Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP has a unique inspectors general investigations practice, comprising a dedicated team of government enforcement, investigations and compliance practitioners. The practice team includes lawyers who have served within federal Offices of Inspector General (OIGs), worked on congressional committees with significant OIG relationships and handled numerous OIG investigations and related matters.
Based on this collective experience, Akin Gump has a thorough understanding of the Inspector General Act of 1978 and the investigative powers and authorities it provides OIGs; how OIGs conduct investigations and make decisions regarding referral and resolution; and the unique relationship between OIG investigations and Congress.
The inspectors general investigations team stands ready to assist our clients with regard to investigations initiated by any OIG, as well as regarding the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board (“Recovery Board”) created under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to coordinate and conduct oversight of covered funds to prevent waste, fraud and abuse. The Recovery Board is composed of nearly a dozen major federal agency inspectors general. Among other things, the Recovery Board is empowered to audit and review the spending of stimulus funds. Not only will the Recovery Board have the same authority to subpoena documents traditionally held by OIGs, it will also be able to compel testimony from private persons. This represents a substantial increase in federal enforcement power. Finally, the Recovery Board will coordinate much of its activity through the OIGs by, among other things, referring to them matters for investigation.
Our in-depth understanding of the workings of OIGs, regulatory and law enforcement agencies and Congress allows our lawyers to help clients comply with OIG subpoenas in an appropriate manner, including negotiating their scope to mitigate burden, reaching appropriate resolutions of investigations, addressing related investigations or inquiries that arise in Congress or the Department of Justice and implementing measures either to prevent noncompliance or to detect and correct instances of noncompliance.