Bio

Kenneth R. Chadwell is an of counsel attorney in the firm’s Detroit office who focuses his practice in the areas of white-collar and corporate criminal defense, internal corporate investigations, federal grand jury investigations, and institutional and business compliance.

A former Assistant United States Attorney in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Mr. Chadwell has nearly 40 years of legal experience in the federal district courts and in the U.S. Court of Appeals. He handles white-collar and corporate criminal defense matters, internal corporate investigations, federal grand jury investigations, national security matters, institutional and corporate compliance issues and specialized immigration litigation.

During his tenure as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Chadwell held a Top Secret security clearance for more than two decades and handled many of the most complex and sensitive matters litigated by the DOJ, including public corruption, Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO), terrorist financing, espionage, organized crime, business fraud, health care fraud, tax fraud and evasion, International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) violations, providing material support to designated terrorist organizations and death penalty litigation. 

Mr. Chadwell’s exceptional work earned him recognition and awards from the Attorney General of the United States, the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms, the Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Department of Agriculture among others.   

Prior to concluding his DOJ career as Deputy Chief of National Security, Mr. Chadwell conducted hundreds of grand jury investigations, supervised numerous federal agents involving virtually every type of federal criminal offense, oversaw wiretap and other sensitive investigative techniques, tried approximately 50 cases before federal juries as sole or lead counsel, and appeared as lead counsel before the U.S. Court of Appeals on more than 80 occasions. Mr. Chadwell also had the privilege to interact with U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies, and he was one of five elite federal litigators hand-picked to be a counter-terrorism prosecutor following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Mr. Chadwell provides a comprehensive approach to situations in which wrongdoing has occurred, is suspected to have occurred or is at risk of occurring in the future with emphasis on how to mitigate consequences to individuals and companies. Oftentimes, cases (whether criminal, civil or administrative) can be avoided by early detection and prompt engagement. This begins with gathering all the facts in an objective and accurate fashion, assessing them and their probable consequences, and interacting with governmental authorities in a careful and forthright manner while protecting each client’s constitutional rights and defenses. 

Representative Client Work

  • Represented a publicly traded multi-billion dollar corporation in a federal investigation involving the theft of trade secrets with espionage implications resulting in no charges or other consequences for the company
  • Represented the CEO of a hospital system in criminal and administrative investigations resulting in no charges or penalties
  • Represented an investment fund in a federal grand jury investigation and ancillary civil RICO litigation resulting in no criminal charges against the company, a dismissal of the RICO cases, and a federal indictment stemming from the company’s assistance with federal authorities
  • Represented a hospital system in a federal lawsuit, which resulted in the dismissal of fraud, RICO and class action allegations against the company
  • Represented a business owner in a health care fraud prosecution resulting in a sentence substantially below the sentencing guidelines

Professional Affiliations

  • State Bar of Michigan
  • Federalist Society

Publications/Articles and Lectures

  • “When Leaders Bury Their Heads in the Sand and Fail to Investigate Red Flags: Are Ostriches Criminally Culpable?” Michigan Bar Journal, Sept. 1, 2021
  • "What Every Business Should Know About Federal Investigations," The Michigan Business Law Journal, April 1, 2020
  • Criminal Trial Advocacy, Instructor, National Advocacy Center. 2011, 2012, 2015
  • University of Michigan Law School, Death Penalty Expert Panelist, 2011, 2012, 2013
  • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Presenter, National Security Investigations Division, Central Region Training Conference, 2009
  • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Presenter, National Security Investigations Division, Northeastern and Southeastern Region Training Conference, 2008
  • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Presenter, National Security Investigations Division, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Conference, 2008
  • “Terrorism Financing,” Czech Republic, 2004

Credentials

Clerkships

  • Hon. James P. Churchill, U.S. District Judge, Judicial Law Clerk, Aug 1986 - Aug 1988

Education

  • Wayne State University Law School, magna cum laude, J.D., 1986
    • Order of the Coif (Graduated Top 10 of Class)
    • The Wayne Law Review, Articles Editor
    • Pepper Hamilton Scholarship
  • Cedarville College, B.A., 1983

Admissions

  • U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, 2021
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Sixth Circuit, 1990
  • U.S. District Court, Western District of Michigan, 1988
  • U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Michigan, 1987
  • Michigan, 1986

Honors/Awards

Honors & Recognitions

  • Michigan Super Lawyers, Government Relations, 2025
  • DBusiness Top Lawyer, White Collar Criminal Defense, 2022 - 2023, 2025
  • Leader in the Law honoree, Michigan Lawyers Weekly, 2020
  • ICE Chief Counsel Award for National Security Prosecutions, 2010
  • Commendation from the Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 2009 and 2010
  • Award for National Security Investigations, Department of Homeland Security, 2008
  • Distinguished Service Award, United States Attorney General, 2008
  • Director’s Award for Terrorism Prevention and National Security Protection, Executive Office for United States Attorneys, 2007

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