Preston Pugh

Preston Pugh is a trial lawyer and the co-chair of Crowell & Moring’s False Claims Act (“FCA”) practice. A former Assistant U.S. Attorney, compliance monitor, and Senior Counsel at a Fortune 10 company, today clients rely on him for advice in complex government and internal investigations, high-stakes litigation matters, significant regulatory enforcement issues, substantial reputational concerns, and the implementation of remedial measures and compliance programs. His extensive work in corporate investigations has been recognized in The Legal 500.

Preston has served as a first chair trial lawyer in several successful jury trials, and has argued cases in the majority of the federal courts of appeals. A member of the bars of Washington, D.C., Illinois and New York, he has led the defense of whistleblower investigations and litigation in many different industries, including health care, financial services, insurance, professional services and consulting, defense and aerospace, and government contracting. His recent engagements include, among others, the defense of corporations investigated by the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) in significant cases; successfully representing heavily regulated companies in arbitrations; and, several internal corporate investigations involving C-Suite leaders focused on governance and corporate ethics.

Preston is also a leader in the development of national criminal justice and global compliance policy. Recently, he served as one of the “experts in corporate ethics and compliance” that DOJ consulted in announcing policy reforms in its “Further Revisions to Corporate Criminal Enforcement Policies” memo (the September 2022 “Monaco Memo”). He is a voting member of the ABA Criminal Justice Section Council, which proposes changes in the administration of criminal justice to federal and state legislatures. He is a member of the board of the NYU Program and Corporate Compliance and Enforcement, a law and research program dedicated to developing a richer and deeper understanding of the causes of corporate misconduct and the nature of effective enforcement and compliance. And, he is a member of the board of the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, the oldest and largest national, nonprofit membership organization devoted to advocating for equal justice.

Additionally, Preston is a frequently published writer and speaker on topics related to corporate compliance, whistleblower investigations, and the False Claims Act. In 2023, he was part of a small group who worked with senior DOJ leaders from around the country to create the first Charlotte E. Ray lecture at Howard University School of Law.

Career & Education

Government Experience

• Department of Justice: United States Attorneys' Office
  • Northern District of Illinois: Assistant United States Attorney, 1999–2002
• National Labor Relations Board
  • Appellate Court Branch, 1997–1999

Education

• Cornell University, B.A., 1994
• New York University School of Law, J.D., 1997

Admissions

• District of Columbia
• Illinois
• New York
• Supreme Court of the United States
• U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit
• U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

Affiliations

Professional Activities and Memberships

• Co-Chair, Global Anti-Corruption Committee, American Bar Association
• Co-Chair, Qui Tam Subcommittee, Criminal Justice Section, American Bar Association
• American Bar Association's Task Force on Corporate Monitors
• Leadership Greater Chicago, Class of 2012
• Former Member, Character and Fitness Committee, Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee
• Former Chair, Labor and Employment Committee, Chicago Bar Association