Sarah M. Hall

Corporations and individuals alike turn to Sarah M. Hall, an experienced former federal prosecutor, to represent them in government investigations and prosecutions of alleged violations of the health care, anti-fraud, procurement, public corruption, securities, commodities, environmental, and criminal tax laws.

From her many years as a prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Sarah has extensive experience in every phase of a federal criminal case—from investigation to jury trials to appeals.

Clients benefit from Sarah’s insight into how prosecutors and law enforcement agents think, investigate, and try cases. With her firsthand knowledge, Sarah vigorously advocates for her client’s interests—and persuades law enforcement agencies to decline to pursue criminal charges or other enforcement actions. Because Sarah’s goal is to resolve government investigations without charges or adverse publicity, many of her most important successes, such as the criminal and civil declinations she has achieved for her clients, are not publicized. Sarah is also ready, willing, and able to take a federal criminal case to trial.

As a former white collar crime prosecutor, Sarah represents companies and individuals in a wide variety of DOJ white collar criminal investigations and prosecutions. They include cases related to alleged Ponzi schemes and other securities and commodities fraud, criminal government contract fraud, tax fraud, public corruption, conspiracies, extortion, bribery/gratuities, criminal Clean Air Act violations, bid-rigging, and other antitrust violations.

As a former health care fraud prosecutor, Sarah devotes a significant part of her practice to representing companies and individuals in criminal and civil (False Claims Act) health care enforcement matters. Sarah defends clients in government investigations brought by Main Justice, US Attorneys’ Offices around the country, and state Attorneys General / Medicaid Fraud Control Units (MFCUs). Her health care clients include nursing homes / skilled nursing facilities (SNFs), other long-term care facilities, SNF Property Companies (PropCos), SNF Operating Companies (OpCos), SNF management companies, private equity and venture capital groups, pharmacies, medical practices, behavioral health providers, independent diagnostic testing facilities, medical consulting companies, physicians, medical industry executives, and sales reps.

Sarah regularly represents clients in civil False Claims Act investigations outside of the health care world. Her clients have included government contractors, federal grant recipients, and clients under investigation related to their receipt of CARES Act funding, including federal funds under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Provider Relief Fund (PRF).

Clients also look to Sarah to lead sensitive corporate internal investigations. Her experience in internal investigations includes those relating to financial fraud, public corruption, workplace culture investigations, health care, FCPA violations, export control violations, narcotics in a corporate setting, #MeToo sexual harassment, and whistleblower retaliation.

Read more

Sarah previously served for seven years as a white collar crime prosecutor with the Fraud Section of DOJ’s Criminal Division. Sarah began her DOJ career as a prosecutor on the highly successful nationwide Medicare Fraud Strike Force, and she has significant experience prosecuting criminal health care fraud, money laundering, and kickback offenses. In the Securities and Financial Fraud Unit (now known as the Market Integrity and Major Frauds Unit), Sarah investigated and prosecuted some of the most complex financial crimes on Wall Street. Her primary focus was the investigation and prosecution of major global financial institutions, executives, and financial traders.

As a prosecutor, Sarah obtained dozens of convictions, via trial and plea, in six different federal trial courts across the country. Her trial experience includes having served as first chair in federal criminal trials lasting from several weeks to as long as nearly two months in duration.

Before her government service as a DOJ prosecutor, Sarah worked for international law firms, where she defended individuals and corporations in high-profile federal white collar criminal matters, parallel civil and regulatory investigations, and complex civil litigation. Her practice focused on securities/financial fraud, accounting improprieties, and corporate internal investigations.

Prior to her career as a lawyer, Sarah worked on Capitol Hill for a U.S. senator and a U.S. representative. She focused on Finance and Appropriations Committee matters.

Read less

• Attorney General’s Award for Fraud Prevention, Nominee (2013)
• The Best Lawyers in America: Criminal Defense: White Collar (2023 to 2025)
• Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business: District of Columbia—Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, "Leader in Their Field" (2024)
• Criminal Justice Act (CJA) Felony Panel for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, Panel Member (2018 to present)
• Law360: White Collar Editorial Board (2018)
• Washington, DC, Super Lawyers: Criminal Defense: White Collar, Health Care, Civil Litigation: Defense, Securities Litigation (2019 to 2024)

Education

• The George Washington University Law School (J.D., with honors, 2001)
  • Member, The George Washington International Law Review
• College of William and Mary (B.A., 1997)
  • Monroe Scholar

Professional & Community Involvement

• Edward Bennett Williams American Inn of Court, Barrister
• Women’s White Collar Defense Association, Public Relations Team