Joseph E. Houchin

Biography

Joe is Of Counsel in the firm’s Raleigh office, where he represents clients under investigation or charged with criminal offenses in state and federal court. He has achieved favorable results for clients facing a variety of white-collar crimes including healthcare fraud, government/military procurement fraud, tax fraud, embezzlement, computer trespass, and other types of alleged corporate malfeasance. Joe has helped clients avoid criminal charges altogether by successfully navigating government and law enforcement investigations including with the FBI, the IRS, the Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division, the NC Medicaid Fraud Investigations Unit, and the NC State Board of Elections.  With vast experience handling criminal cases, Joe also represents professionals and executives with select sensitive matters.

Joe also maintains a business law and regulatory compliance practice representing the needs of North Carolina employers and entrepreneurs. Along with general representation of small businesses, he focuses on working with clients in the heavily regulated hemp/CBD and sweepstakes/skill-based games industries to ensure compliance and avoid agency enforcement action, civil liability, and criminal charges. Additionally, Joe has represented more than 150 businesses before the NC Industrial Commission facing civil penalties and contempt actions for workers’ compensation noncompliance.

Joe has represented employers for administrative appeals before a variety of government agencies and professional licensing boards including the U.S. Department of Labor, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the N.C. Department of Public Instruction, the N.C. Alcoholic Beverage Control Commission, the North Carolina Department of Revenue, and the North Carolina Code Qualifications Board. He gratefully serves by appointment as a member of the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission and the NC State Bar Disciplinary Hearing Commission.