned Chambers USA, where he is now ranked with those who are a decade or more his senior.

Zach rounds out his extensive executive branch and private practice Washington experience by having served as Associate Deputy Attorney General and Chief of Staff to the Deputy Attorney General, whose office manages the entire Department of Justice and its various agencies, and as counsel to the Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Further, in a testament to his professionalism, Zach was the sole and unanimous recommendation of Virginia’s two Democratic Senators to serve as U.S. Attorney. Following this recommendation, the President’s nomination, and confirmation by the entire U.S. Senate, Zach was sworn in as the then-youngest U.S. Attorney in the country.

Zach’s knowledge of how the Justice Department and federal enforcement agencies function in both civil and criminal matters, particularly in regards to discretionary decision making, provides him with unique insights necessary to effectively assist companies and individuals facing federal enforcement matters, including allegations of domestic and international criminal and civil violations. Zach is skilled in navigating internal and government investigations for everything from Fortune 50 companies to privately held startups, complex criminal grand jury investigations, multi-stage False Claims Act cases arising from both whistleblowers and inspector generals, criminal antitrust matters, and Congressional inquiries and select committee investigations, among other complex white collar issues. As part of the Chambers ranking research, Zach is accurately described by clients as “a go-to person for white-collar matters and complicated government investigations. He is very skilled and intelligent and will control the facts. He is talented, knowledgeable and efficient.” (Chambers USA 2023 – client quote).

Zach serves as a member of the firm’s Management Committee.