Abbe David Lowell is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP based in the Firm’s Washington, D.C., office. He is head of the Firm’s White-Collar Criminal Defense group in Washington, D.C.
Abbe’s practice focuses on litigation, special investigations and regulatory enforcement. He has represented numerous high-profile clients and provided counsel in matters of national and international importance. Abbe has successfully tried numerous complex cases, both civil and criminal, throughout the United States, and he has briefed and argued dozens of appeals before federal and state appeals courts and before the Supreme Court of the United States.
In addition to trying cases and arguing appeals, Abbe advises clients in their dealings with U.S. Congress and its committees, other legislative bodies and numerous federal and state regulatory agencies. He also works with clients on internal investigations, voluntary disclosure decisions and developing compliance programs to prevent issues from arising with agencies.
In criminal matters, Abbe has successfully defended clients against a wide array of charges, including conspiracy, election law violations, bank fraud, insurance fraud, bankruptcy fraud, mail and wire fraud, securities fraud, money laundering, public corruption, honest services fraud, false claims act, flase information charges, and violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO). In civil cases, he has helped clients defeat claims of breach of contract and fiduciary duty, civil rights violations, conspiracy, employment discrimination, negligence, RICO violations, securities fraud, tortious interference with business and unfair trade practices.
Prior to joining McDermott, Abbe was a partner in the Washington, D.C., and New York offices of a prominent international law firm. From 1983 to 1999, he was founding and managing partner at Brand & Lowell in Washington, D.C.
Abbe has been counsel to the U.S. House of Representatives twice, most recently when he was Chief Minority Counsel during impeachment proceedings against President Clinton and before that as special ethics counsel to the House Standard (Ethics) Committee.
From 1994 to 1996, Abbe served pro bono as Special Counselor to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in the investigation and prosecution of human rights violations, war crimes and other human rights projects in Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia.
Abbe has also served at the U.S. Department of Justice from 1977 to 1981 as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, Special Assistant to the Deputy Attorney General and Special Assistant to the Attorney General.
His high-profile clients have included public officials (Governor Jim Gibbons, Senator Robert Torricelli, Reps. Gary Condit, Charlie Wilson, Walter Fauntroy, Harold Ford, Bill Boner, Jim Weaver, Austin Murphy, Joe McDade and others), international organizations (U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights), state and local governments (City of Alexandria, Virginia), government lobbyists (Jack Abramoff; AIPAC lobbyist Steve Rosen), businessmen (Gene Phillips and Sam Waksal), actors (Steven Seagal, Sean Combs) and others.
Abbe’s writings on legal issues and current political events have been widely published. He has written op-ed pieces for newspapers, including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Washington Post, USA Today and Roll Call as well as articles for legal publications and websites, such as Business Crimes Bulletin, American Criminal Law Review, Law.com, The National Law Journal and Legal Times. He wrote the chapter, “The Penal System Is Broken” for Beyond a Reasonable Doubt, a book edited by Larry King.
During his career, Abbe has received numerous accolades from his peers and prominent legal publications, and he is consistently ranked among top Washington, D.C., and national lawyers. Publications in which he has been recognized include:
- Law & Politics’ Washington, D.C., Super Lawyers (2007 to 2010)
- Benchmark Litigation: The Definitive Guide to America’s Leading Litigation Firms & Attorneys (2008 to 2009)
- Lawdragon 500 (2006 to 2009)
- The National Law Journal, “100 Most Influential Attorneys in America” (2006)
- Marquis Who’s Who in America (2006 to 2009)
- Marquis Who’s Who in American Law (2005 to 2009)
- Best Lawyers in America (2005 to 2010)
- Legal Times, “Top 10 Leading White-Collar Criminal Defense Lawyers in Washington, D.C.” (2006)
- Washingtonian magazine, as one of its top attorneys, in every survey conducted since 1986
- Who’s Who Legal: The International Who’s Who of Business Lawyers (2000 to 2008)
- The National Law Journal, “Top 10 Trial Lawyers in America,” (July 2002)
- Vanity Fair, “Top Lawyers in Washington and the Washington Universe” (October 1997)
- Roll Call, “D.C. Lawyers To Call List” (1993)
- Regardie’s magazine, “Washington Power 100” (November 1991)
Abbe is a member of the bar of the District of Columbia, the state of Maryland and the state of New York. He is a member of the American Bar Association (ABA), where he was prior chair of the ABA Committee on Rules, White-Collar Crime Section, as well as the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers and in the group of American members of the International Academy of Trial Lawyers. He is admitted to practice before the Supreme Court of the United States; the U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fourth, Fifth and Ninth Circuits; and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. In addition, he is admitted to practice in the U.S. District Courts for the Southern District of New York, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, District of Columbia, District of Maryland and Northern District of Texas.
