Grant W. Nichols

• Representation of global automobile manufacturer before Department of Justice, EPA, and California ARB regarding safety and environmental issues.
• Representation of a Special Committee of an Indonesian-based energy group in an investigation into anticorruption allegations of payments made to Indonesian authorities. The representation resulted in a declination by the DOJ.
• Representation of an international financial institution in a tax investigation conducted by the DOJ, U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, and its New York Department of Financial Services–appointed monitor.
• Representation of a major oilfield services company in a multinational investigation (in Africa and the Middle East) into allegations of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
• Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of an Audit and Risk Committee of a private safety-equipment manufacturer into allegations of financial misstatements.
• Represented a hospital in investigation and response to inquiries from Department of Justice for potential violations of the False Claims Act.
• Represented Toyota in connection with House and Senate Committee investigations relating to allegations of unintended acceleration, including preparing individuals for interview sessions with government officials.
• Represented a major shipping company in an investigation into possible violations of the False Claims Act.
• Conducted an internal investigation into operations of a Central Asian joint venture, and advising a principal to that same joint venture on potential third-party engagements.
• Represented a medical device manufacturer in an industry-wide criminal and civil inquiry into allegations of violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
• Regularly conducts Foreign Corrupt Practices Act due diligence in mergers and acquisitions in the energy and life sciences industries.
• Counseled companies on compliance issues related to increased enforcement of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.

Grant leads clients and teams through complex government and internal investigations.  Focused primarily on representing large multinational companies, he regularly manages parallel workstreams across multiple agencies, jurisdictions, and continents in matters involving anti-corruption, environmental enforcement, financial fraud, and beyond.  Based in Austin and operating globally, Grant brings a methodology for managing investigative complexity that works across industries (from energy and technology to life sciences and financial services), matter types, and agencies (both federal to state).

Among other things, Grant counsels clients facing cross-border government investigations – a space in which he has advised clients in the energy, automotive, life sciences, and financial services industries. He advises individuals and corporations in criminal and regulatory matters, including investigations conducted by various divisions of the Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorneys' Offices, and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as by state agencies, state attorneys general, and investigative committees of the U.S. Congress.

Grant has particular experience in Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance and investigations, False Claims Act matters, fraud investigations, criminal tax matters, data security incident response, and more. He also handles white-collar criminal litigation, independent investigations, and the development of compliance programs.

Prior to becoming a lawyer, Grant worked for the Department of Justice as a Special Assistant to the Attorney General, and for the White House Counsel's Office as Executive Assistant to the Deputy Counsel.