Lance Wade’s practice focuses on criminal defense, government and internal investigations, and high-stakes civil litigation. He has guided corporations, senior corporate executives, and public officials through intense government investigations and prosecutions. Lance has represented and counseled seven current and former CEOs of some of the world’s largest corporations, numerous chief executives of private companies, senior government officials, and candidates for high office. His corporate clients have included numerous Fortune 500 public companies, large private companies, pension funds, and audit and law firms.
Lance has been recognized for excellence in the practice of law by numerous publications. Washingtonian magazine named him a top white collar criminal defense lawyers in Washington, D.C. Chambers USA has ranked Lance among the leading lawyers in Washington, D.C. in the category of Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations and described him as “an excellent client lawyer, a strong advocate and a creative thinker,” who “brings every bit the dogged approach to cases Williams & Connolly is known for.” He was named a BTI Client Service All-Star in 2018, and one of the “World’s Leading White Collar Crime Lawyers” by Euromoney’s Expert Guide that same year. Super Lawyers magazine has named him a Super Lawyer in the area of white collar crime.
Lance’s cases have involved a wide array of substantive allegations – including securities fraud, mail and wire fraud, antitrust crimes, insider trading, insurance fraud, bank fraud, money laundering, public corruption, cyber crimes, embezzlement, tax fraud, false claims, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) violations, health care fraud, environmental crimes, and numerous other civil violations. Lance has represented clients in trial and on appeal, and before an array of investigating authorities. In addition to his criminal and government investigations practice, Lance defends clients who are under investigation in parallel civil proceedings, including class actions, derivative actions, and regulatory enforcement actions. His civil practice has also included securities and financial services litigation, as well as professional liability defense.
Lance graduated from Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota, and went to Law School at Boston College Law School, where he was the Managing Editor of the Boston College Law Review. He clerked for Judge Harris L Hartz on the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit. Lance lives in Chevy Chase, Maryland with his wife and three children. He was born and raised near the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, where his defense career began as an ice hockey goalie.
Updated Sep 2023
