Conducting Internal Investigations in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond: Best Practices and Key Considerations.

Conducting an internal investigation is a critical step to consider when allegations of misconduct come to light. However, the increased organizational risks brought by the COVID-19 pandemic, including the significant uptick in complex internal complaints, have turned this aspect of business operation even more challenging.
Companies today must start prioritizing effective internal investigations strategies to avoid potential risks and issues. They need to adapt their approaches in the post-COVID-19 era while maximizing protection and compliance. Thus, practical preparedness related to the essential steps and guiding principles of internal investigation is necessary to weather all challenges that might come in the process.
Listen as a panel of key thought leaders and practitioners organized by The Knowledge Group provide the audience with the best practices and key considerations to maintain compliance when conducting internal investigations in a post-COVID-19 era.

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Michael D. Farber, Partner at Van Ness Feldman LLP, Elizabeth J. McEvoy, Partner at Hinckley Allen, Beth P. Weinman, Counsel at Ropes & Gray
Michael D. Farber, Partner Van Ness Feldman LLP Mike Farber has twenty years of experience, both as a partner in private practice and as a government official, in rapidly assessing, investigating, and resolving compliance issues across a wide variety of industries. Drawing upon his experience both in private practice and at the U.S. Department of Justice, Mike represents clients in federal and state antitrust investigations, complex litigation, and intricate compliance matters. Mike also provides strategic advice and counsel on national security matters related to incident response and the protection of environmental and energy infrastructure from cyber and physical threats. Prior to joining Van Ness Feldman, Mike served as the Senior Advisor to the Director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) at the U.S. Department of the Interior, where he spent six years leading a number of initiatives reforming U.S. government oversight of offshore oil and gas operations. During his tenure at BSEE, spanning the initial five years of the agency’s existence, Mike led or was involved in all significant BSEE enforcement and investigative matters. Mike serves as a member of Van Ness Feldman’s Executive Committee, co-coordinator of the firm’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee, and formerly served as co-coordinator of the firm’s Litigation and Investigations Practice. Elizabeth J. McEvoy, Partner Hinckley Allen Elizabeth is an experienced litigator and advisor who focuses her practice on healthcare litigation and government investigations/white-collar criminal defense. She is the Chair of the firm’s Research Misconduct & Integrity Practice Group, where she draws on her healthcare and white-collar defense background in representing individuals and institutions in a variety of research integrity and compliance matters, including research fraud/misconduct, sexual harassment/hostile work environment, conflicts of interest, foreign influence on US-based research, and violations of the False Claims Act. She is among the most experienced litigators who has advised and defended allegations of scientific research misconduct (falsification/fabrication of data), and brings a multi-disciplinary perspective to advise federal grant recipients on alleged misuse of federal funds and related non-compliance with NIH, NSF, ORI, and DOJ terms and conditions. Beth P. Weinman, Counsel Ropes & Gray Beth Weinman, Counsel in Ropes & Gray’s FDA regulatory practice group, focuses her practice on FDA regulation and enforcement of laws governing pharmaceuticals, biologics, medical devices including diagnostics, and dietary supplements. Beth represents clients in investigations concerning alleged violations of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) and False Claims Act (FCA). She also provides regulatory and compliance counseling related to marketing practices, good manufacturing practices, good clinical practices, compounding, and product recalls and withdrawals. Beth joined Ropes in 2018 from FDA’s Office of Chief Counsel, where she worked closely with FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations, the Department of Justice and other government agencies on FDCA and FCA investigations and enforcement.