Ryan Sparacino, the firm’s Managing Partner, focuses on complex investigations often involving U.S. government enforcement agencies. He has spent much of his career working on sensitive matters in challenging overseas jurisdictions in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Mr. Sparacino brings a variety of perspectives to his investigations practice.
He has previously worked as an investigations attorney at two global firms, serving as part of victorious criminal and civil trial teams, leading or helping manage investigations concerning the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, public corruption, securities fraud, mail and wire fraud, the False Claims Act, health care fraud, whistleblower claims, and national security matters relating to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. As a licensed private detective, Mr. Sparacino led comprehensive field investigations, anti-bribery reviews, due diligence inquiries, sophisticated background investigations, digital forensic investigations, and detailed international strategic intelligence cases.
Mr. Sparacino currently represents more than 2,500 Americans, including members of more than 600 families who lost a loved one, in ongoing terrorism cases, including cases against Iran, corporations that allegedly made payments to terrorists, and banks that allegedly helped terrorists move their money. Mr. Sparacino serves as lead investigative counsel in Atchley et al. v. AstraZeneca UK Ltd. et al., No. 1:17-cv-02136 (D.D.C. 2017), an Anti-Terrorism Act lawsuit against the parent companies and/or subsidiaries of AstraZeneca plc, General Electric Company, Johnson & Johnson, Pfizer Inc., and Roche Holding AG. The suit, filed on behalf of Americans who were attacked (or who have a family member who was attacked) by Shiite terrorists in Iraq, has been reported upon by the New York Times, USA Today, Fox News, NBC News, The Washington Post and other outlets. In July 2018, the New York Times reported that the Department of Justice is now “investigating claims that drug companies funded terrorism in Iraq.”
Mr. Sparacino serves as lead investigative counsel in Cabrera et al. v. Black & Veatch Special Projects Corp., et al., No. 1:19-cv-03833 (D.D.C. 2019), an Anti-Terrorism Act lawsuit against the parent companies and/or subsidiaries of Black & Veatch, DAI Global, Environmental Chemical Corporation, G4S, Janus Global Operations, Louis Berger Group, and MTN Group. The suit was filed on behalf of Americans who were seriously injured, or whose loved ones were killed or seriously injured, by attacks committed by al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan from 2009 through 2017. The case has been reported upon by the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, Fox News, CNN, the BBC, and other outlets.
Mr. Sparacino’s representations prior to this firm include:
- Sparacino directed an investigation concerning alleged health care fraud including alleged off-label marketing by a medical device manufacturer. He negotiated the resolution with the government, in which the client was able to resolve the allegations for pennies on the dollar without admission of wrongdoing.
- Sparacino represented a European corporation in a large global FCPA matter and was responsible for day-to-day management of the on-the-ground investigation at sites in the United States and Europe.
- Sparacino represented a key individual in an internationally-publicized federal criminal investigation and proceeding concerning the war in Iraq and helped investigate the allegations, interface with the government, and negotiate a resolution.
- Sparacino represented a former senior Bush Administration official in connection with a multi-year criminal investigation and proceeding.
- Sparacino represented a defendant in a False Claims Act matter in federal court. Among other things, Mr. Sparacino drafted, argued, and won a motion for summary judgment that resulted in the purported whistleblower’s case being dismissed and his client’s victory on certain counterclaims against the alleged whistleblower.
Mr. Sparacino’s commentary on white collar and FCPA matters has been published in the National Law Journal and Law360. Read his interview with Lawdragon here.
Mr. Sparacino comes from a family of proud military heritage. At one of his prior firms, he helped establish a program to provide free legal counsel to American military personnel and their families.
You are advised that not all client results are included and prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.