SUMMARY & QUALIFICATIONS

Multilingual attorney with international background and law degree from top-ranked US law school

Over ten years of diversified legal experience, incl. at reputable law firms

Admitted to the Virginia State Bar and the Washington DC Bar; eligible to register as in-house counsel in California

Language skills: native speaker of German, Persian (Farsi), English; proficient in French

Tech-savvy and skilled advocate and negotiator with strong communication skills and excellent research abilities

Substantial international work and living experience; US citizen

AREAS OF PROFICIENCY

Corporate and business legal issues; commercial transactions; contract negotiation, structure, and review; corporate compliance; regulatory compliance; government investigations; domestic and cross-border internal investigations; corporate monitorships; financial services laws and regulations; international trade regulations; international law, economic sanctions laws and regulations; US immigration law

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Jenner & Block, Washington DC & Zurich, Switzerland, March 2016 - Present

STAFF ATTORNEY

Participated in the investigation and compliance monitorship of a major Swiss-based international investment bank and financial services company as a member of an independent monitorship team headed by Neil Barofsky, former special inspector general of the $700 billion Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), following the bank’s settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS) as part of a broader $2.6 billion settlement involving the US Department of Justice and federal regulators in connection with tax evasion and securities law violations.

Carried out internal investigation in Switzerland and assisted in the preparation of recommendations to enhance the bank’s reporting structure and compliance programs to ensure future compliance with US laws and regulations.

Carried out review and analysis of bank’s business and financial records relating to cross-border policies and banking activities, compliance policies/processes/controls, and code of conduct policies. Assisted with the interviewing of bank personnel and other relevant witnesses. Performed compliance monitoring through the forensic analysis of Swiss bank accounts to ensure proper implementation of the Monitor’s compliance-related recommendations.

Drafted memoranda and reports containing investigative findings, incl. root cause analyses of misconduct, and contributed to the drafting of the Monitor’s reports. Helped to identify and formulate remediation measures in response to the identified misconduct in order to improve the bank’s regulatory compliance policies, processes, and procedures. Attended and observed various compliance-related bank meetings.

Acquired knowledge of conducting large-scale cross-border internal investigation and developed understanding and expertise of federal financial regulations, federal tax laws and regulations (esp. FATCA regulations), BSA regulations, FINRA rules, Anti-Money Laundering and Counterterrorist Finance (AML/CFT) regulations, US securities laws, and Swiss data protection laws.

The Atlantic Law Firm, Mclean, Virginia, June 2009 - January 2016

MANAGING ATTORNEY/LEGAL COUNSEL

Provided legal advice and representation to domestic and foreign individuals and corporate clients on a variety of issues arising under US law, including commercial and corporate transactions, contracts, labor law, real estate transactions, international trade, immigration, and intellectual property.

Advised on strategic business development and compliance matters, including regulatory compliance, risk mitigation strategies, international business planning issues, and import and export compliance. Identified business and legal risks and suggested solutions for staying in compliance with domestic and international laws, rules, and regulations.

Structured, drafted, negotiated, and counseled on a large variety of domestic and international commercial agreements and legal documents. Created contract templates and managed contracts.

Represented buyers in business purchase and sales transactions.

Counseled on all phases of litigation. Advised on pre-litigation matters such as risk analysis. Researched and analyzed the law on complex issues. Researched and analyzed industry-specific laws and regulations as well as proposed legislation and judicial developments for potential impact on clients’ businesses.

Assisted clients with corporate formations, incl. filing incorporation documents, drafting operating and partnership agreements, and creating article of incorporation and bylaws and other corporate documents, and counseled them on related corporate governance matters.

Provided pro bono legal counsel and gave presentations to board of directors of nonprofit tax-exempt organization on various issues, incl. corporate governance and fiduciary duty issues, conflicts of interest, fundraising and charitable solicitation issues, the formation of “friends of” organizations, compliance with US sanctions regulations, and developing international affiliates.

Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner, Washington DC, December 2011 - November 2015

ATTORNEY

Provided litigation support in connection with discovery and pre-trial preparations in complex litigation matters, incl. high profile Hatch-Waxman pharmaceutical patent infringement litigation and other intellectual property infringement cases.

Carried out extensive first and second level relevance and privilege reviews. Reviewed large volumes of German-language discovery material, incl. regulatory, financial, contractual, and corporate documents. Assisted with taking depositions and legal research for motions. Translated legal documents (German).

Howrey & De Novo Legal, Washington DC, April 2009 - November 2011

ATTORNEY & DISCOVERY REVIEW MANAGER

Trained, supervised, and managed teams of attorneys and other personnel working on electronic document review projects for litigation discovery, incl. projects involving review of documents in German and French relating to financial regulatory matters. Trained attorneys on substance of cases and review technology and reviewed their work product.

Managed electronic discovery process. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to ensure logistical coordination between attorneys, technical experts, clients, and vendors. Evaluated and implemented technology assisted review (TAR) tools such as predictive coding. Acquired electronic discovery law and technology subject matter expertise.

Alston & Bird, Washington DC, June 2006 - February 2009

ATTORNEY

Worked on economic sanctions and FCPA matters. Performed discovery of various electronically stored data and hard copies of information in preparation for litigation. Reviewed, analyzed, and summarized English, German, and French documents for privilege, confidentiality, and other issues. Created privilege logs. Conducted factual and legal research. Responded to discovery requests and assisted with deposition preparation.

Conducted analysis and legal research on complex legal matters and acquired knowledge of US export control laws and regulations, incl. International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), Export Administration Regulations (EAR), anti-boycott regulations, economic sanctions and customs regulations, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).

EDUCATION

University of Virginia School of Law, Charlottesville, Virginia

JURIS DOCTOR (JD)

Articles Editor and Editorial Board Member, Virginia Journal of Law and Technology

President, Phi Delta Phi – UVA Law chapter (organization fostering civility and ethical conduct in the legal profession)

University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia

BACHELOR OF ARTS (BA), with High Distinction

Double major in Foreign Affairs, Middle East Studies; minor in German Language and Literature

FOREIGN LANGUAGE SKILLS

Fluent (native) in German and Persian/Farsi; working knowledge of French

RECENTLY COMPLETED CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSES (2017-18)

Contract Law: From Trust to Promise to Contract (Harvard University); Financial Institutions and Markets (University of Michigan); FCPA & International Anti-Corruption Developments (Practising Law Institute (PLI)); White Collar Crime: Bank Regulation & Enforcement (PLI); Basics of International Taxation (PLI); Internet of Things (PLI); Internal Investigations (PLI); Financial Services Industry Regulatory Compliance (PLI); Cloud Computing (PLI); Monitor, Audit, and Assess: Exploring the 3 Lines of Compliance Defense (PLI); Compliance Codes, Training, and Communications (PLI); Financial Services Technology – Global Risk & Investigations (PLI); FinTech: Blockchain & Cryptocurrencies (PLI); Fundamentals of Privacy Law (PLI); Anti-Money Laundering 2018 (PLI); Hot Topics in Electronic Discovery 2018 (PLI); Health Care Technology 2018: Critical Issues in Cybercare, Digital Medicine (PLI); IP Issues in Business Transactions 2018 (PLI); Conducting and Documenting Witness Interviews (Jenner & Block), Communications Law in the Digital Age (PLI)

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