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Cheryl J. Risell
Of Counsel
Suite 900
Washington, D.C., 20001
Cheryl guides international and domestic clients through high-stakes government investigations and white-collar matters under both the US and UK legal systems, providing strategic counsel on internal investigations and regulatory inquiries. She also designs, implements, and assesses global compliance programs to mitigate risk. With a focus on complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense, Cheryl vigorously defends...
Cheryl guides international and domestic clients through high-stakes government investigations and white-collar matters under both the US and UK legal systems, providing strategic counsel on internal investigations and regulatory inquiries. She also designs, implements, and assesses global compliance programs to mitigate risk. With a focus on complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense, Cheryl vigorously defends clients before the DOJ, Congress, SEC, and other government regulators. Her experience spans a broad spectrum of allegations, including securities and accounting fraud, foreign corruption, economic sanctions violations, False Claims Act (FCA) violations, theft of intellectual property, antitrust issues, conspiracies, and other business crimes.
Cheryl possesses deep knowledge in the Controlled Substances Act, where she defends healthcare providers, including hospitals and pharmaceutical distributors, from accusations of diversion, including courtroom experience in front of an administrative law judge. She conducts thorough internal investigations and manages all inquiries from DEA for a wide range of clients. Furthermore, Cheryl provides counsel on cannabis regulations and navigating cannabis laws.
Cheryl also has experience representing clients in regulatory proceedings and investigations before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and state energy regulatory agencies. Cheryl represents both companies and individuals in government investigations by regulators and the U.S. Department of Justice concerning a broad range of issues, including manipulation, fraud, price reporting, supervisory controls, and other prohibited trading practices.
clients before the DOJ, Congress, SEC, and other government regulators. Her experience spans a broad spectrum of allegations, including securities and accounting fraud, foreign corruption, economic sanctions violations, False Claims Act (FCA) violations, theft of intellectual property, antitrust issues, conspiracies, and other business crimes.
Cheryl possesses deep knowledge in the Controlled Substances Act, where she defends healthcare providers, including hospitals and pharmaceutical distributors, from accusations of diversion, including courtroom experience in front of an administrative law judge. She conducts thorough internal investigations and manages all inquiries from DEA for a wide range of clients. Furthermore, Cheryl provides counsel on cannabis regulations and navigating cannabis laws.
Cheryl also has experience representing clients in regulatory proceedings and investigations before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and state energy regulatory agencies. Cheryl represents both companies and individuals in government investigations by regulators and the U.S. Department of Justice concerning a broad range of issues, including manipulation, fraud, price reporting, supervisory controls, and other prohibited trading practices.
Experience
Representative Matters
- Represented an international technology company conducting an internal investigation in India after a whistleblower alleged bribery of government officials, bid-rigging of government tenders and other violations of the FCPA. At the conclusion of the investigation, provided the company with a work plan to investigate other high-risk jurisdictions for similar illegal practices.
- Represented a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical distributor in (i) a DEA administrative proceeding; (ii) a criminal investigation; (iii) the settlement of a civil enforcement action for financial penalties; and (iv) a lawsuit brought by the client against the DOJ and DEA.
- Conducted a sensitive and extensive internal investigation for a hospital client, addressing allegations of fentanyl diversion by a CRNA and providing actionable findings.
- Represented the head of compliance for a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical distributor in a criminal investigation into failure to report orders of controlled substances.
- Represented a hedge fund accused of insider trading days prior to a high-profile merger.
- Represented a cryptocurrency company founder, leading the team conducting a privilege review of the founder’s personal communications.
- Represented a large institutional investment bank in multi-party, multi-jurisdictional proceedings in the UK Supreme Court arising out of the transfer of assets and liabilities of a collapsed Portuguese Bank.
- Represented an international investment bank that allegedly engaged in money laundering, bank fraud, accounting violations, and books and records violations in proceeding before multiple international regulators including the DOJ, SEC, FCA and the SFO.
- Represented several investment firms in relation to litigation arising out of the purchase of secondary debt trading instrument executed in Europe and the Middle East.
- Originated a client relationship with a technology company providing early warning systems and secure data collection in conflict zones, assisting with its U.S. regulatory compliance needs, including sanctions and ITAR.
Previous Professional Experience
- Associate, Washington D.C. office of full-service global law firm (2023–2025)
- Secondee, Credit Suisse, U.S. Public Policy, Washington D.C. (2022)
- Associate, London and Washington D.C. office of global law firm (2018–2023)
Languages
- Spanish
Education
- University of Law, London, GDL, LPC (JD equivalent) (2016)
- London School of Economics and Political Science, MS, Politics and Government of the European Union, with merit (2012)
- Florida State University, BA, Political Science and International Affairs, magna cum laude (2010)
Admissions
- California
- England
- Wales
Practice Areas
Representative Matters
- Represented an international technology company conducting an internal investigation in India after a whistleblower alleged bribery of government officials, bid-rigging of government tenders and other violations of the FCPA. At the conclusion of the investigation, provided the company with a work plan to investigate other high-risk jurisdictions for similar illegal practices.
- Represented a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical distributor in (i) a DEA administrative proceeding; (ii) a criminal investigation; (iii) the settlement of a civil enforcement action for financial penalties; and (iv) a lawsuit brought by the client against the DOJ and DEA.
