Professionals

Abbe David Lowell

Partner

Co-Chair, Government Investigations, Enforcement, and Compliance

Overview
Experience
Credentials
Insights & News

Abbe is one of the country’s foremost white collar defense and trial lawyers. He is widely viewed as counsel of choice for individuals facing government investigations and potential indictments. He has tried civil and criminal cases before judges and juries in more than a dozen states, argued numerous appeals before courts that include the U.S. Supreme Court, led complex international investigations, and navigated clients through congressional and administrative proceedings, often under the glare of intense media scrutiny. Abbe served as Chief Minority Counsel to the House of Representatives during the impeachment proceedings against President Bill Clinton.

Abbe, Global Co-Chair of the firm’s Government Investigations, Enforcement, and Compliance Practice, is one of the nation’s most recognized white collar defense and trial lawyers. His practice focuses on litigation, complex investigations, and regulatory enforcement. In his wide-ranging career, Abbe has represented numerous high-profile corporate and individual clients and provided counsel in matters of national and international importance. He has successfully tried numerous complex civil and criminal cases throughout the U.S. and has briefed and argued dozens of appeals before federal and state appeals courts and before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In addition to trying cases and arguing appeals, Abbe advises clients in their dealings with the U.S. Congress and its committees, other legislative bodies, and numerous federal and state regulatory agencies. He also works with clients on internal investigations, voluntary disclosure decisions, and developing compliance programs to prevent issues from arising with law enforcement agencies. His matters and cases often require him to navigate all of these legal issues under the glare of media scrutiny.

In criminal matters, Abbe has successfully avoided charges or defended clients against a wide array of charges, including bribery/public corruption, conspiracy, election law violations, bank fraud, insurance fraud, bankruptcy fraud, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, mail and wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, honest services fraud, False Claims Act, obstruction of justice and false information charges and violations of the Racketeer Influenced, and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and the Espionage Act. In civil cases, he has helped clients win in cases of breach of contract and fiduciary duty, FCPA violations, False Claims Act, civil rights violations, conspiracy, employment discrimination, negligence, RICO violations, securities fraud, tortious interference with business, breach of fiduciary, and unfair trade practices. He has conducted internal investigations responding to government, whistleblower, or other allegations of FCPA, money laundering, securities, and other law violations.

Abbe has been counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives twice, including when he was Chief Minority Counsel during impeachment proceedings against President Clinton and before that, as special ethics counsel to the House Committee of Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics Committee).

From 1994 to 1996, he was appointed as Special Counselor to the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in the investigation and prosecution of human rights violations, war crimes, and other human rights projects in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia. Abbe has also served at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1977 to 1981 as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Special Assistant to the Deputy Attorney General, and Special Assistant to the Attorney General.

His high-profile clients have included national and international companies (Goldman Sachs, Intuit, GNC, Star Scientific, Bank Hapoalim, Banco San Juan Internacional, Bancredito Holding Corp., and a large Latin American oil and gas company), public officials (Governors Jim Gibbons and George Pataki; Senators Robert Torricelli, John Ensign, John Edwards, and Robert Menendez; Reps. Gary Condit, Charlie Wilson, Walter Fauntroy, Harold Ford, Bill Boner, Jim Weaver, Austin Murphy, and Joe McDade; New York Majority Leader Joe Bruno, Puerto Rico Senator Hector Martinez, D.C. Councilman Jack Evans, Senior Presidential Advisors Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, former U.N. Ambassador from Venezuela Raphael Ramirez), international organizations (U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights), state and local governments (City of Alexandria, Virginia), government lobbyists (Jack Abramoff; former AIPAC official Steve Rosen), businessmen (Devin Wenig, Victor Restis, Gene Phillips, Aubrey McClendon, and Sam Waksal), actors (Steven Seagal, Sean Combs) and others (Hunter Biden).

Abbe has been recognized by various publications ranging from The National Law Journal to Chambers USA as one of the most influential and most successful attorneys in the United States. He has written articles on legal issues and current political events that have been widely published. He has also written op-ed pieces for newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today, and Roll Call, as well as articles for legal publications and websites, such as Business Crimes Bulletin, American Criminal Law Review, Law.com, The National Law Journal, and Legal Times. Abbe wrote the chapter “The Penal System Is Broken” for Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, a book edited by Larry King.

