Sara Kropf

REPRESENTATIVE MATTERS

White Collar Criminal Defense 

• Defended real estate developer in multi-week federal bribery and conspiracy trial
• Defended president of a construction company accused of contracting fraud in both federal and state cases, including winning a reversal of a trial conviction after the government failed to disclose exculpatory evidence
• Won a complete acquittal at trial for an executive of a clinical laboratory accused of Medicare kickbacks and research fraud
• Won complete acquittal at trial of medical care provider accused of felony rioting during political demonstration
• Represented entrepreneur in federal criminal investigation into alleged Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act violations
• Represented company executives accused of criminal antitrust violations related to alleged price-fixing and bid-rigging in government contracts 
• Represented CEO of company in federal contacting fraud matter into allegedly improper set-aside contracts
• Represent employee in federal criminal environmental investigation involving Toxic Substances Control Act 
• Represented small business federal contractor in parallel criminal and civil investigations

Office of Inspector General (OIG) Investigations 

• Defended federal employee in OIG investigations into allegations of time-and-attendance violations
• Defended head of agency into allegations of conflict of interest and procurement violations
• Represented agency commissioner in OIG investigation 
• Represented engineering company in an OIG investigation related to federal contracts.
• Represented OIG employee in multiple investigations by Council of Inspectors General for Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE)
• Represented employee in OIG investigation into alleged post-employment ethics violations 

Corporate Internal Investigations 

• Led internal investigation into employee’s multi-year embezzlement scheme at a public company
• Led internal investigation into potential ethics violation by executive at international organization
• Conducted internal investigation into accounting issues associated with a multi-billion dollar financial restatement
• Conducted internal investigation at public agency into alleged procurement misconduct 

Civil Litigation 

• Successfully defended law firm partner in trial against breach of fiduciary duty and breach of contract claims related to the firm’s dissolution
• Successfully defended former retail company CEO in federal court trial in breach of contract case involving a complex real estate transaction
• Represented company in fraudulent conveyance claim related to ground lease 
• Prevailed in arbitration for technology company for breach of contract claims
• Prevailed in state court trial for a general contractor in defamation case
• Successfully defended public company in lawsuit alleging tortious interference of contract and civil conspiracy claims in state court
• Represented an energy company in defamation and RICO matters in federal court, as well as successfully defended company at trial of allegations of human rights abuses overseas
• Represented limited liability company in federal court case alleging fraudulent conveyance
• Defended a Fortune-500 company in a class action lawsuit alleging civil fraud and RICO

Community Involvement and Leadership

• Fellow, American College of Trial Lawyers
• Elected Member, Board of Governors for the D.C. Bar, 2014-2017
• Board Member, Legal Counsel for the Elderly
• Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• Board Member, D.C. Circuit Historical Society
• Member, Women’s White Collar Defense Association 
• Member, American Bar Association 
• Past member, Steering Committee for Law Practice Management Committee, D.C. Bar
• Past member, Continuing Legal Education Committee, D.C. Bar

RECOGNITION 

• Named Top 50 Women Lawyer in Washington DC, Superlawyers Magazine (2016-2024)
• Named Top 100 Lawyer in Washington DC, Superlawyers Magazine (2016-2017, 2020-2024)
• Superlawyer in White Collar Criminal Defense (2013-2024)
• Washingtonian Magazine Best Lawyers (2020-2024)
• National Law Journal Trailblazer Award (2020)
• Raising the Bar Leadership Circle, Platinum Leadership Circle (2016-2024) (reflecting highest level of legal services charitable donations by law firms)
• Invited instructor, National Institute of Trial Advocacy 
• American Bar Association 100 Best Blog for Grand Jury Target

TEACHING

• Defending Clients in White Collar Criminal Defense, D.C. Bar CLE
• Direct Examination and Witness Preparation, D.C. Bar CLE
• Understanding Joint Defense Agreements: The Implications for White Collar Clients CLE, American Bar Association CLE
• Increase in Search Warrants in White Collar Criminal Investigations, ABA White Collar Institute 
• Maximizing Attorney-Client Privilege Over the Work of an “Outsider” on Your Criminal Defense Team, Thomson Reuters CLE
• Inspector General Whistleblower Investigations – How They Work & How to Manage Them, Public Contracting Institute CLE
• Motions for Sanctions in Discovery Disputes, D.C. Bar CLE
• Motions for Summary Judgment in the District of Columbia, D.C. Bar CLE
• Criminal Asset Forfeiture Issues, National Association of Criminal Defense Counsel 

WRITING 

• Challenging the Use of Taint Teams to Protect the Attorney-Client Privilege After a Search Warrant, ABA Criminal Justice Magazine
• Defending a Client in a Self-Disclosure World: A Practical Guide to Representing Federal Government Contractors in Parallel Criminal, Civil, and Administrative Investigations, NACDL The Champion Magazine
• How to Increase Your Client Base By Blogging, ABA GP Solo Magazine 
• The Reach of Federal Extortion and Blackmail Statutes, ABA Criminal Justice Magazine 
• Protecting the Attorney-Client Privilege When the Government Executes a Search Warrant, NACDL The Champion Magazine 
• Civil RICO Class Actions: A New Bridge to the Courthouse?, ABA CADS Report 
• Protecting the Confidentiality of the Work of an ‘Outsider’ On the Defense Team, NACDL The Champion Magazine
• Why We Shouldn’t Fall for DOJ’s Sales Pitch, Law360
• The Dangers of Rule 26.2—or “Reverse Jencks”—Reciprocal Discovery at Trial, Law360
• The “Chief” Problem with Reciprocal Discovery, NACDL The Champion Magazine 
• The Basics of an Office of Inspector General Investigation—Why Lawyers and Clients Should Both Worry, NACDL The Champion Magazine