Overview
Crystal N. Fomba* focuses her practice on complex civil litigation matters, white-collar defense, and government investigations. She has experience conducting internal investigations and representing senior executives and corporations facing government investigations, prosecutions, and enforcement actions involving the US Department of Justice (DOJ), US Attorney’s Offices, and other regulatory bodies including the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). Crystal regularly represents clients in grand jury investigations and has a wide range of experience representing companies facing violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Acts (FCPA), healthcare fraud, consumer product safety violations, antitrust labor market investigations, and more. On the civil litigation side, she has experience representing clients in a wide range of disputes, at both trial and appellate levels, including False Claims Act litigation, commercial breach of contract cases, and federal and state trade secrets litigation.
Prior to joining McDermott, Crystal worked at a global law firm representing clients in various aspects of complex litigation. She also gained experience as a litigation fellow at Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights, where she drafted merits briefs and amicus curiae defending the right to freedom of expression before international courts, including the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights, East African Court of Justice and the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention.
While in law school, Crystal gained experience interning at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). During this time, she also participated in the Public Interest Law Clinic in Paris, spent time working in Haiti as a student advocate for the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice, and worked for the United Nations as a student legal advisor to the Permanent Mission of Grenada.
Crystal also maintains an extensive pro bono practice representing asylum seekers.
*Not admitted to practice in New York; admitted only in the District of Columbia. Supervised by principals of the Firm who are members of the New York Bar.
Results
- Represented corporate officer in DOJ criminal investigation into consumer product safety violations
- Conducted internal investigation of S&P 500 food and beverage company relating to potential violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and food safety violations
- Represented major health care provider in multibillion-dollar False Claims Act qui tam action
- Represented health care data company in arbitration proceedings relating to contract dispute over licensing of health records and claims data
- Represented alcohol and beverage company in response to DOJ grand jury subpoena relating to allegations of fraud
- Represented an athletic organization in a multi-plaintiff civil tort dispute
- Representing a management and consulting firm in a breach of contract dispute dealing with federal and state trade secrets claims*
- Representing a leading defense contractor in an insurance recovery litigation*
*Matter handled prior to joining McDermott
Recognitions
- National Black Lawyers Association, Top 40 Under 40, 2024
Community
- American Bar Association, member
Credentials
Education
New York University School of Law, JD, 2019
St. John’s University, BS, cum laude, 2016
Admissions
District of Columbia
