The January 14 editions of the Law360 publications noted Sheryl Robinson Wood's move to Venable's Baltimore office, where she will focus on white collar criminal cases, internal investigations and corporate governance issues. Robinson Wood cited the depth of Venable's SEC and white collar practice group as a key reason for her move. Among the areas of her practice she believes will see growth in the next few years will be internal investigations, especially as businesses face regulatory scrutiny that will only increase under the incoming Administration and Congress.
After graduating from George Washington University Law School, Robinson Wood spent time as an assistant district attorney in New York, where she prosecuted 30 trials and was involved in more than 50 grand jury investigations dealing with organized crime, bribery, public corruption and numerous other issues. She then went to the U.S. Department of Justice, where she worked on civil and criminal antitrust matters, as well as civil rights cases. She also became the principal liaison between the DOJ and national, state and local law enforcement agencies, according to Venable.
After leaving DOJ, Robinson Wood joined global consulting firm Kroll Inc. and was eventually promoted to managing director of the firm's Washington office. At Kroll, she led national and international investigations of financial, whistleblower and due diligence matters, and she also counseled companies on their obligations under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Patriot Act and other new legislation.
In 2003, Robinson Wood was appointed independent monitor of two consent judgments against the city of Detroit and the Detroit Police Department. She also served as co-lead on a team monitoring compliance by the Pennsylvania State Police after officers there faced complaints of sexual harassment.