Brian K. Steinwascher

Brian focuses on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations and commercial litigation, with an emphasis on health care fraud. He regularly defends companies under investigation for alleged violations of the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute.

Throughout his career, Brian has represented a wide variety of clients, including large corporations, privately held companies and individuals, in internal investigations and criminal proceedings. He represents clients in cases involving complex frauds, Ponzi schemes, breach of contract claims and related business disputes. Brian also regularly defends individuals and companies in SEC investigations and in wire, bank and securities fraud cases.

Brian’s trial experience includes serving as co-lead counsel in a federal criminal trial, and he has appeared as lead counsel or co-counsel in numerous cases in federal and state courts in New York and New Jersey.

Brian takes a pragmatic approach to client counseling. He listens closely to the client to understand their ultimate goal in a dispute and works efficiently to achieve that goal cost-effectively. In some circumstances, this means he negotiates to de-escalate tense disagreements among businesspeople; in others, he litigates cases aggressively and relentlessly through preliminary injunctions, discovery, motion practice, hearings and trials.

In criminal investigations, Brian recognizes the value of having informal discussions with prosecutors while always being prepared to launch a forceful defense in court. In every case, he leaves no stone unturned.

Prior to joining Thompson Hine, Brian practiced law at a large international law firm, where he gained substantial experience in complex white collar investigations and cases, including in a multinational investigation of a financial institution involving alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Before private practice, Brian was a clerk for Judge Freda L. Wolfson of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey and for Judge Peter T. Zarella, Associate Justice of the Connecticut Supreme Court.