Jacquelyn Kasulis, Former Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Joins Kirkland & Ellis as Partner
Kasulis is the latest addition to the Firm’s growing Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations Group
Kirkland & Ellis announced today that Jacquelyn Kasulis has joined its Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations Group as a partner in the New York office. Ms. Kasulis most recently served as the Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of New York. At Kirkland, she will focus her practice on representing and counseling companies, executives and boards of directors in investigations and litigation.
“Jackie has earned an outstanding reputation as a prosecutor in one of the country’s most prominent U.S. Attorney’s offices,” said Jon A. Ballis, Chairman of Kirkland’s Executive Committee. “We are thrilled she has decided to return to Kirkland, which speaks volumes about the strength of our government, regulatory and internal investigations team, as well as our firm’s overall culture, to attract a top talent like Jackie.”
Ms. Kasulis has investigated and prosecuted a wide variety of criminal matters involving securities fraud, market manipulation, national security, digital currency and cybercrime, investment adviser fraud, healthcare fraud, money laundering and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the Bank Secrecy Act. She spent close to 14 years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office and served in various senior positions, including Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney in 2021; Chief of the Criminal Division from 2019 to 2021; and Chief of the Business & Securities Fraud Section from 2017 to 2019.
In her role as Acting U.S. Attorney, Ms. Kasulis oversaw a team of 480 employees, including 175 Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and was responsible for all criminal, civil and appellate matters for the district.
She also led such high-profile matters as the prosecution and trial conviction of hedge fund manager and pharmaceutical executive Martin Shkreli, also known as “Pharma Bro,” and the investigation and prosecution of major financial institutions for various financial crimes. She also supervised a number of corporate resolutions and countless trials, including the prosecution and conviction of the former president and co-founder of NXIVM and the prosecution and conviction of R. Kelly. She frequently coordinated with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Fraud Section and Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Sections, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, and with domestic and foreign regulatory and enforcement authorities, including the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, the Federal Reserve Bank and the U.K. Serious Fraud Office.
“We are particularly excited to add such an exceptional lawyer in New York,” said Mark Filip, a member of Kirkland’s Executive Committee who leads the Firm’s Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations Group. “Jackie has deep experience in Wall Street cases and cross-border financial cases, and we are really looking forward to working with her.”
Asheesh Goel, also a Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations partner and member of the Firm’s Executive Committee, added: “Jackie is a known leader and a wonderful addition to our already outstanding bench of lawyers focused on government and internal investigations. She will be a tremendous benefit to our clients navigating today’s complex enforcement environment.”
Ms. Kasulis is a regular speaker on legal and leadership topics and has received several accolades, including the Eastern District Association’s Charles E. Rose Award in 2019, the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation’s Prosecutor of the Year Award in 2015 and 2019, and the Assistant Attorney General’s Award in 2020. She was an adjunct professor at New York University School of Law in the Federal Prosecution Externship Clinic and is currently a member of the board of advisors of the Program on Corporate Compliance & Enforcement at the law school.
She earned her law degree from Columbia Law School and bachelor’s degree in history from Davidson College. She started her career as an associate at Kirkland from 2003 to 2007.
“I’m excited to return to Kirkland, a firm with immense talent, a team-oriented approach and a commitment to building a diverse government, regulatory and internal investigations team,” Ms. Kasulis said. “As I thought about the next phase of my career, it became clear very quickly that Kirkland was the best place for me culturally and opportunistically. The strength of the people and the breadth of the practice is incredible.”
Ms. Kasulis joins a renowned bipartisan Government, Regulatory & Internal Investigations team at Kirkland that comprises former officials from the U.S. Department of Justice, the SEC, the U.K. Serious Fraud Office, House and Senate Subcommittees, and the White House. Other recent hires include Nader Salehi, who joined the Firm in September and Erin Nealy Cox, who joined in June after serving as the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas.
