The law firm of Baker Donelson has expanded its Government Enforcement and Investigations Group with the addition of Sean B. O'Connell as a shareholder in the Firm's Washington, D.C., office. Mr. O'Connell represents corporate and individual clients in white collar and regulatory defense matters, including claims involving health care fraud, tax, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and the False Claims Act (FCA).
"I am delighted to welcome Sean to the Firm. He is an excellent addition to our team of white collar and regulatory defense attorneys," said Matthew S. Chester, leader of Baker Donelson's Government Enforcement and Investigations Group. "Sean is yet another former Department of Justice prosecutor joining our deep bench of former prosecutors with substantial experience throughout our footprint, including in Washington, D.C., who counsel clients in connection with government investigations, enforcement actions, internal investigations, and white collar criminal prosecutions."
Mr. O'Connell has more than 13 years of experience as a prosecutor and Civil Assistant U.S. Attorney with the Department of Justice in the Fraud Section of the Criminal Division, the Northern Criminal Enforcement Section of the Tax Division, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Texas, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Maryland.
Mr. O'Connell has directed both criminal and civil Department of Justice investigations. His practice includes providing compliance counseling, conducting internal investigations, navigating and countering government investigations, and defending against government allegations at every stage of litigation. He also regularly advises companies on the effectiveness of their compliance programs and assists companies facing investigations by enforcement agencies outside of the United States.
A member of the Federal Bar Association, Mr. O'Connell served on the board of directors of its San Antonio Chapter from 2015 to 2019. He received his law degree from Temple University Beasley School of Law and his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia.