Nicole Lueddeke

Los Angeles

Nicole Lueddeke has quickly risen to prominence in the field of white-collar defense, anti-corruption and bribery, securities litigation and compliance. She also focuses on handling complex civil and criminal cases, as well as advising on Foreign Corrupt Practices Act matters.

Her role involves leading complex white-collar defense cases across multiple jurisdictions, representing a wide array of domestic and international clients at various litigation stages and in state and federal investigations. Lueddeke's clients included representing multinational biopharmaceutical, medical technology and life sciences companies in ongoing criminal investigations across the Americas, Europe and Asia.

One of the matters involved a multinational medical technology company in DOJ and SEC investigations alleging FCPA violations. This case, one of the firm's largest white-collar defense cases, involved a voluntary disclosure to the DOJ and SEC initiated by an internal investigation in Japan.

"A routine investigation into potentially improper payments to its distributor in a single country expanded into a worldwide investigation in 17 markets throughout Asia-Pacific and Latin America," Lueddeke said.

Lueddeke provided critical briefings to the U.S. Attorney's Office, including the Filip Factor and disgorgement presentations. By following DOJ guidance, advocating for cooperation and implementing timely and extensive remediation, her client received a full declination.

Lueddeke added that in the second half of 2022, there were a number of government investigations that stemmed from whistleblower complaints.

"I expect this trend to continue into 2023 in the life science industry, particularly in relation to False Claims Act violations committed by companies that lack fundamental controls that would otherwise serve the basis of a well-tailored compliance program," she said. "Life science companies should be sure to conduct comprehensive investigations of any compliance concerns raised by employees, especially in the manufacturing, sales, and clinical trial units, to document the identification, resolution and monitoring of issues."

Lueddeke was also part of the team that represented retired U.S. Navy Rear Admiral Bruce Loveless in the highly-publicized "Fat Leonard" corruption scandal regarding alleged conspiracy, bribery and fraud charges involving entanglements with Singapore-based military contractor, Leonard Glenn Francis, known as "Fat Leonard." U.S. v. Newland, 3:17-cr-00623 (S.D. Cal., filed March 10, 2017).

In June 2022, following a five-month jury trial in San Diego, CA and a multiyear investigation, the trial team secured a significant trial victory, resulting in all charges dismissed with prejudice after the jury reached no verdict against client in U.S. District Court.

In addition to her legal work, Lueddeke is actively involved in community service and mentoring. She chairs Paul Hastings' Summer Associate Committee, guiding new attorneys and designing mentoring programs. Her volunteer work extends to UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, among others.