Tony Phillips is a seasoned litigator, trial lawyer and compliance advisor with over two decades of experience navigating high-stakes business disputes, regulatory challenges and internal investigations. As a partner in the Complex Litigation group, Tony focuses on governmental, in-house, and private practice to deliver exceptional results for clients across industries.
Tony has not only developed a track record of success in major contract and business disputes, but he also has successfully defended and provided counsel to clients in director and officer liability cases. His breadth of experience enables him to perform concise yet comprehensive investigations for clients without unnecessarily disrupting business goals, and to recommend meaningful yet reasonable compliance program changes to prevent future complications.
Some of Tony’s litigation, compliance and white collar highlights include:
Complex Litigation
Representing a major real estate developer in disputes relating to a 13.8-acre urban renewal project in the Poppleton neighborhood of West Baltimore.
Secured a complete victory for a private equity client in a $26 million EPC arbitration dispute, winning on all claims and recovering 100% of legal fees.
Represented a Guantanamo detainee, achieving release at the district court level and arguing the case at the D.C. Circuit.
Regulatory and Compliance
Advises clients on major regulatory frameworks in the areas of white collar (including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, False Claims Act, and others), AI (including Section 230, the Digital Services Act, UK Online Safety Bill, the Internet Tax Freedom Act, and EU AI Act), and others.
Designed and led Meta’s Integrity-by-Design legal team, helping to identify and mitigate online harms while enhancing digital trust and safety across Meta’s multiple platforms.
Designed M.D. Anderson’s first-ever Corporate Ethics and Compliance team, including implementing a novel fraud investigation process and revising the Code of Conduct.
Conducted compliance hotline investigations, whistleblower inquiries and regulatory responses for global clients.
White Collar Defense and Investigations
Tony brings a multifaceted perspective to his complex litigation and compliance practice. His distinctive background also includes:
Anti-Corruption Investigations. As a trial attorney in the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice, Tony led high-profile corruption investigations and prosecutions, including a landmark three-week jury trial stemming from a historic police corruption investigation in Puerto Rico and receiving an F.B.I. Commendation from then-Director Robert Mueller for investigating and successfully prosecuting a multidefendant illegal gambling enterprise.
Tech Industry Experience. During his tenure at Meta (formerly Facebook), Tony rose to the position of director and associate general counsel – integrity, where he spearheaded efforts to mitigate integrity-related legal risks across one of the world’s largest tech platforms.
Corporate Compliance Leadership. As senior legal officer for corporate ethics and compliance at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Tony developed and directed a comprehensive ethics program for a workforce of over 30,000, demonstrating his ability to implement large-scale compliance initiatives.
Military Service. Tony’s legal career began as a JAG officer in the U.S. Air Force, where he litigated numerous courts-martial and earned a Defense Meritorious Service Medal for leading major crimes investigations across war-torn Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
