Susanne Sachsman Grooms

Susanne leads Cooley’s bipartisan congressional investigations practice. A former federal prosecutor and one of the nation’s leaders in congressional investigations, her practice focuses on helping clients navigate high-stakes, complex investigations that potentially involve multiple federal and state agencies, Congress, and regulatory authorities, as well as significant reputational concerns.

Susanne’s record of leading hundreds of congressional investigations from inside the government gives her a leading edge in assisting clients with congressional investigations, other government and regulatory investigations, internal investigations, and crisis management.

She provides sage counsel and advice in support of and during matters before Congress. Her experience is broad, having assisted clients in front of investigatory committees and in responding to individual member requests in the House and Senate. She also has prepared numerous company executives for public testimony in inquiries around the globe.

As one client has explained: “She is a true expert in Congressional oversight. Her matchless experience in the subject matter and personal touch makes her an invaluable member of any team.” Another client described Susanne as “a consummate professional and my first call for any matter pending before Congress.”

She is sought after for her insights, strategy, preparation and demonstrated success handling the most politically sensitive issues before government.

Susanne’s recent representations include advising:

• A global Fortune 500 company in connection with an investigation by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, including preparing senior executives to testify at a public hearing
• A national insurance company in an investigation demanding sensitive data before the Senate Committee on the Budget
• A crowdfunding platform in connection with a request for documents from the House Judiciary Committee
• A former university president in preparing to testify publicly before the House Education & Workforce Committee related to the committee’s examination of antisemitism on campus
• A local public media organization in preparing to testify publicly before the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
• A global advisory firm in connection with a subpoena for documents from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, as well as preparing a senior executive to testify in a public hearing
• A multinational Fortune 500 company’s executives in preparation to testify in hearings before parliamentary committees in Australia, the UK and Canada*
• An international bank in connection with a request for documents and information from the Senate Committee on Finance*
• A global aerospace and defense company in connection with a request for documents and information from the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure*
• A senior executive from a Fortune 100 company in preparation for public testimony before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs*
• The former president of the National School Boards Association in a transcribed interview before the House Judiciary Committee*
• A union before the House Oversight and Accountability Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic in an investigation of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) school reopening guidance*
• Witnesses in preparing for public testimony before the House Judiciary Committee’s Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government and the House Administration Committee*
• A subcontractor in connection with a request for information from the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations related to two federal government contracts*
• A media company in connection with responding to a document request from the Office of Congressional Ethics*
• Presidential nominees in preparation for confirmation hearings
• Conducting a comprehensive external review of gender equity issues at the NCAA, focusing on NCAA championships and resulting in two publicly available reports*

* Representation handled before joining Cooley

A former federal prosecutor and Capitol Hill veteran, Susanne has served in numerous roles in government, garnering a stellar reputation and earning awards, accolades and recognition for her distinguished career.

Her prior work included serving as the deputy staff director and chief counsel for then-Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney and her predecessor Chairman Elijah E. Cummings, overseeing a team of 70+ attorneys, investigators, and communications and support staff on hundreds of fast-paced, high-volume and high-profile investigations involving the government, private industry and individuals. Maloney described Susanne as “a superb attorney with exceptional political judgment.”

Susanne initially joined the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform – the principal investigative committee of the US House of Representatives – as counsel under Chairman Henry A. Waxman. She quickly advanced into senior leadership, where she supervised and conducted hundreds of congressional hearings and investigations on a wide variety of matters and led the committee’s investigative staff from 2011 to 2021.

Susanne began her career as a trial attorney in the Tax Division of the Department of Justice, where she was a member of the Attorney General’s Honors Program and was awarded a 2005 Tax Division Outstanding Attorney Award and a 2006 Tax Division Special Act or Service Award.

From 2008 to 2010, Susanne served in a number of roles at the Internal Revenue Service, including as attorney adviser to the deputy commissioner for services and enforcement and as senior counsel to the chief of criminal investigation.

In 2010, Susanne was detailed to the White House, where she served as deputy associate counsel in the Office of Presidential Personnel, vetting presidential appointments and nominations and providing advice on tax compliance and other legal matters.

Susanne teaches Congressional Investigations at the Georgetown University Law Center. She also is a frequent speaker on matters related to congressional oversight and investigations, and she has been an invited speaker at events organized by the American Bar Association, the New York City Bar Association, the University of Pittsburgh Institute of Politics, and the Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law and Public Policy.