Mark Paoletta joined Dickstein Shapiro in January 2007 as a partner in the Public Policy & Law Practice. Mr. Paoletta’s arrival at Dickstein Shapiro follows a notable career in both the public and private sectors, including positions at the White House, on Capitol Hill, and in private practice.

AREAS OF CONCENTRATION

Mr. Paoletta is the head of the Congressional Investigations practice and focuses his work on government investigations, with an emphasis on congressional investigations and hearings. He counsels and represents clients in all facets of government and congressional investigations, including developing goals and strategies, writing testimony, preparing witnesses, implementing crisis management, and conducting internal corporate investigations. Since joining the firm, Mr. Paoletta has represented the following clients, among others:

• Major biotechnology company in investigation by the House Energy & Commerce Committee into direct-to-consumer marketing
• Major manufacturers of leading food brands in connection with Energy & Commerce Committee investigations into food safety
• Major hedge fund in connection with investigation by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee into the hedge fund industry
• Defense contractors in investigations by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
• Foreign bank in connection with an investigation by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations into offshore tax practices
• Major multinational telecommunications corporation in inquiry by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations into the tax and accounting treatment of stock options
• Former senior White House official in investigations by the Senate Judiciary Committee and the Office of Special Counsel
• Former senior Energy Department official in investigation by the House Science and Technology Committee

Mr. Paoletta also served as outside counsel for the House of Representatives’ Select Committee to Investigate the Voting Irregularities of August 2, 2007.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

Mr. Paoletta most recently served as Chief Counsel for Oversight and Investigations for the U.S. House Committee on Energy & Commerce. Significantly, Mr. Paoletta was one of the longest-serving chief counsels for oversight and investigations in the history of the Committee.

During his ten-year tenure with the Committee, Mr. Paoletta amassed unparalleled investigative experience and managed nearly 200 hearings, many of which involved high-profile issues and some of the largest U.S. corporations. As Chief Counsel, he conducted numerous investigations in the areas of healthcare; energy and the environment; telecommunications; commerce, trade and consumer protection; homeland security and critical infrastructure protection; and corporate accounting practices and oversight. Many of the investigations managed by Mr. Paoletta resulted in substantial changes in federal law, regulation and public awareness for major issues of the day. Some of the significant investigations and hearings Mr. Paoletta managed included inquiries into corporate accounting issues at Enron/Andersen, Global Crossing, HealthSouth, and Qwest; the ImClone cancer drug inquiry; the Ford Firestone tire recall; and the Hewlett Packard corporate spying scandal.

Prior to his work with the Energy and Commerce Committee, Mr. Paoletta served in the White House as Assistant Counsel to the President during the George H.W. Bush Administration. In that position, he played a key role in the successful confirmation effort of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. He also served in the Bush 41 White House as Deputy Associate Director for Presidential Personnel. After leaving the White House in 1993, Mr. Paoletta was a partner in private practice in Washington, DC before working on Capitol Hill.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Mr. Paoletta is admitted to practice in the District of Columbia and before the U.S. Supreme Court.

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

• Presenter, “Asserting and Defending the Powers of Oversight: The Relative Powers of Congress and the Executive Branch,” Project on Government Oversight’s Congressional Oversight Training Series (July 10, 2009);
• Presenter, “Are Your Witnesses Better Prepared Than You Are?” Project on Government Oversight’s Congressional Oversight Training Series (April 2008);
• Speaker, “Special Address: Congressional Actions on Healthcare Fraud,” Symposium on Healthcare Fraud Investigations (March 31, 2008);
• Speaker, “Congressional Investigations 101: What You Need to Know When Facing Investigations,” American Association of Engineering Companies 2007 Annual Convention (May 9, 2007);
• Speaker, “Congressional Investigations 101: What You Need to Know When Facing Investigations” Drug and Medical Device Litigation Conference, International Quality & Productivity Center (March 27-28, 2007); and
• Speaker, Washington Legal Foundation Web Seminar Series (February 23, 2007).

EDUCATION

Mr. Paoletta received his J.D. from the Georgetown University Law Center (1987). He graduated magna cum laude from Duquesne University with a B.A. in political science and English (1984).