Peter T. Thomas
2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Suite 500 West
Washington, D.C. 20037
Pete’s practice focuses on government investigations and white collar criminal defense. Pete represents both corporate and individual clients in connection with investigations by U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), congressional committees, Offices of Inspectors General (OIG), and other government agencies. Pete’s experience includes matters relating to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-corruption laws, anti-money laundering (AML) laws, the False Claims Act (FCA) and various other anti-fraud statutes, the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), sanctions, and export controls.
Pete also serves on Vinson & Elkins’ Pro Bono Committee.
Experience Highlights
Represent foreign nationals in civil asset forfeiture litigation and a parallel investigation by DOJ’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California
Represent a major hospital and research center in connection with an investigation by the SEC
Represent a precious metals company in connection with an investigation by the SEC
Represent an individual in connection with an investigation into a healthcare startup by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York
Represent a major university system and research laboratory in connection with congressional investigations into the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and the COVID-19 pandemic
Represent group of significant rail shippers, including large electric power generation companies, in multidistrict litigation involving an alleged price fixing conspiracy by the four major U.S. railroads
Advised the U.S. subsidiary of a foreign manufacturing company on FARA compliance; obtained a favorable Advisory Opinion from DOJ’s FARA Unit on the client’s behalf
Represented a social media company in connection with investigations by the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capital, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, and other government agencies
Represented an aerospace company in a civil False Claims Act investigation by DOJ and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington
Represented an international energy services company in a FCPA investigation by DOJ concerning the Monaco-based company Unaoil
Conducted an internal FCPA investigation for a major space technology company
Credentials
- Washington & Lee University, J.D., magna cum laude, 2018 (Order of the Coif; Washington and Lee Law Review, Lead Articles Editor)
- Sewanee: The University of the South, B.A., magna cum laude with honors in Psychology, 2015 (Phi Beta Kappa)
- Judicial Intern to The Honorable G. Steven Agee, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 2017–2018
- The Best Lawyers in America© (BL Rankings, LLC), “Ones to Watch,” Criminal Defense: White-Collar (Washington), 2025
- Texas
- Virginia
- District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia
- U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia
- U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas
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