practice areas
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Business Crimes, White Collar and Criminal Defense
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Government Investigations and Regulatory Enforcement
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Commercial Litigation
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Employment
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Founder and Partner Disputes
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Public Corruption and Antitrust
education
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Georgetown University, B.A.
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American University Washington College of Law, J.D., summa cum laude
Admitted In
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District of Columbia
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Maryland
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Virginia
Addy Schmitt
MANAGING PARTNER, Washington d.c. Office
Addy R. Schmitt is the managing partner of the firm’s D.C. office. She litigates complex criminal and civil cases throughout the country.
In her practice, Ms. Schmitt represents corporations, organizations and individuals in criminal investigations, prosecutions, and regulatory and enforcement proceedings. She also guides these clients through commercial litigation, arbitrations, congressional investigations and internal investigations. Her experience ranges from defending clients against public corruption charges, health care fraud and False Claims Act violations to confronting partnership disputes, employment discrimination and retaliation cases.
Ms. Schmitt’s expertise in white-collar criminal prosecutions and investigations has been recognized by Chambers USA (Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations [District of Columbia]), Legal 500 (Dispute Resolution: Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense), The Best Lawyers in America (Criminal Defense: White Collar), and Washingtonian Magazine (Washington’s Top Lawyers: Criminal Defense, White Collar). Ms. Schmitt’s extensive litigation expertise has also been recognized by Lawdragon, where she was selected as one of the 500 Leading Litigators in America for 2024, and Benchmark Litigation, where she is listed as a Litigation Star.
Some of her representations include:
Defending an individual charged with conspiracy to obstruct justice in one of Maryland’s largest federal fraud prosecutions.
Defending, with Barry Pollack, a former Maryland state cabinet official charged with bribery.
Defending, with Barry Pollack, a principal of a government contractor charged with bribing a government official to obtain contracts. They obtained acquittals on all counts following a federal criminal jury trial in Virginia.
Defending an individual charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud arising out of an alleged nationwide telemarketing scheme in federal court in Maryland.
Representing a founding partner of a prominent firm in an arbitration against his former firm.
Conducting internal investigations and serving as outside counsel for a prominent international labor union.
In addition to her practice, Ms. Schmitt has active leadership roles in the legal community. She currently serves on the board of directors of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL) and chairs its Audit Committee. In addition, she co-chairs NACDL’s Strategic Impact Litigation Committee and serves on the organization’s Task Force on Prosecutorial Accountability, White Collar Crime Committee and Investment Committee.
In 2017, President Barack Obama appointed Ms. Schmitt to the District of Columbia Judicial Nomination Commission, a seven-member body created by statute that recommends candidates for judicial vacancies on the D.C. courts to the President of the United States for nomination to be confirmed by the United States Senate. The commission also designates the chief judges of the D.C. Superior Court and the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. In 2024, President Joe Biden appointed Ms. Schmitt to a second term on the commission.
Ms. Schmitt also serves on the board of directors for the Historical Society for the District of Columbia Circuit and the board of directors of JusticeAid, an organization dedicated to promoting justice through the arts and public engagement. In addition, Ms. Schmitt is an adjunct professor at the American University Washington College of Law, where she has co-taught courses in criminal trial advocacy, white-collar crime and the deposition process. Ms. Schmitt is often invited to speak on criminal and civil litigation matters nationally and internationally. She also routinely publishes on topics related to white-collar crime.
Ms. Schmitt is a graduate of Georgetown University and the American University Washington College of Law, summa cum laude. Early in her career, she clerked on the United States District Court for the District of Columbia for the Honorable Emmet G. Sullivan. Ms. Schmitt also served as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Civil Division of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia from 2010 to 2014. She is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia.