Diana R. Shaw

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Diana is a trusted advisor to corporate and institutional clients, including boards of directors and senior executives, navigating high-stakes investigations and oversight matters where legal, operational, and reputational risks converge. She advises Fortune 100 companies and organizations in highly regulated industries at the intersection of enforcement, oversight, and governance, with a practice spanning internal workplace investigations, government enforcement matters, and congressional and Inspector General inquiries. She is recognized for delivering clear, strategic guidance in complex, high-visibility situations.

Diana brings senior government leadership experience, having served as Acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of State, where she led global criminal and civil investigative programs. In that role, she directed complex, cross-border investigations involving bid-rigging, bribery, kickbacks, and fraud, including matters involving major U.S. and multinational corporations. She also led ethics investigations into senior government officials and oversaw audits of government programs and contracts to identify and remediate fraud, waste, and abuse.

Drawing on her firsthand experience testifying before Congress, Diana advises clients facing congressional and other oversight inquiries on response strategy, risk mitigation, and executive preparation for high-profile hearings. She is particularly valued for helping leadership teams navigate intense scrutiny while maintaining credibility with regulators, lawmakers, and key stakeholders.

Diana also counsels clients on governance, risk, and compliance (GRC), helping organizations design, assess, and enhance compliance frameworks in areas including anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, and regulatory compliance. She conducts sensitive internal workplace investigations involving allegations of misconduct, harassment, discrimination, and retaliation, and advises on remediation strategies that strengthen organizational integrity, culture, and accountability. Diana also helps organizations strengthen culture, inclusion, and employee engagement in a shifting DEI legal and policy landscape as they look to balance business objectives, values, and risk appetite.

Representative Matters

Investigations & Oversight:

• Designed and executed a time-sensitive investigation of a prominent university’s handling of allegations of sexual assault that were first reported, and later retracted, by a U.S. media outlet.
• Led sensitive investigation of alleged ethics violations involving university general counsel.
• Led sensitive internal investigation of alleged leak of confidential information by corporate client’s employee to a competitor.
• Conducted time-sensitive governance and process-improvement review for large quasi-governmental agency and developed new processes to remediate identified internal-control deficiencies.
• Investigated numerous large companies for alleged fraud, bid-rigging, and other wrongdoing related to corporate use of federal aid and/or participation in government programs.
• Testified at multiple congressional oversight hearings on issues and investigations relating to government programs.
• Prepared private- and public-sector senior leaders to testify at high-stakes congressional hearings, including the CEO of a Fortune 50 company asked to testify before the Senate.
• Advised Presidentially appointed nominees through the Senate confirmation process.
• Advised clients on strategy and response to sensitive congressional inquiries, including developing written submissions and coordinating parallel legal and communications strategies.
• Managed public relations challenges associated with multiple high-stakes congressional inquiries/investigations.
• Successfully defended senior government official in U.S. Department of Defense OIG investigation alleging whistleblower retaliation and other misconduct.
• Designed OIG engagement strategy for multimedia company targeted in multiple OIG audits, helping to successfully position and advance client’s interests during audit process.

Compliance:

• Advised board of directors of large organization on governance issues related to, among other things, procurement integrity.
• Advised defense company through State Department compliance inquiry for alleged ITAR violations.
• Advised large federal assistance award recipient on compliance with Trump Administration Executive Orders related to DEI, including potential False Claims Act exposure.
• Set up a compliance program (from the ground up) for a foreign company following its acquisition by a large U.S. financial services firm.
• Regularly assisted clients with enhancing compliance programs, including developing and strengthening standards of conduct, anti-bribery and corruption policies and procedures, and third-party due diligence policies and procedures.
• Created and customized trainings for clients on industry-specific regulations and related compliance risks, conducting internal investigations, and preparing for and navigating government oversight and enforcement actions.

Professional Experience

• Acting Inspector General/Deputy Inspector General, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of State (2020-2024)
• Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
  • Head of Special Reviews and Evaluations (2019-2020)
  • Acting General Counsel / Head of Legal Affairs (2018-2019)
  • Acting Head of Congressional Affairs (February-May 2017)
• White Collar Defense Associate & Counsel, Am Law 100 Corporate Law Firm (2007-2016)

Recognitions

• Named by Lawdragon as one of "500 Global Leaders in Crisis Management” (2025, 2026)
• Named to Law360's White Collar Editorial Advisory Board (2025, 2026)
• During her tenure as the Acting Inspector General for the State Department (2020-2024), Diana’s office was recognized more than 20 times by the Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity and Efficiency (CIGIE) for excellence in auditing, investigation, and inspecting.
• Received Inspector General Award for preparing the DHS Inspector General to testify at six congressional hearings within a six-week period.