John Michael Haigh is an associate based in Morrison Foerster’s Washington, D.C. office and is a member of the Investigations + White Collar Defense Practice Group. He represents clients undergoing government investigations and has extensive experience conducting internal investigations and in compliance-related matters.

John’s focus includes responding to whistleblower allegations; advising clients on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-bribery and corruption laws; and representing clients facing enforcement actions brought by the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and other federal and state agencies. John has also handled anti-bribery and corruption-related due diligence for corporate transactions in the M&A space.

John received his J.D. with honors from American University Washington College of Law. During law school, John served on the American University Law Review and worked as a law clerk conducting extensive document reviews involving complex privilege and corporate governance issues within corporate and shareholder derivative litigations. As a summer associate, John researched and summarized developments in cross-border privilege issues and investigation practices among U.S. and U.K. regulators and enforcement agencies. John graduated cum laude with a B.A. in legal studies and minors in philosophy and political science from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Representative Experience

Examples of John’s recent work, inclusive of prior law firm experience, include the following:

• FCPA Compliance Review. Represented a global pharmaceutical company in connection with a DOJ and SEC investigation in alleged violations of the FCPA and assisted in subsequent multinational compliance review.
• Criminal Defense. Represented a criminal defendant during a months’ long jury trial following conspiracy and racketeering charges related to pharmaceutical sales.
• M&A. Conducted exhaustive due diligence on a global manufacturer’s third-party engagements prior to going public through a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC).
• Pro Bono. Worked on a team that successfully secured a stay of a state law that would restrict physicians’ rights under the First Amendment.