Dec 2017–Present
Current role
Partner and Global Co-Chair, White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group
Covington & Burling LLP
Washington, District of Columbia
White Collar Crime
About
Steve Fagell co-chairs the firm’s white-collar defense and investigations practice, and he is widely recognized as one of the nation's leading white-collar practitioners.
As a former senior official in the Criminal Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, Steve represents multinational companies and senior executives in criminal and civil investigations by the Justice Department, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and other U.S. regulators.
Steve is a two-time Law360 "White Collar MVP" winner (in 2023 and 2020), an award that recognizes the most outstanding practitioners in the field each year nationwide. Law360 has highlighted the “big wins,” which include five corporate declinations from DOJ or the SEC in a single year, and “impressive, relatively painless resolutions” that Steve has obtained for “prominent corporate clients."Chambers USA has long ranked him as a leading white-collar lawyer in Washington, DC and as a nationwide FCPA expert. Clients have described Steve in Chambers as "the ultimate regulator whisperer," adding that he is "extremely practical and a phenomenal problem solver on some of the thorniest legal issues you can imagine," "extremely good," and "one of the smartest guys around" who "doesn't miss a beat.” Earlier in his career, Global Investigations Review recognized Steve as the top investigations’ practitioner (45 and under) in the United States, noting that he has an “eminent name for both corporations and individuals on matters of high-stakes civil and criminal enforcement."
Roles
Sep 2010–Nov 2017
Former role
Partner and Co-Chair, Anti Corruption Practice Group
Covington & Burling LLP
Washington, District of Columbia
White Collar Crime
Jan 2009–Jul 2010
Former role
Deputy Chief of Staff and Counselor to the Assistant Attorney General
U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Criminal Division
(appointed)District of Columbia
InvestigationsCriminal LawCriminal Investigation
Oct 2008–Dec 2008
Former role
Partner
Covington & Burling LLP
Washington, District of Columbia
White Collar Crime
Oct 2001–Aug 2008
Former role
Associate
Covington & Burling LLP
Washington, District of Columbia
White Collar Crime
Sep 2000–Jul 2001
Former role
Law Clerk
U.S. District Court, Hon. Peter J. Messitte
(appointed)Maryland, District of
Law Clerk
Sep 1995–Jul 1997
Former role
Consultant
Monitor Group
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Consulting
Representative matters
U.S. Government Enforcement Resolutions
April 2025
• Stanley Black & Decker: Lead counsel in securing 2024 declinations from DOJ and the SEC in parallel FCPA investigations and a 2023 partial declination and no-penalty settlement from the SEC for issues relating to executive perquisites. • Arthur J. Gallagher & Co: Lead counsel in securing a 2023 declination from DOJ in a FCPA investigation relating to the Ecuadorean reinsurance market. • Koninklijke Philips: Co-lead counsel in securing a 2023 declination from DOJ and a favorable settlement from the SEC in a multi-country FCPA investigation. • Uber Technologies: Lead counsel in securing a 2022 no-penalty non-prosecution agreement from DOJ in connection with a 2016 data breach; lead coordinating and settlement counsel in obtaining a 2020 declination from DOJ in a multi-country FCPA investigation. • Global, publicly traded company: Lead counsel in securing a 2021 declination from DOJ in a criminal antitrust investigation relating to the company’s hiring practices. • Alexion Pharmaceuticals: Lead counsel in securing a 2020 declination from DOJ and a favorable settlement from the SEC in a multi-country FCPA investigation. • Multinational, publicly traded diversified investment holding company: Lead counsel in securing a 2020 declination from DOJ in a procurement fraud and obstruction investigation relating to conduct in Korea. • F. Hoffmann-La Roche: Lead counsel in securing a declination in 2019 from DOJ in a FCPA investigation relating to alleged bribery in the Middle East. • Multinational, publicly traded biopharmaceutical company: Lead counsel in securing a declination in 2019 from the SEC after a four-year FCPA investigation relating to alleged bribery in Latin America. • Fortune 100 aerospace/defense company: Lead counsel in securing a declination in 2017 from DOJ after a four-year criminal export controls and false statements investigation. • Leading Non-Profit Entity: Co-lead counsel in securing a declination in 2017 from DOJ after a five-year FCPA investigation. • Global Brewing Company: Lead counsel in securing a declination in 2016 from DOJ and a favorable settlement from the SEC in connection with parallel FCPA investigations of the company’s former joint venture in India. • Hewlett-Packard Company: Settlement counsel in 2014 FCPA resolutions with DOJ and SEC regarding HP’s businesses in Russia, Poland, and Mexico. • United Technologies Corporation: Lead Washington, D.C. counsel in a 2012 DOJ criminal export controls and false statements enforcement action.
Representative On-Going Engagements
April 2025
• Lead counsel to four leading multinational companies in DOJ criminal export controls investigations. • Lead counsel to three leading multinational companies in DOJ and/or SEC FCPA investigations. • Lead counsel to two leading multinational companies in DOJ criminal consumer protection/product safety investigations. • Lead counsel to a global retailer in a DOJ criminal environmental investigation under the Clean Air Act. • Lead counsel to a leading multinational company in a DOJ commercial bribery investigation.
Recognition
Honors
White Collar MVP
Law360
January 2020
Law360, "White Collar MVP" (2020, 2023)
Finalist for "Investigations Professional of the Year"
GIR
January 2024
GIR, Finalist for "Investigations Professional of the Year" (2024, 2023)
"Litigator of the Week" shout-out
The AmLaw Litigation Daily
November 2024
The AmLaw Litigation Daily,, "Litigator of the Week" shout-out (November 1, 2024)
"Litigator of the Week" shout-out
The AmLaw Litigation Daily
June 2023
"Litigator of the Week" runner up
The AmLaw Litigation Daily
July 2022
The AmLaw Litigation Daily, "Litigator of the Week" runner up (July 29, 2022)