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Overview

Neil Schumacher is of counsel in the Litigation practice of Paul Hastings and is based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office.

Mr. Schumacher focuses his practice on anti-corruption and related regulatory enforcement, including government and internal investigations. Mr. Schumacher regularly counsels multinational clients in criminal and civil investigations conducted by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Securities and Exchange Commission, as well as in internal investigations. His substantive experience includes investigations into alleged corruption, procurement fraud, financial irregularities, promotional practices, local regulatory violations, and other complex matters. Several of these reviews also involved parallel investigations by foreign anti-corruption authorities or regulators including the U.K. Serious Fraud Office, Swiss Office of the Attorney General (OAG), and South African National Prosecuting Authority (NPA).

Mr. Schumacher’s clients include many of the largest companies in a broad range of sectors including pharmaceuticals and medical devices, consumer products, energy, infrastructure, and information technology.

Mr. Schumacher regularly travels to Russia/CIS and Eastern Europe and has particularly deep experience leading investigations, transactional due diligence, risk assessments, compliance audits, and other reviews triggered by US or local regulatory inquiries in this region. Mr. Schumacher’s work in Russia/CIS has included investigations and counseling in connection with US sanctions and anti-money laundering regulations. In addition to his work in Russia/CIS and Eastern Europe, Mr. Schumacher has also conducted investigations and other compliance reviews in China, Korea, and other countries in Asia, as well as several countries in the Middle East, Brazil, and other countries in Latin America.

As part of his anti-corruption practice, Mr. Schumacher also represents clients subject to corporate compliance monitorships and self-monitorships imposed as part of DOJ/SEC resolutions. He has played a key role in four compliance monitorships or self-reporting periods and routinely advises clients in developing, implementing, testing, and continuing to enhance global anti-corruption compliance programs and remedial measures in response to investigations, due diligence, and audits. He also advises clients in connection with data preservation, cross-border transfer, and data analytics issues often encountered in internal investigations and due diligence.

Prior to joining Paul Hastings, Mr. Schumacher served as a judicial law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois. Mr. Schumacher graduated from Boston College Law School (cum laude) in 2005. During law school, he wrote and edited for the Uniform Commercial Code Reporter-Digest and interned for the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division.

Representations

  • Representing a global supplier to the power industry in connection with multilateral criminal and civil investigation and related civil litigation regarding alleged corruption and tender manipulation in South Africa, as well as in connection with its continuing enhancements and continuing reporting obligations required as part of its resolution with DOJ/SEC.
  • Representing a major infrastructure company in connection with enhanced post-acquisition due diligence driven by ongoing DOJ/SEC and World Bank investigation.
  • Representing a Fortune 500 software company in connection with internal investigations and third-party reviews relating to potential corruption, sanctions, and data security risks in multiple markets.
  • Representing a global petrochemical company based in Brazil, with operations in Mexico and Europe, through all aspects of its corporate compliance monitorship required by its resolution with DOJ/SEC.
  • Regularly advising a Fortune 50 pharmaceutical and healthcare company in connection with its reporting to DOJ/SEC on internal investigations and compliance enhancements implemented throughout the term of its self-monitorship.
  • Representing several global pharmaceutical companies in connection with numerous internal investigations in the Russia/CIS region.
  • Representing a multi-national pharmaceutical company conducting FCPA and anti-corruption due diligence associated with its US$16 billion acquisition of the vaccines business of another pharmaceutical company, divestiture of its oncology business, and a consumer healthcare joint venture.
  • Representing a global consumer healthcare company in connection with anti- corruption due diligence, investigations, and post-acquisition remediation in multiple markets.
  • Representing a multinational manufacturer of HIV pharmaceutical products in multiple internal anti-corruption investigations.
  • Regularly advising a global valve supplier to the energy industry regarding general compliance matters, policies and procedures, and internal investigations in the United States and abroad during a three-year corporate compliance monitorship.
  • Defending a multinational bank against civil fraud, contract, and breach of fiduciary duty claims in connection with a private placement of warrants linked to the performance of hedge funds.
  • Representing a community bank responding to an SEC investigation into alleged irregularities in loan portfolio accounting.
  • Representing a Chapter 11 debtor in connection with a dispute over cash collateral posted on behalf of real estate limited partnerships.
  • Defending a mortgage servicer in contract litigation related to loan modifications.
  • Representing the board of a public pension fund in a mandamus action relating to the historical and prospective allocation of unfunded liabilities.

    Engagement & Publications

    • Presenter, Ephemeral Messaging: Guidelines, Tactics, and Approaches, 12th Annual Central and Eastern Europe Anti-Corruption Conference, October 2022
    • Presenter, White Collar Investigations in the U.S. and Ukraine, Ukrainian Network of Integrity and Compliance Webinar, December 2020
    • Presenter, Anti-Corruption Enforcement in Russia/CIS, Paul Hastings/EY Webinar, October 2018
    • Presenter, Anti-Corruption Compliance Trends and Developments, The Knowledge Group Webinar, August 2017
    • Co-Presenter, The Acquisition Due Diligence Process, Lorman Webinar, June 2017
    • Winter Is Coming: Responding to a Chilling Enforcement Landscape in Russia, Co-Author, Bloomberg BNA, October 2016
    • Panelist, The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: A Trap for the Unwary, National Association of Corporate Directors, December 2015
    • Investigations by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Co-Author, The American Bar Association, March 2015
    • Beyond Blocking Statutes: Revisiting Foreign Discovery Under the Hague Convention, Co-Author, The United States Law Week, February 2015
    • SEC Enforcement: Top 10 Developments Under Mary Jo White, Co-Author, Financial Fraud Law Report, May 2014
    • Overview of the Hague Convention on Taking of Evidence Abroad, October 2012
    • Sections 11 and 12(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, September 2012
    • SEC Enforcement Division Has Most Productive Year In Its History, Co-Author, The Daily Journal, December 19, 2011
    • The New Sheriff in Town, Co-author, The Daily Journal, September 3, 2009
    • Plaintiffs' Experts in '08 Securities Class Actions, Securities Law360, January 29, 2009

    Practice Areas

    Energy and Infrastructure

    Securities Enforcement

    Litigation

    Securities Litigation

    Anti-Corruption and FCPA

    Life Sciences and Healthcare

    Investigations and White Collar Defense


    Languages

    English


    Admissions

    District of Columbia Bar

    California Bar


    Education

    Boston College Law School, J.D. 2005

    Creighton University, B.A. 2002


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