- Conducted a sensitive and extensive internal investigation for a hospital client, addressing allegations of fentanyl diversion by a CRNA and providing actionable findings.
- Represented the head of compliance for a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical distributor in a criminal investigation into failure to report orders of controlled substances.
- Represented a hedge fund accused of insider trading days prior to a high-profile merger.
- Represented a cryptocurrency company founder, leading the team conducting a privilege review of the founder’s personal communications.
- Represented a large institutional investment bank in multi-party, multi-jurisdictional proceedings in the UK Supreme Court arising out of the transfer of assets and liabilities of a collapsed Portuguese Bank.
- Represented an international investment bank that allegedly engaged in money laundering, bank fraud, accounting violations, and books and records violations in proceeding before multiple international regulators including the DOJ, SEC, FCA and the SFO.
- Represented several investment firms in relation to litigation arising out of the purchase of secondary debt trading instrument executed in Europe and the Middle East.
- Originated a client relationship with a technology company providing early warning systems and secure data collection in conflict zones, assisting with its U.S. regulatory compliance needs, including sanctions and ITAR.
Previous Professional Experience
- Associate, Washington D.C. office of full-service global law firm (2023–2025)
- Secondee, Credit Suisse, U.S. Public Policy, Washington D.C. (2022)
- Associate, London and Washington D.C. office of global law firm (2018–2023)
Languages
- Spanish
Media
Cheryl guides international and domestic clients through high-stakes government investigations and white-collar matters under both the US and UK legal systems, providing strategic counsel on internal investigations and regulatory inquiries. She also designs, implements, and assesses global compliance programs to mitigate risk. With a focus on complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal defense, Cheryl vigorously defends... clients before the DOJ, Congress, SEC, and other government regulators. Her experience spans a broad spectrum of allegations, including securities and accounting fraud, foreign corruption, economic sanctions violations, False Claims Act (FCA) violations, theft of intellectual property, antitrust issues, conspiracies, and other business crimes.
Cheryl possesses deep knowledge in the Controlled Substances Act, where she defends healthcare providers, including hospitals and pharmaceutical distributors, from accusations of diversion, including courtroom experience in front of an administrative law judge. She conducts thorough internal investigations and manages all inquiries from DEA for a wide range of clients. Furthermore, Cheryl provides counsel on cannabis regulations and navigating cannabis laws.
Cheryl also has experience representing clients in regulatory proceedings and investigations before the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and state energy regulatory agencies. Cheryl represents both companies and individuals in government investigations by regulators and the U.S. Department of Justice concerning a broad range of issues, including manipulation, fraud, price reporting, supervisory controls, and other prohibited trading practices.
Experience
The following is a selected sampling of matters and is provided for informational purposes only. Past success does not indicate the likelihood of success in any future matter.Representative Matters
- Represented an international technology company conducting an internal investigation in India after a whistleblower alleged bribery of government officials, bid-rigging of government tenders and other violations of the FCPA. At the conclusion of the investigation, provided the company with a work plan to investigate other high-risk jurisdictions for similar illegal practices.
- Represented a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical distributor in (i) a DEA administrative proceeding; (ii) a criminal investigation; (iii) the settlement of a civil enforcement action for financial penalties; and (iv) a lawsuit brought by the client against the DOJ and DEA.
- Conducted a sensitive and extensive internal investigation for a hospital client, addressing allegations of fentanyl diversion by a CRNA and providing actionable findings.
- Represented the head of compliance for a multibillion-dollar pharmaceutical distributor in a criminal investigation into failure to report orders of controlled substances.
- Represented a hedge fund accused of insider trading days prior to a high-profile merger.
- Represented a cryptocurrency company founder, leading the team conducting a privilege review of the founder’s personal communications.
- Represented a large institutional investment bank in multi-party, multi-jurisdictional proceedings in the UK Supreme Court arising out of the transfer of assets and liabilities of a collapsed Portuguese Bank.
- Represented an international investment bank that allegedly engaged in money laundering, bank fraud, accounting violations, and books and records violations in proceeding before multiple international regulators including the DOJ, SEC, FCA and the SFO.
- Represented several investment firms in relation to litigation arising out of the purchase of secondary debt trading instrument executed in Europe and the Middle East.
- Originated a client relationship with a technology company providing early warning systems and secure data collection in conflict zones, assisting with its U.S. regulatory compliance needs, including sanctions and ITAR.
Previous Professional Experience
- Associate, Washington D.C. office of full-service global law firm (2023–2025)
- Secondee, Credit Suisse, U.S. Public Policy, Washington D.C. (2022)
- Associate, London and Washington D.C. office of global law firm (2018–2023)
Languages
- Spanish
Education
- University of Law, London, GDL, LPC (JD equivalent) (2016)
- London School of Economics and Political Science, MS, Politics and Government of the European Union, with merit (2012)
- Florida State University, BA, Political Science and International Affairs, magna cum laude (2010)
Admissions
- California
- England
- Wales
Practice Areas
- White Collar Defense & Government Investigations
- Anti-Money Laundering
- Litigation, Government Response, and Crisis Management
- White Collar Healthcare Fraud, Compliance & Litigation
- Securities & Enforcement
Industries
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