Key Matters

Some of the experience represented below may have been handled at a previous firm.

Criminal Cases

United States v. Hunter Biden (tax and gun cases pending in California and Delaware)

United States v. Hamilton, et al. (real estate developer charged with bribery)

United States v. Al Malik Alshahhi, et al. (analyst charged with acting as agent of a foreign government)

United States v. Toussie (real estate developer indicted for tax violations)

United States v. Judy Wischer (bank CEO charged with securities and bank fraud)

United States v. Roya Rahmani (political asylum grantee indicted by California U.S. Attorney for illegally providing aid to foreign groups—case later reinstated)

United States v. Jack Abramoff (D.C. lobbyist charged with gratuities, wire fraud and tax evasion)

United States v. Behzad Cohen (chemical company indicted by California U.S. Attorney for violation of drug distribution laws)

United States v. Henry Cisneros and Sylvia Arce-Garcia (public officials indicted for perjury and obstruction)

United States v. Steven Rosen (AIPAC lobbyist charged under the Espionage Act with disclosing classified information)

United States v. Clarence Mitchell (state official charged with bribery)

State of Maryland v. Stephen Edwards (16-year-old charged with murder)

United States v. Sam McKerall (real estate developer indicted for bank and other fraud)

United States v. Peter Gill (bank CEO indicted for bank and other fraud)

United States v. Erwin Friedman (real estate developer indicted for bank and other fraud)

United States v. Thomas Gaubert (real estate developer indicted for bank and other fraud)

United States v. Phil Palmer (leading attorney indicted for bankruptcy fraud)

United States v. Jack Harvard (bank president/local mayor charged with bank fraud)

United States v. Loren Mintz (bank president indicted for bank fraud)

United States v. Henry Espy (Mississippi public official indicted for election law and bank fraud)

United States v. Gene Phillips (real estate developer/stock investor indicted for securities fraud)

United States v. Paul Minor, et al. (trial attorney charged with bribery and racketeering)

United States v. Joseph Bruno (former New York Senate leader charged with honest services violations)

United States v. Ousama Naaman (businessman charged with Foreign Corrupt Practices Act)

United States v. Hector Martinez (Puerto Rico Senator charged with bribery)

United States v. John Edwards (former presidential candidate on election law charges)

United States v. Robert Menendez (sitting U.S. Senator on corruption and false filing charges)

Civil Cases

Charroud v. Kingdon of Morocco (case against Kingdom alleging civil rights violations)

Harvest Natural Resources, Inc., et al v. Mendoza Garcia, et al. (former U.N. Ambassador case involving bribery)

Joan Baez v. CIA (FOIA appeal)

City of Alexandria, VA v. FAA (lawsuit challenging flight patterns via Endangered Species Act)

G-I Holdings v. Baron & Budd (federal civil RICO and fraud case)

McCarthy v. City of Alexandria (federal civil rights defense)

SCAD v. SVA (Georgia highest court case affirming client’s claims of civil liability for co-conspirators)

Lawrence v. A.S. Abell Co. (Maryland highest court case defending newspaper from invasion of privacy)

Abramson v. JCC (Maryland highest court case establishing charitable immunity)

Toussie v. Suffolk County (federal civil rights claims)

Gaubert v. United States (Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas case involving claims of U.S. violations of civil rights and tort claims)

Victor Restis v. UANI (international shipping businessman defamation suit)

Bailey, et al. v. George Pataki, et al. (former New York Governor case involving federal civil rights claims)

Representative Administrative/Congressional Proceedings

In re: Impeachment Proceedings of President William Jefferson Clinton (Chief Minority Investigative Counsel)

In re: Rep. Charles Wilson (Congressman’s ethics counsel)

In re: Rep. Mario Biaggi (Congressman’s ethics counsel)

In re: Rep. Austin J. Murphy (Congressman’s ethics counsel)

In re: Rep. William H. Boner (Congressman’s ethics counsel)

In re: Rep. Walter Fauntroy (Congressman’s ethics counsel)

In re: Rep. Roy Dyson (Congressman’s ethics counsel)

In re: Rep. Dan Daniels (Congressman’s ethics counsel)

In re: Rep. James Weaver (Congressman’s ethics counsel)

In re: Rep. Charles G. Rose III (Congressman’s ethics counsel)

In re: Lincoln Savings and Loan Association (OTS cease and desist proceeding)

