Episode 44: After the Midterms

Episode summary

Releases Friday, November 13, 2026. With the 2026 midterm elections behind us, companies are asking what changes in Washington and what does not. In Episode 44, Daniel Achterberg and Grace Whitcombe speak with Julian Okonkwo-Hart and Owen Castellanos about how the new congressional landscape may affect investigations, oversight hearings and regulatory priorities.

The guests avoid predictions about specific outcomes and focus on how companies should prepare for scrutiny from committees with new leadership, what to expect from agencies regardless of who controls Congress, and how disputes may be shaped by the courts. They also discuss practical steps: document preservation, response plans and board communication. The episode runs about 31 minutes.

Chapter notes

• 00:00 Introduction. What the election changed, and what it did not.
• 03:20 Congressional oversight. How committee investigations work and why requests often start with a letter.
• 11:00 Agencies and enforcement. What stays constant in enforcement priorities and where the focus may shift.
• 18:15 Litigation and the courts. Owen on how oversight, enforcement and private litigation interact.
• 25:10 Preparing now. Preservation, privilege and a response protocol.
• 29:30 Takeaways. Each guest gives one piece of advice for the first 100 days of the new Congress.

Hosts and guests

Hosts: Daniel Achterberg and Grace Whitcombe.

Guests: Julian Okonkwo-Hart, Partner, White Collar Defense & Investigations, Washington, D.C.; Owen Castellanos, Partner, Litigation & Trial, New York.