EXPERIENCE

Jessica routinely represents companies in investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, the CFTC, SEC, as well as federal and state banking regulators and other government agencies. She also represents companies in securities and complex commercial matters in federal and state courts across the country, and in arbitration.

Jessica’s current and recent representations include:

Investigations

• A global financial institution in investigations by various U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the SEC, and other U.S. and non-U.S. regulators of an alleged European money laundering scheme;
• A major pharmaceutical company in a DOJ FCPA investigation of allegedly corrupt sales in the tender market for pharmaceutical products and medical devices;
• A top-five global bank in an investigation by the Manhattan U.S. Attorney’s Office related to U.S. dollar-clearing activity and related anti-money laundering (AML) controls;
• A U.S. financial institution in an investigation by a State Attorney General relating to the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP);
• A U.S. financial institution in an investigation by the New York State Office of the Attorney General related to virtual currency exchange activity;
• A global conglomerate in a CFTC enforcement action involving alleged “spoofing” of precious metals futures contracts on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange;
• A U.S. financial institution in connection with an SEC investigation into its activities as lead underwriter for a technology company IPO;
• A large technology company and certain subsidiaries in a DOJ investigation of AML and anti-fraud controls at money services businesses;
• A U.S. financial institution in the resolution of a major multi-year global AML investigation by the DOJ; the company entered into a non-prosecution agreement and its subsidiary paid a significantly reduced penalty;
• A Special Committee of the Board of a public company in an investigation of whistleblower allegations involving senior executives;
• A Special Committee of the Board of a financial institution in an internal investigation of sales practice and incentive compensation issues at a non-U.S. subsidiary;
• The New York-based subsidiary of a large Asian bank, in an AML/sanctions inquiries involving the New York State Department of Financial Services;
• A European bank in a CFTC enforcement action involving the alleged manipulation of a global benchmark for interest rate swap rates and spreads; and
• Numerous financial institutions in inquiries by various Congressional Committees, including the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services.

Litigation

• Glencore in securing the dismissal of a multibillion-dollar antitrust, fraud and corruption lawsuit brought against international oil trading companies by a U.S. litigation trust allegedly established by Venezuela’s national oil company, Petroleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), alleging that the oil trading companies conspired to obtain inside information about tenders for the sale and purchase of oil and oil products;
• Deutsche Bank in consolidated class action litigation alleging that Deutsche Bank and other “panel” banks conspired to suppress the submissions they made with respect to ICE LIBOR, an interest rate benchmark;
• DST Systems, Inc., a subsidiary of financial services software provider SS&C, in federal district court litigation and more than 400 arbitrations asserting alleged losses by current and former participants in DST’s 401(k) Profit Sharing Plan;
• Johnson & Johnson in a lawsuit filed under the Anti-Terrorism Act by U.S. military service members and their families alleging that J&J and other pharmaceutical and medical device companies provided funding for terrorist groups through their contacts with the Iraqi Ministry of Health. On July 17, Paul, Weiss won a significant victory in D.C. District Court, securing the dismissal of this closely watched case;
• Western Union in an Anti-Terrorism Act lawsuit in which family members of a U.S. citizen killed in the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 in July 2014 allege that banks and money services businesses knew or were deliberately indifferent to alleged money transfers to separatist forces in Eastern Ukraine;
• Deutsche Bank in class action litigation involving the alleged manipulation of a global benchmark for interest rate swap rates and spreads; and
• JPMorgan Chase & Co. in multi-district class action litigation and arbitrations of securities, derivative and ERISA claims relating to alleged misrepresentations of the financial condition of Bear Stearns in the run up to the financial crisis.

Jessica is recognized by Legal 500 in the Litigation: Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense category. In 2016, Jessica was recognized as a "Rising Star" by the New York Law Journal. She also received the “Law360 Distinguished Writing Award” at the 2017 Burton Awards. Jessica serves on the firm’s Partnership Committee.