Tim Shea brings to Torridon extensive public and private sector experience managing government investigations, regulatory matters, complex civil litigation and crisis management.
Mr. Shea recently served as Drug Enforcement Administration Acting Administrator where he supervised the operations and activities of DEA worldwide. This included overseeing 10,000 employees in 239 domestic offices and 91 foreign locations, 9 laboratories as well as an air wing, and administrating a $3.2 billion budget. In addition, Mr. Shea was responsible for regulatory and enforcement matters related to drug diversion and the registration of 1.8 million healthcare professionals authorized to dispense narcotics and other drugs. Furthermore, during his time leading DEA, Mr. Shea developed and implemented international drug control policies on behalf of the United States, meeting with foreign heads of state, ambassadors, and other senior government officials.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Shea served as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, the largest federal prosecutor’s office in the country, where he was responsible for enforcing federal and local criminal law as well as civil matters for the United States. Prior to that, he was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia assigned to the Major Crimes Division, conducting grand jury investigations, trying federal felony cases in the U.S. District Court, and arguing criminal appeals to the U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.
Mr. Shea’s other government experience includes Chief Counsel and Staff Director of the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations and Chief of the Public Protection Bureau for the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office. In that position, he supervised the major affirmative civil litigation and regulatory activities for the state attorney general, including consumer protection, healthcare, antitrust, civil rights, telecommunications, insurance regulation and rate setting, privacy issues, high tech, public charities, pharmaceutical manufacturing, life sciences and energy, among others.
In addition to his extensive federal and state government service, Mr. Shea spent almost 20 years in private practice with an international law firm representing clients in white collar matters, state and federal regulatory reviews, investigations by state attorneys general, antitrust inquiries, and other complex civil matters.
Mr. Shea currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Drug Enforcement Administration Education Foundation. He also serves as a member of the Narcotics and Dangerous Drug Committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
Representative Matters
- Advised a multinational research pharmaceutical company in a 30-state investigation for alleged off label marketing. The multistate settlement with State Attorneys General took place in conjunction with the company’s ultimate settlement of State Medicaid fraud and False Claims Act allegations, federal criminal allegations, federal civil review, and private civil class actions claims as well as a review by federal regulators and a congressional inquiry.
- Represented a multinational technology company in connection with a nascent multistate antitrust inquiry started as the result of complaints from one of the company’s largest competitors. Mr. Shea worked with the company and its outside counsel to develop a comprehensive strategy to convince a group of state attorneys general from initiating a formal multistate investigation into violations of state antitrust laws. No action was taken by the states.
- Represented an international retailer in a civil rights investigation that was settled without admission of wrongdoing.
- Represented a large global private equity firm in a state securities fraud and UDAP investigation where no action was taken by the government.
- Provided strategic and legal advice to a multinational telecommunications company concerning state regulatory and antitrust matters.
- Represented one of the largest banks in the country in an unfair and deceptive trade practice investigation of company operations where no action was taken by government.
- Represented a Fortune 100 financial services company in an insurance fraud regulatory review where no action was taken by state attorney general.
- Provided strategic and legal advice to an international research pharmaceutical company in a 34-state investigation concerning allegations of off-label use of the product. Representation occurred when parallel matters were underway, including State Medicaid Fraud and False Claims Act allegations, federal criminal inquiry, federal civil (Medicaid Fraud and False Claims Act) allegations and private civil class action lawsuits. The matter occurred in context of intense media scrutiny, federal regulatory reviews, and congressional inquiries.
- Mr. Shea served as lead national counsel in a 39-state investigation and ultimate settlement of allegations that an internal food processing company’s marketing claims were not supported by adequate scientific evidence. The representation of the company during the investigation by the state attorneys general was conducted parallel to an inquiry by the Federal Trade Commission and a class action lawsuit.
- Provided crisis management and legal advice to an international auto manufacturing company in connection with a multifaceted and multilevel government investigation, including congressional review, a civil class action case and tort actions, into allegations that the company failed to timely report known defects to a federal agency, thereby giving rise to consumer fraud violations under state laws. Mr. Shea negotiated a comprehensive settlement with 29 states that included injunctive provisions and a monetary payment favorable to the company. The matter occurred in context of significant press attention, a comprehensive review by federal regulators and a congressional investigation.
- Represented a wireless telecommunications provider in a multistate matter where the state attorneys general examined the billing practices of the entire industry. Mr. Shea negotiated a 32-state settlement with state attorneys general which included a modest monetary payment with limited injunctive relief.
Practice Areas
• State Attorney General Practice
• Corporate and Government Investigations
• Federal and State Regulatory Matters
• Complex Litigation and Regulatory Defense
• Crisis Management and government strategies
Education
• Georgetown University Law Center, J.D., magna cum laude, 1991; Senior Staff, American Criminal Law Review
• Boston College, BA, magna cum laude, 1982
Bar Admissions
• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
Contact
T: 202.249.6900
tshea@torridonlaw.com