Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears

What Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears does

Schertler Onorato Mead Sears & Manning (operating under SOMSM, SOMS, and Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears) is a Washington, D.C.-based boutique litigation firm that has specialized in white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, and complex civil and criminal trial and appellate work for more than 20 years. The firm was founded by David Schertler and Danny Onorato and operates as a limited liability partnership from a single office at 555 13th Street NW, Suite 500 West, in Washington, D.C., with prior occupancy of the historic Evening Star Building at 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue NW. It serves two primary client segments: corporate executives, public officials, and high-profile individuals facing criminal charges, regulatory investigations, or civil litigation; and corporations requiring defense against DOJ/SEC enforcement, internal investigations, antitrust matters, securities litigation, FCPA, and False Claims Act actions.

The firm delivers services across 15 distinct practice areas led by White-Collar Criminal Defense & Government Investigations, with adjacent offerings in Civil Litigation, Criminal Defense, Antitrust, Securities, Corporate Internal Investigations, Congressional Investigations, Government & Regulatory Relations, Public Sector Employment, False Claims Act, Tax Litigation, Patent Litigation, Appellate Litigation, Professional Ethics, and Sports Law. Its competitive position is anchored by the individual reputations of its named partners, several of whom are former federal prosecutors and former partners at elite defense firms (Jones Day, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Orrick, Buckley), and includes a partner who has argued three U.S. Supreme Court cases. The firm holds a Chambers USA Band 1 Specialist Firm ranking in White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in the District of Columbia (2026) and Best Law Firms Tier 1 regional rankings (2025–2026) across white-collar criminal defense, general criminal defense, commercial, securities, and bet-the-company litigation.

Revenue is generated through professional services billing on a fee-for-service basis, with charges determined by matter complexity, attorney seniority, and scope of representation. The firm does not operate proprietary technology platforms, software products, or AI/ML systems. Marketing and client acquisition rely almost entirely on industry directory rankings (Chambers USA, Best Lawyers, Super Lawyers, Legal 500), peer referrals from the legal community, and earned media from high-profile case outcomes — including the unanimous U.S. Supreme Court reversal of former Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell's public corruption convictions and the exoneration of a D.C. man wrongfully imprisoned for more than 26 years resulting in a $4.3 million settlement. Ownership is concentrated among the named partners with no indication of private equity, venture capital, or external institutional investment.

Name

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears

Legal name

Schertler Onorato Mead Sears & Manning

Website

https://schertlerlaw.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears is a Washington, D.C. boutique litigation firm specializing in white-collar criminal defense, government investigations, and complex civil and appellate matters for corporate executives, public officials, and high-profile individuals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

White-Collar Criminal Defense & Litigation Legal Services

NAICS

Offices of Lawyers (541110), Offices of Lawyers (54111)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

White-Collar Defense & Investigations (BPAHAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Litigation & Dispute Resolution (BPAHAAAB), Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) & Securities Law (BPAHAAAI)

Keywords

• White-collar criminal defense
• Government investigations
• Complex civil litigation
• Securities litigation enforcement
• False Claims Act defense

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Legal Services Billing: Professional legal services rendered to individuals and corporations facing white-collar criminal charges, government investigations, civil litigation, and regulatory enforcement matters. Revenue is generated through hourly billing, fixed fees, and potentially contingency arrangements depending on matter type.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears is a Washington, D.C. boutique litigation firm that represents corporations and individuals in white-collar criminal defense matters, government and internal investigations, securities and antitrust enforcement, False Claims Act cases, appellate litigation, and other complex civil and criminal trial work. The firm delivers legal representation through partners who are former federal prosecutors and DOJ attorneys, handling matters from pre-indictment investigations through trial and appeal in federal and state courts.

Product overview

Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears is a boutique litigation law firm offering legal services rather than technology products. The firm provides a comprehensive suite of litigation and legal advisory services organized into 15 distinct practice areas, with core strengths in white-collar criminal defense, securities enforcement, and complex civil litigation. Services are delivered by attorneys and do not involve software products or technology platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• White-Collar Criminal Defense & Government Investigations

Quantifiable outcome

• Multiple acquittals in high-profile federal prosecutions including foreign exchange price-fixing case in SDNY
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Williams & Connolly: Premier Washington, D.C.-based litigation boutique with deep white-collar criminal defense and trial capabilities. Williams & Connolly is the most direct competitor to SOMSM in high-stakes federal criminal defense and government investigations matters.
• Boies Schiller Flexner: National litigation boutique with a strong white-collar defense and government investigations practice. Comparable in offering high-stakes individual and corporate representation in complex federal matters.
• Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan: The largest litigation-only law firm in the U.S., with major practices in white-collar defense and government investigations. Competes for the same bet-the-company civil and criminal matters that SOMSM targets.
• Robbins, Russell, Englert, Orseck, Untereiner & Sauber: Washington, D.C. litigation boutique focused on white-collar defense, appellate, and complex civil litigation. A direct boutique competitor with a similar founding-partner-led model.
• Keker, Van Nest & Peters: San Francisco-based litigation boutique with a strong white-collar and commercial trial practice. Competes for high-stakes trial matters at the same premium hourly rates.

Broad incumbents

• WilmerHale: Large AmLaw firm with one of the most highly ranked white-collar defense and government investigations practices. Competes with SOMSM on major federal investigations and SEC enforcement matters, but offers a full-service platform.
• Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison: Elite New York-based firm with a top-tier white-collar defense and government investigations practice led by former federal prosecutors. Competes for premium corporate white-collar engagements.
• Steptoe & Johnson: Washington, D.C.-based full-service firm with a respected white-collar and government investigations practice. A broader competitor offering regulatory and litigation services alongside white-collar defense.
• Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld: Global law firm with significant white-collar defense and FCPA capabilities, particularly in international investigations. A broader incumbent competitor with deep government enforcement experience.
• Debevoise & Plimpton: Major New York firm with a premier white-collar defense and government investigations practice, including FCPA and securities enforcement. Competes for the same high-stakes federal investigations work as SOMSM.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/paola-pinto-a884314b

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Schertler Onorato Mead & Sears