Recent Experience

Prevailed in Fifth Circuit for Prominent Real Estate Developer, Vacating Bribery and Conspiracy Convictions

Secured High-Profile Acquittal at Trial for Matthew Grimes on Charges He Acted as an Unregistered Foreign Agent

Abbe has received numerous accolades from his peers and prominent legal publications, and he is consistently ranked among top Washington, DC, and national lawyers. Publications in which he has been recognized include:

Chambers USA—Ranked “Band 1” for White Collar Defense & Government Investigations in Washington, D.C. (2018–2024) and listed as a “Recognized Practitioner” for Nationwide Litigation: Trial Lawyers (2018–2019)
The Legal 500 US—Recognized as a “Leading Trial Lawyer” (2012–2024) and “Hall of Fame” (2020–2024)
The Legal 500 Latin America, International Firms—Recognized for Compliance & Investigations (2022–2024)
The Best Lawyers in America^®—Recognized for Criminal Defense – White Collar (2005–2012, 2018–2025)
Lawdragon “500 Leading Global Litigators”—Recognized for Crisis Management, White Collar, Global Disputes & Investigations (2024)
Lawdragon “500 Leading Litigators in America”—Recognized for White Collar and Investigations (2023–2025)
Benchmark Litigation US—Recognized as a “National Practice Area Star” for White Collar Crime, Securities, Professional Liability and Commercial Litigation (2019–2025); as a “D.C. Litigation Star” (2019–2025); and as one of the “Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America” (2015, 2018–2025)
Forbes—Recognized as one of the “Top 200 Lawyers in America” (2024)
Washington, DC Super Lawyers—Recognized for White Collar Criminal Defense (2007–2024)
Who’s Who Legal—Recognized as a “Leading Investigations Lawyer” (2024); a “Thought Leader” for Business Crime Defence – Corporates and Individuals (2022); and a “Global Leader” for Business Crime Defence – Corporates and Individuals and Investigations (2022)
Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers—Listed (2000–2012)
Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Business Crime Defense Lawyers—Listed (2012)
Washingtonian Magazine—Lawyer Lifetime Achievement Member ( 2022)
The National Law Journal—Recognized as a “Criminal Law Trailblazer” (2020); a “Winning Litigator” (2018 and 2020); and a “White Collar Litigation Trailblazer” (2018)
Recognized as one of the “Top 38 Criminal Defense Attorneys in America” (2016)
Expert Guide’s Best of the Best USA—Recognized as one of the top 30 “Leading White Collar Crime Lawyers” (2015)
Law360—“White Collar MVP” (2013)
The National Law Journal—Selected as the “Most Influential Lawyer in America” (2013)
National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers—Selected as the “White Collar Criminal Defense Attorney of the Year” (2013)
Washingtonian Magazine—Recognized as as one of the “Top 30 Lawyers in Washington, D.C.” (2011)
The National Law Journal—Recognized as one of the “Most Influential Lawyers in America” (2011)
The National Law Journal—Listed on the “Appellate Hot List” (2010)
Lawdragon 500—Recognized (2006–2009)
The National Law Journal—Recognized as one of the “100 Most Influential Attorneys in America” (2006)
Marquis Who’s Who in America—Listed (2006–2009)
Marquis Who’s Who in American Law—Listed (2005–2009)
Legal Times—Recognized as one of the “Top 10 Leading White – Collar Criminal Defense Lawyers in Washington, D.C.” (2006)
Washingtonian Magazine—Recognized as a “Top Attorney” (in every survey conducted since 1986)
The National Law Journal—Listed as one of the “Top 10 Trial Lawyers in America” (July 2002)
The National Law Journal—Recognized on the “Appellate Hot List” (2010)
Vanity Fair—Listed as one of the “Top Lawyers in Washington and the Washington Universe” (October 1997)
Roll Call—Listed as one of the “D.C. Lawyers to Call” (1993)
Regardie—Listed on the “Washington Power 100” (November 1991)

Capabilities

Government Investigations, Enforcement & Compliance

Commercial Litigation & Disputes

Securities, M&A & Corporate Governance Litigation

Appellate & Critical Motions

Antitrust/Competition

International Trade

Government Program Fraud, False Claims Act & Qui Tam Litigation

Financial Services

Technology, Media & Telecommunications

Sports

Health Care

Medical Devices