Geoffrey R. Garinther
Geoff Garinther is the head of Venable’s Litigation Division. He is a trial lawyer with 25 years of experience in criminal and civil cases in the federal and state courts. A former federal prosecutor, he focuses on defending corporations and individuals accused of white collar crimes and on conducting independent investigations for the boards of public companies.
Working closely with a group of former SEC lawyers and federal prosecutors, including former U.S. Attorney General Benjamin R. Civiletti, Mr. Garinther regularly conducts internal investigations for corporate directors, including those who serve on special litigation or audit committees. On criminal defense matters – which recently have included defending pharmaceutical companies in health care fraud investigations, executives in antitrust investigations, and directors in an FCPA matter – his focus is on avoiding prosecution of his clients altogether. He has also handled complex civil matters, in which he has unique qualifications, having won verdicts for defendants and multi-million dollar claims on behalf of plaintiffs.
Representative Clients
In addition to public companies and non-profit entities, Mr. Garinther has represented a wide array of professionals, including attorneys, doctors, accountants, and corporate executives.
Significant Matters
In recent years, Mr. Garinther has conducted internal investigations for companies in the pharmaceutical, financial services, retail, government contracting, chemical, and other industries. He also has briefed or argued more than 25 federal appeals.
Activities
Active in the Baltimore-DC community, Mr. Garinther is a member of the Criminal Justice Act panel for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, through which he represents indigent criminal defendants. He also chairs the joint state and federal bar associations' liaison committee to that court. He frequently appears as a television analyst on criminal matters and has written extensively on corporate governance and homeland security issues.