Nicole Hughes Waid

Partner | Litigation
Chair, White Collar Defense & Investigations

About

Nicole focuses her practice on white-collar litigation, compliance matters, and data breach issues. She represents individuals and corporations under criminal and civil investigation by the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, and other federal regulatory agencies.

  • As a trial attorney, Nicole specializes in federal criminal matters with a focus on healthcare and white-collar fraud. She also defends individual and corporate clients in False Claims Act investigations. Nicole assists in the implementation of effective and efficient compliance programs for companies and their global operations. She regularly conducts internal investigations to identify areas of risk and ensure compliance in a variety of areas, including the False Claims Act, HIPAA, Anti-Kickback Statute, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and data breach.

    Prior to private practice, Nicole was a federal prosecutor for 12 years where she honed her litigation and investigative skills. She was the Chief Assistant United States Attorney, Middle District of Florida, Fort Myers Division from 2010-2013 and an Assistant United States Attorney for the District of Columbia from 2002-2009, where she held a number of supervisory positions. During her tenure as a federal prosecutor, she handled complex white-collar matters including bank fraud, health care fraud, mortgage fraud, public corruption, and national security matters. She uses her extensive experience with the federal government to counsel clients on the handling of government investigations and regulatory issues.

    As a partner with Roetzel and Andress, Nicole conducted internal investigations of companies when fraud was suspected, conducted risk assessments of corporate high-risk areas, and investigated data breach incidents. As a federal prosecutor, she was heavily involved in the Community Prosecution and Project Safe Neighborhood programs. She gained in-depth experience in law enforcement training, compliance and community policing policies and programs and used this knowledge to conduct risk assessments for law enforcement agencies, assess policies and procedures, and conduct training for officers to implement new community policing standards.


Practices

  • Antitrust Counseling

  • Banking and Financial Services

  • Cyber-Risk, Privacy, and Data Security

  • Government and Government Affairs

  • Health and Pharmacy Law

  • International Disputes

  • Litigation and Risk Management

  • White Collar Defense & Investigations

Admissions

  • Washington, D.C.

  • Maryland

  • Florida


Education

  • Catholic University, Columbus School of Law, 1998

  • Villanova University, 1995


Recognition

  • Included in the 2025 edition of The Best Lawyers in America® for Privacy and Data Security Law

Experience

  • FisherBroyles, LLP

  • Roetzel & Andress

Presentations and Teaching Experience

  • “Compounding Pharmacy Enforcement Update – Nationwide Increase in Civil and Criminal Investigations” – International Academy of Compounding Pharmacists (IACP), (February 2016)

  • “Vendor Management: Evaluating and Mitigating Risks Through Contract Management and Monitoring” – Defense Research Institute (DRI), Data Breach and Privacy Law Seminar, Chicago (November 2015)

  • “Surviving a HIPAA Breach Investigation” – Health Care Enforcement Compliance Institute, Washington, D.C., (October 2015)

  • “Pharmacy Legal Update: TRICARE False Claims Recoveries” – FisherBroyles Pharmacy Law Webinar Series (September 2015)

  • “Protecting Your Business in the Digital Age” – USLAW Legal Leaders & Corporate Counsel Exchange, Chicago (March 2015)

  • National Advocacy Center Lecturer


Publications

  • “Is Your Pharmacy HIPAA Strong?” – Pharmacy Edge Magazine (May 2016)

  • “Pharma Industry Prosecution Trends: The Expansion of Corruption Enforcement in the Global Market,” Pharmaceutical Compliance Monitor (July 8, 2015)

  • “Upcoming HIPAA Audits and Four Key Areas for Compliance” – Corporate Compliance Insights (April 2015)

  • “Community Policing: The Need to Change the Culture of Compliance” – American City and County (February 2015)

  • “The Characteristics of a Great Compliance Officer” – Pharmaceutical Compliance Monitor (2014)