Marla Poirot is a Chambers-ranked white collar trial lawyer and investigator, representing both individual and corporate clients in all facets of white-collar criminal matters. For over 25 years, Marla has conducted and managed internal investigations, large and small, and assisted clients in responding to government search warrants and grand jury subpoenas. She has deep experience negotiating with state and federal prosecutors to favorably resolve criminal investigations on behalf of clients. Her goal is to assist clients in navigating the treacherous waters of a criminal investigation and to resolve investigations short of criminal charges if at all possible. Marla has spent years negotiating and building credibility with prosecutors and government investigators over the course of hundreds of complex criminal investigations and ultimate resolutions, and she brings that credibility, creative thinking, and experience to bear for the benefit of each of her clients. She is particularly adept at managing large teams in the context of an internal investigation, coordinating internal personnel and external consultants.
Marla has particular experience and strength working on DOJ, SEC, and EPA criminal matters related to alleged environmental violations, securities fraud, and the multitude of regulatory issues facing the energy and health care industries. She regularly advises health care providers and technology companies in connection with compliance issues in the rapidly developing telemedicine and telehealth sphere. She has also developed a niche practice defending individuals and companies against environmental criminal charges brought by the State of Texas, as well as U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country. She has an impressive track record of resolving many cases short of any criminal charges at all (by way of pretrial intervention or deferred prosecution agreements, or other civil and regulatory resolutions) and of deftly achieving reductions from felony to misdemeanor charges where appropriate.
Marla also assists clients with proactive steps to achieve compliance and avoid regulatory or criminal scrutiny altogether. Her experience here includes working with clients to perform a reasonable risk analysis and then crafting an appropriate compliance and training program to fit each client’s needs. Marla has experience with the drafting, design, implementation, training, and evaluation of all aspects of client compliance programs, with particular expertise in the areas of FCPA and international anti-corruption compliance.