Since 1984, Abbe has been an adjunct professor teaching trial practice, evidence and advanced criminal procedure at Georgetown Law Center in Washington, D.C., and Columbia Law School in New York. He is on the Board of Trustees for The Shakespeare Theatre at the Landsburgh and serves as Vice President and General Counsel to the Jewish Community Center of Greater Washington.
Abbe earned his B.A., Phi Beta Kappa and magna cum laude, from Columbia College and his J.D. from Columbia Law School as a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He also served as editor of the Columbia Law Review.
Representative Experience
Criminal Trials
- United States v. Joseph Bruno (former New York Senate leader charged with honest services violations)
- United States v. Paul Minor, et al. (trial attorney charged by Justice Department and U.S. Attorney in Mississippi federal court with bribery and racketeering)
- United States v. Gene Phillips (real estate developer/stock investor indicted by New York U.S. Attorney)
- United States v. Henry Espy (Mississippi public official indicted by Independent Counsel)
- United States v. Loren Mintz (bank president indicted by Florida U.S. Attorney)
- United States v. Jack Harvard (bank president/local mayor charged with fraud)
- United States v. Phil Palmer (prominent bankruptcy attorney indicted by Texas U.S. Attorney)
- United States v.Thomas Gaubert (real estate developer indicted by Special U.S. Department of Justice Task Force)
- United States v. Erwin Friedman (real estate developer indicted by South Carolina U.S. Attorney)
- United States v. Peter Gill (bank CEO indicted by Texas U.S. Attorney)
- United States v. Sam McKerall (real estate developer indicted by Alabama U.S. Attorney)
- State of Maryland v. Stephen Edwards (16 year old charged with murder)
Criminal Indicted Cases Won Prior to Trial
- United States v. Steven Rosen (AIPAC lobbyist charged with espionage)
- United States v. Henry Cisneros and Sylvia Arce-Garcia (public officials indicted by Office of Independent Counsel for perjury and obstruction)
- United States v. Behzad Cohen (chemical company indicted by California U.S. Attorney for violation of drug distribution laws)
- United States v. Roya Rahmani (political asylum grantee indicted by California U.S. Attorney for illegally providing aid to foreign groups – case later reinstated)
- United States v. Toussie (real estate developer indicted by New York U.S. Attorney for tax violations)
Civil Cases
- Gaubert v. United States (Supreme Court of the United States, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas case involving claims of U.S. violations of civil rights and tort claims)
- Abramson v. JCC (Maryland highest court case establishing charitable immunity)
- Lawrence v. A.S. Abell Co. (Maryland highest court case defending newspaper from invasion of privacy)
- SCAD v. SVA (Georgia highest court case affirming client’s claims of civil liability for co-conspirators)
- McCarthy v. City of Alexandria (federal civil rights defense)
- G-I Holdings v. Baron & Budd (federal civil RICO and fraud case)
Representative Administrative/Congressional Proceedings
- In re: Impeachment Proceedings of President William Jefferson Clinton (Chief Minority Investigative Counsel)
- In re: Rep. Charles Wilson (Congressman’s ethics counsel)
- In re: Rep. Mario Biaggi (Congressman’s ethics counsel)
- In re: Rep. Austin J. Murphy (Congressman’s ethics counsel)
- In re: Rep. William H. Boner (Congressman’s ethics counsel)
- In re: Rep. Walter Fauntroy (Congressman’s ethics counsel)
- In re: Rep. Roy Dyson (Congressman’s ethics counsel)
- In re: Rep. Dan Daniels (Congressman’s ethics counsel)
- In re: Rep. James Weaver (Congressman’s ethics counsel)
- In re: Rep. Charles G. Rose III (Congressman’s ethics counsel)
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In re: Lincoln Savings and Loan Association (OTS cease and desist proceeding)
Education
- Columbia Law School, J.D. (Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar), 1977
- Columbia College, B.A. (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa), 1974
