Peter R. Zeidenberg is a litigation partner in the Washington, DC office of DLA Piper, whose primary focus is defending individuals and businesses in white-collar criminal matters and related issues involving corporate governance and internal fraud investigations. His practice includes the representation of business organizations and individuals through counseling, investigation, and criminal defense, including trial.  Mr. Zeidenberg is experienced in conducting internal investigations and has counseled companies and organizations responding to government enforcement threats, including grand jury investigations, administrative subpoenas, and Congressional investigations. Mr. Zeidenberg has extensive experience with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, criminal anti-trust, government contracting and procurement fraud, OFAC and financial fraud.  Mr. Zeidenberg's clients have included foreign banks and international corporations and individuals accused of fraud, conflict of interest, and insider trading. 

Mr. Zeidenberg is an experienced trial attorney, having first-chaired more than 100 jury trials, and handled two dozen appellate arguments.  Prior to joining DLA Piper in 2007, Mr. Zeidenberg spent 17 years as a federal prosecutor, both at the US Department of Justice, where he served in both the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division and, before that, at the United States Attorney's Office in the District of Columbia. Mr. Zeidenberg was also a state prosecutor for five years in Middlesex County, Massachusetts.

While at the Department of Justice, Mr. Zeidenberg investigated and prosecuted local, state and federal officials. His trial experience includes some of the highest profile criminal cases handled by the DOJ. Mr. Zeidenberg served as a Deputy Special Counsel in the investigation and prosecution of Lewis "Scooter" Libby. Mr. Zeidenberg gave the government’s closing argument and handled direct examination of half of the government witnesses in the Libby case.

Mr. Zeidenberg also prosecuted the case of United States v. David Safavian, in which the former Chief of Staff of the General Services Administration was tried for obstruction of justice and false statements in connection with the Jack Abramoff investigation. He also coordinated and supervised investigations conducted by the FBI, CIA, and Office of Inspector Generals from GSA, DOJ, DEA and SIGIR (Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction).

From 1991 to 2001, Mr. Zeidenberg worked as an Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia, where he spent the majority of his time prosecuting violent crimes, winning convictions in 16 out of 18 first-degree murder cases he tried. In addition, he won life sentences for all six defendants he prosecuted in a nine-month long RICO prosecution of a murderous drug-gang.

In 2002, Mr. Zeidenberg was awarded the Director's Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant United States Attorney by the Executive Office of United States Attorneys. He also received 10 Department of Justice Special Achievement Awards.Mr. Zeidenberg was listed in the in the 2012 edition of The Best Lawyers in America in the practice area of Criminal Defense: White-Collar.

Mr. Zeidenberg serves as an Adjunct Professor of Law at Georgetown University Law Center where he teaches a course on Public Corruption. 

Recent Representative Engagements

Won acquittals on all counts in the Eastern District of Virginia on charges of Obstruction of Justice and Conspiracy lodged against former federal law enforcement agent.
Representation of the president of a Fortune 500 company on allegations of insider trading. Persuaded state and federal prosecutors that charges not warranted.
Representation of a foreign bank in a DOJ investigation of alleged OFAC violations.
Representation of federal law enforcement official investigated by DOJ for conspiracy, false statements and visa fraud. Successfully persuaded DOJ to decline prosecution.
Representation of an officer of a European manufacturing corporation alleged to have conspired with an international cartel to fix prices.
Represent publicly held defense contractor in connection with a whistle-blower claim that sales agents paid bribe to military of Middle-Eastern country in violation of the FCPA.
Representation of publicly-held company in connection with DOJ/SEC investigation into alleged bribes paid in Asia.  
Representation of individuals in a DOJ investigation into alleged violations of Federal Election Commission laws.
Representation of a publicly traded corporation alleged to have committed bid-rigging.
Representation of individual charged in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. in connection with so-called "Shot Show" FCPA sting case, in which the DOJ alleged that 22 defense contractors had paid bribes to an African defense minister in connection with the sale of military hardware.
Representation publicly-held corporation in connection with Congressional investigation.   
Representation of former Justice Department official alleged to have violated conflict of interest laws.
Representation of physician after conviction and all appeals exhausted for illegally dispensing OxyContin and causing death of patient; brought and won habeas petition and had most serious counts of conviction dismissed. 
Represent international corporate entity in establishing compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and enhancing compliance through policy, procedure and training programs