David Howard, Partner
Dechert LLP
David M. Howard, a partner in the litigation department, represents clients in complex civil and criminal fraud matters. He co-chairs the firm’s white collar and securities litigation group.
Mr. Howard focuses much of his practice in representing corporations and individuals in grand jury investigations and prosecutions, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) investigations, and civil litigation involving allegations of fraud and other deceptive conduct, and he has defended clients in cases involving allegations of securities fraud, procurement fraud, FDA fraud, health care fraud, violation of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and in other areas. He has tried close to 20 cases (most of them jury trials) and has argued numerous times in the Courts of Appeals.
Mr. Howard also frequently conducts internal investigations for companies concerned about allegations of misconduct and advises those companies on issues relating to such investigations, such as whether to make a voluntary disclosure to government authorities, appropriate remedial measures, and possible civil litigation. He has served as co-chair of the ABA White Collar Crime Committee’s Subcommittee on Corporate Internal Investigations.
Mr. Howard was an associate in Dechert’s litigation department before he left to become part of the legal team in the office of the White House Counsel advising President Ronald Reagan in connection with the Iran/Contra hearings. In the fall of 1987, he joined the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. As an Assistant U.S. Attorney, Mr. Howard prosecuted some of the most significant and complex cases of white collar crime brought in the District. He also served as coordinator of the District’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force.
