EXPERIENCE

Jessica frequently represents companies in sensitive investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice, the SEC, the CFTC, various federal and state regulators, and other government agencies. She has litigated numerous securities and complex commercial matters in federal and state courts across the country, including matters where billions of dollars are at stake. She also has experience on high-value class action, insurance and general commercial litigation matters and in arbitration proceedings.

Jessica’s current and recent representations include:

Investigations

• A Special Committee of the Board of Directors of Credit Suisse Group AG in an investigation and widely anticipated report on the Bank’s relationship with Archegos Capital Management following the fund’s default and Credit Suisse’s related losses;
• A major pharmaceutical company in a DOJ FCPA investigation of allegedly corrupt sales in the tender market for pharmaceutical products and medical devices in Iraq;
• 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 related to virtual currency exchange activity;
• A leading global market maker in an investigation by a State Attorney General relating to algorithmic trading practices;
• 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’ handling of employment-related complaints;
• 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 significant Asian bank, in AML inquiries involving the New York State Department of Financial Services, the FDIC, and FinCEN; and
• Numerous financial institutions in inquiries by various Congressional Committees, including the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the House Committee on Financial Services.

Litigation

• Glencore in 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, Petróleos 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 the dismissal of class action claims alleging that Deutsche Bank and other “panel” banks purportedly violated antitrust laws by conspiring to suppress ICE LIBOR, an interest rate benchmark;
• Johnson & Johnson in the dismissal of an Anti-Terrorism Act lawsuit 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;
• 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;
• 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; and
• JPMorgan Chase & Co. in multidistrict 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 was recognized as a “Next Generation Leader” at the 2021 Legal Momentum Aiming High Awards. In 2016, she was recognized as a "Rising Star" by the New York Law Journal and received the “Law360 Distinguished Writing Award” at the 2017 Burton Awards. Jessica also serves on the firm’s Partnership Committee.