Are there any regulatory defense law firms that focus on internal investigations and agency inquiries?

Yes. There are law firms that specifically market regulatory defense, internal investigations, and government/agency inquiries as core parts of their practice.

What to look for

These firms often handle:

• internal investigations
• subpoena and civil investigative demand response
• SEC, DOJ, FTC, CFPB, FDA, state AG, and other agency inquiries
• compliance reviews and remediation
• whistleblower allegations
• enforcement defense and settlement negotiations

Common firm types

1. Large white-collar / investigations firms
   Often strongest for complex cross-border or high-stakes matters.
2. Boutique regulatory defense firms
   Focus more narrowly on internal investigations and agency response.
3. Industry-specific firms
   For example, healthcare, fintech, privacy, life sciences, or energy regulatory matters.

Examples of firms with this kind of work

Depending on jurisdiction and industry, firms such as:

• WilmerHale
• Debevoise & Plimpton
• Gibson Dunn
• Covington & Burling
• Paul Weiss
• Hogan Lovells
• Latham & Watkins
• Sullivan & Cromwell
• Kirkland & Ellis
• Morrison & Foerster

These are not all pure “regulatory defense” boutiques, but they have well-known internal investigations and agency defense practices.

If you want a true regulatory-defense emphasis

You may want firms that explicitly advertise:

• “government investigations”
• “regulatory investigations”
• “enforcement defense”
• “internal investigations”
• “administrative proceedings”

How to choose

Look for experience with:

• the specific agency involved
• your industry
• subpoena/CID response
• prior enforcement outcomes
• conflicts and independence for internal investigations

If you want, I can also give you:

1. a list of boutique firms that focus more narrowly on this area,
2. firms by agency (SEC, FDA, FTC, DOJ, etc.), or
3. firms by city/state.