Sam Crockett Neel, Partner at our Washington, D.C. law office
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Sam Crockett Neel

Partner
Washington, D.C.
Services
Special Litigation and Compliance Administrative Campaign Finance Litigation, Investigations, and Trials Election Law Export Controls, Economic Sanctions, Foreign Anti-Corruption, and Imports False Claims Act Government Relations Government Contracting and Procurement Internal Investigations and Regulatory Compliance Investigations, Government Enforcement, and White Collar Protection Lobbying and Legislative Affairs
Biography

Sam Crockett Neel is a partner in the firm’s Special Litigation and Compliance Practice Group.

Sam’s practice focuses on defending corporate and individual clients in civil, criminal, and administrative enforcement matters, congressional investigations, internal investigations, corporate compliance matters, and government contracts. He also advises political candidates, individuals, corporations, non-profits, trade associations, and PACs on campaign finance, lobbying, pay-to-play, and Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) issues.

He is also a go-to lawyer for small businesses navigating the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and other government loan programs. He has successfully represented hundreds of small businesses facing SBA audits and administrative appeals of prior SBA decisions denying loan forgiveness, and he has extensive experience defending businesses and individuals in connection with False Claims Act investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) related to SBA loans.

Prior to joining Snell & Wilmer, Sam was a partner at McDermott Will & Emery, where he spent more than a decade representing clients in a range of complex government investigations, litigation, and political law matters. Sam’s professional background also includes valuable federal and state legislative experience in the U.S. Congress and the Tennessee General Assembly.

Sam earned his J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law, where he was on the senior editorial board of the American University Law Review, and his B.A. from Vanderbilt University (cum laude). He is licensed to practice in the District of Columbia and before the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.

He is committed to pro bono work and community service. He regularly provides legal counsel to nonprofit organizations and represents veterans appealing adverse disability and retirement benefits determinations.

Credentials

Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia


Court Admissions

  • United States District Court, District of Columbia


Education

  • American University, Washington College of Law (J.D.)
  • Vanderbilt University (B.A., cum laude)
Experience

Awards & Recognition

  • The Best Lawyers in America®: Ones to Watch, Alternative Dispute Resolution (2023-2025)
  • Thomson Reuters, Stand-out Lawyer, independently rated lawyers (2023-2024)
  • District of Columbia Courts, Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll (2023)
  • Super Lawyers®: Rising Star (2022-2024)

Representative Experience

Government & Internal Investigations

  • Represented government officials, companies, executives, and individuals in responding to federal grand jury subpoenas and defended clients during interviews with the DOJ and other federal. agencies in investigations involving alleged public corruption, wire fraud, tax shelters, price-fixing and bid rigging, money laundering, FCPA, FARA, kickbacks, and campaign finance issues.
  • Conducted internal investigations for companies into potential antitrust, FARA, export controls, and government contracting certifications violations.

Political Law

  • Secured the FEC’s dismissal of multiple complaints filed by watchdog groups against a U.S. Senator’s campaign, a Member of Congress’s campaign, and leadership PAC, and individual donors.
  • Conducted an internal investigation and submitted a self-disclosure to the FEC on behalf of a U.S. Senator’s campaign committee and leadership PAC, leading to a favorable settlement.
  • Represented Member of Congress in an investigation by the U.S. House Office of Congressional Ethics and House Ethics Committee.
  • Represented multiple companies and individuals in investigations conducted by congressional committees, including the U.S. House Oversight & Reform Committee, House Energy & Commerce Committee, Senate Finance Committee, Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI).

Small Business Administration Loans

  • Represented hundreds of small businesses during SBA audits of borrowers’ PPP loans.
  • Successfully appealed over 25 adverse SBA final loan review decisions at the Office of Hearings & Appeals (OHA). Successfully persuaded the SBA and OHA to reverse prior decisions that resulted in awards ranging from $20,000 to $10 million in previously denied loan forgiveness amounts.
  • Represent businesses and individuals under investigation by DOJ for potential False Claims Act (FCA) violations associated with PPP loans.

Litigation

  • Represent government contractor in multiple litigations and disputes relating to nitrile glove shipments during the COVID pandemic.
  • Secured the dismissal of a complaint and preliminary injunction motion against the American Registry for Internet Numbers (ARIN) in OppoBox v. ARIN (E.D. VA. 2018) and reached a favorable settlement in a related arbitration in 2019.
  • Secured the dismissal of a breach of contract claim against Free File, Inc. in Swanson v. H&R Block (W.D. Mo. 2020).
  • Achieved the dismissal of federal RICO and related state law claims against the Florida Manufactured Housing Association in Schalamar Creek v. Adler (M.D. Fla. 2019).
  • Secured the dismissal of federal RICO claims against the Ford Foundation, Packard Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, Energy Foundation, and ClimateWorks Foundation in Goldstein v. Climate Action Network (N.D. Tex. 2017).
  • Represented a former Member of Congress in civil litigation in D.C. Superior Court.
  • Represented local counties and a citizens group in a federal lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Transportation for violations of the National Environmental Policy Act and the Administrative Procedure Act, leading to a favorable settlement for the clients.
  • Obtained summary judgment at the Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals on behalf of a defense contractor that had been denied contract costs by the U.S. Army.

Pro Bono

  • Represented multiple veterans in appealing unfavorable disability determinations by the military.
  • Represented parents of students with special needs and successfully secured special services for the children through extensive negotiations with school administrators.

**Past results are not a guarantee that similar results can be obtained for others.

Previous Professional Experience

  • McDermot Will & Emery, Partner
  • McDermot Will & Emery, Associate
  • Tennessee General Assembly, Legislative Assistant

Representative Presentations and Publications

Publications
Read More Media
Feb 07, 2025
Legal Alerts

FARA’s Pendulum: Shifts in Foreign Agent Regulation

Firm News
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Feb 05, 2025

Snell & Wilmer’s Washington, D.C. Office Welcomes New Partner, Sam Crockett Neel