Alicia C. O'Brien

• Represented multiple companies responding to Senate and House investigations related to testing, vaccines, and treatments for COVID-19, and the U.S. response to the global pandemic.
• Represented a leading hedge fund in responding to congressional inquiries and preparing the CEO for public testimony related to trading practices and other financial management issues.
• Represented a leading distributor of healthcare products in parallel investigations by the House Oversight Committee, House Homeland Security Committee, DOJ, and state attorneys general related to the global PPE supply during COVID-19.
• Represented Board members of a major chemical company in an investigation by the House Oversight Committee, and parallel federal inquiries regarding government contracts and corporate governance.
• Represented a global food services company in an investigation by the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis related to the company’s pandemic response.
• Represented a top executive of a leading mortgage financing company in an investigation and hearing testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on housing finance reform.
• Represented a former high-ranking Obama Administration official in congressional investigations and testimony before multiple Senate and House committees related to Russian interference in U.S. elections.
• Represented a senior CFPB official in an investigation and testimony before the House Financial Services Committee on consumer protection issues.
• Represented a major U.S. credit bureau before the House Oversight Committee in an investigation regarding data security and privacy issues.
• Represented a leading environmental organization in an investigation by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence on global climate change initiatives and related international contacts.
• Represented a senior executive branch official in an investigation and related testimony before the House Oversight Committee on agency management and personnel matters, as well as parallel inspector general inquiries.
• Represented a nationwide hospitality company in multiple investigations by state attorneys general and other government authorities related to customer data security, privacy, and consumer protection issues, as well as related corporate governance counseling.
• Represented a leading green energy company in investigations by DOJ and state attorneys general regarding marketing and sales practices, and related compliance programs.
• Represented a Fortune 50 global pharmaceutical company in investigations by multiple state attorneys general regarding clinical trials, drug safety and efficacy, pharmaceutical pricing, and importation issues.
• Represented a major healthcare company in numerous DOJ investigations, and a related internal investigation regarding Medicare reimbursement and potential False Claims Act (FCA) issues.
• Represented an international aid organization in responding to multiple DOJ/FBI inquiries and conducted internal investigations regarding losses from a widespread fraudulent investment scheme.
• Represented a leading healthcare association in a wide-ranging public engagement initiative to combat the opioid crisis in the U.S.
• Represented an active non-profit voter registration organization in a state attorney general investigation and settlement related to robocalls.

As former Senior Counsel to President Biden in the White House Counsel’s Office and having served in multiple roles as a senior DOJ official in the Obama Administration, Alicia O'Brien specializes in investigations and enforcement actions by Congress, state attorneys general, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other federal agencies. Drawing on two decades of crisis management and government investigations experience in both the public and private sector – including co-leading the firm's bipartisan Congressional Investigations practice – Alicia assists clients in a wide variety of industries navigate these high-stakes, multi-faceted matters. She routinely advises on the significant legal, business, political, and public relations risks and opportunities unique in congressional and parallel government investigations, and manages all stages of these matters, including large-scale subpoena responses, witness preparation, high-profile testimony, and public messaging. She also leads internal investigations and advises on proactive and remedial compliance measures, as well as mitigation of reputational risk and business disruption.

Prior to rejoining King & Spalding, Alicia most recently served on the senior leadership team of the White House Counsel’s Office where she led the Ethics and Compliance team. In this role, she served as a key advisor to officials in the White House and throughout the Executive Branch, regularly engaging with agency general counsels, members of the Cabinet, and other Administration officials, as well as Congress, the Office of the Special Counsel, and the Office of Government Ethics.

Alicia previously served at DOJ, as an Associate Deputy Attorney General in the Office of the Deputy Attorney General and as a Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Office of Legislative Affairs during the Obama Administration. In these capacities, she advised DOJ leadership on complex, sensitive matters, and managed the Department’s responses to congressional oversight, as well as parallel inquiries by inspectors general and other federal agencies. Alicia regularly prepared DOJ's most senior officials for numerous congressional hearings, member briefings, and other congressional engagement on a broad range of issues.

Throughout the course of her government positions and extensive advocacy for her clients in private practice, Alicia’s strategic judgment and deep relationships with public officials and senior advisors on both sides of the aisle have allowed her to provide astute, valued counsel and engage effectively on oversight, policy and regulatory issues.