Fritz E. Berckmueller - Lawyer in Cleveland, OH

Fritz Berckmueller leads Calfees White-Collar Defense and Investigations practice, where he focuses on helping corporate clients and individuals navigate criminal investigations and inquiries and other related matters, by both federal and state agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), among others.

Fritz has extensive experience in each of the following areas:

• FCPA and other bribery and corruption matters, both foreign and domestic
• Securities fraud and False Claims Act (FCA) investigations
• Securities fraud class actions, shareholder derivative actions, and proxy challenges
• Economic Espionage Act and criminal trade secret theft investigations and prosecutions
• Treasury and Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC ) investigations regarding sanctions lists
• Department of Commerce and the Export Administration Act
• Whistleblower claims
• FINRA insider trading inquiries

Additionally, he has significant experience conducting internal corporate investigations for boards and audit committees on governance and other issues.

Fritz has defended individuals and corporations against criminal investigations and in criminal actions in courts across the country over charges of securities fraud, copyright infringement, public corruption and theft of trade secrets/economic espionage. He also assists clients in developing policies, providing training and conducting due diligence in many of these areas, including FCPA and other anti-corruption and bribery laws.

Fritz also regularly represents businesses and business partners in arbitration and in state and federal courts regarding commercial disputes such as breach of contract, fraud, breach of duty, tortious interference, misappropriation of trade secrets and civil conspiracy. He writes and speaks regularly on issues relating to securities fraud, shareholder derivative actions, corporate compliance and internal investigations. Formerly at a firm in Chicago, Fritz joined Calfee in 2006 and became a partner in 2010.