Jillian B. Berman
Recognized by Chambers USA as an “incredibly smart and thorough” lawyer with “deep experience,” Jillian “earns her clients’ trust and forges the best strategic path for them.” Jillian is a former federal prosecutor with extensive trial, appellate, and investigative experience. She represents individuals and companies in white collar criminal and regulatory matters, government and internal investigations, and in complex commercial litigation. She also advises companies, boards of directors, and individuals on securities and corporate governance issues, and in shareholder derivative actions, breach of contract and employment disputes.
Jillian’s matters span many substantive areas, including securities and commodities fraud (including insider trading, market manipulation and accounting fraud), antitrust and price fixing, money laundering and sanctions, asset forfeiture, restitution, bribery, public corruption, cryptocurrency and cyber issues, legal ethics and fiduciary duties.
Her clients include corporate executives, portfolio managers and finance professionals, law firms and lawyers, broker-dealers, health care professionals, financial and real estate firms, entertainment executives, compliance officers and others.
Before entering private practice, Jillian served as a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York for nine years, where she tried 10 criminal cases and argued numerous appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. As a member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force, Jillian investigated and prosecuted a wide range of federal securities and commodities fraud offenses and coordinated parallel civil enforcement proceedings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and other regulatory agencies. Before entering government service, Jillian practiced complex commercial litigation at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C.
A frequent speaker on legal issues, including legal ethics, restitution and forfeiture, Jillian previously served as a lecturer in law at Columbia Law School. Currently, she is co-head of the New York chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association. She is also an executive board member of the New York Council of Defense Lawyers, a board member of the Federal Bar Foundation of the Federal Bar Council, and a board member of the Adams Street Foundation, which funds and implements individualized programming for low-income high school students in downtown Brooklyn to prepare them for college and career success.
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Representative Matters
- Representation of a former executive indicted in a federal antitrust case charging price fixing and bid rigging. Our efforts resulted in the DOJ dismissing all charges against our client prior to trial.
- Representation of a digital asset trading platform in connection with a federal investigation and prosecution involving securities fraud and commodities fraud, among other offenses.
- Representation of an executive of a cryptocurrency exchange in an investigation alleging violations of the Bank Secrecy Act, where the investigation was ultimately closed.
- Representation of multiple directors of a public company in connection with shareholder derivative litigation.
- Representation of an individual medical professional sued in a securities class action, for which we obtained dismissal on a motion to dismiss.
- Conducted an internal investigation for a financial analytics company in connection with whistleblower allegations concerning potential FCPA violations.
- Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of an audit committee of a non-profit educational organization in connection with a whistleblower complaint alleging financial improprieties concerning charitable contributions.
- Representation of New York City oversight entity in connection with federal civil litigation in the Southern District of New York.
- Representation of a senior executive of a global medical technology company in a criminal fraud investigation and a parallel civil False Claims Act investigation, resulting in no charges being filed.
- Representation of an AI engineer in connection with a regulatory investigation regarding potential misleading statements.
- Representation of a global advisory and accounting firm in an SEC investigation regarding potential securities fraud violations.
- Conducted an internal investigation on behalf of a special committee of an information technology company concerning potential fraud by a company employee.
- Representation of a real estate management company and its principals in connection with a federal investigation involving alleged campaign finance improprieties and bribery, resulting in no charges being filed.
- Representation of Chief Technology Officer of online lending platform in connection with criminal and civil investigation into potential securities fraud.
- Representation of former Chief Accounting Officer of a multibillion-dollar consumer products company in connection with an SEC investigation involving potential accounting fraud and disclosure violations.
- Representation of marketing company in federal criminal investigation involving allegations of securities fraud and violations of the FCPA.
- Representation of individual charged with money laundering offense in connection with allegations of sanctions evasion.
- Representation of CEO/founder and CFO of a start-up marketing analytics company in connection with an internal investigation involving corporate governance issues surrounding potential wrongdoing by a company employee.
- Representation of top-ranked consulting company in a federal investigation and prosecution of individuals involving market manipulation.
- Representation of an executive of a public company in the oil and gas sector who was charged with securities fraud, and who received a non-jail sentence.
- Defended former CFO of a public technology company in SEC investigation and federal securities class action, resulting in favorable resolutions.
- Representation of an investment adviser charged with securities fraud, who received a non-jail sentence.
Publications
Articles
“Risks Of Today’s Proffer Agreements May Outweigh Benefits,” Law 360 (March 31, 2025)
“Mitigating Incarceration’s Impacts On Foreign Nationals,” Law 360 - Expert Analysis (May 21, 2024)
“Chicken Cases Show Benefits Of Pretrial Hearsay Probes,” Law360 - Expert Analysis (January 31, 2023)
“COVID-19 Considerations for Recipients of a Federal Grand Jury Subpoena To Testify,” Practical Law (April 29, 2020)
Show More +Recognition
- Chambers USA
- Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations, New York
- White-Collar Crime and Government Investigations, “Up and Coming” (2019)
- The Legal 500
- Who’s Who Legal: Business Crime Defence
- Super Lawyers New York Metro List
- Top 50 Women Lawyers
- Top 100
- Criminal Defense: White Collar, Business Litigation, Securities Litigation
- Best Lawyers
- Criminal Defense: White Collar
- Benchmark Litigation
- Litigation Star
Activities
- Federal Bar Foundation
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Federal Bar Council
- Inn of Court
- Federal Criminal Practice Committee
- Committee on Sentencing and Alternatives to Incarceration
- New York City Bar Association
- White Collar Crime Committee
- Women in the Legal Profession
- Government Ethics and State Affairs Committee (2012-2017)
- Women’s White Collar Defense Association
- Chair, New York Chapter Program Committee
- New York Council of Defense Lawyers
- Member of the Executive Board
- Adams Street Foundation
- Board of Directors
Speaking Engagements
Jillian Berman Joins WWCDA Panel “Show Me the Money: A Primer on Restitution and Forfeiture Issues (Part II)”, (September 15, 2025)
Jillian Berman joins Practising Law Institute Panel on Internal Investigations, (June 24, 2025)
JiIllan Berman Speaks at WWCDA Panel “Show Me the Money: A Primer on Restitution and Forfeiture Issues (Part I)”, (May 19, 2025)
Ethical Considerations for Corporate Investigations — CLE Webinar with the NYC Bar Association, (September 25, 2024)
Jillian Berman Speaks on Sentencing at 2024 White Collar Crime Institute at NYC Bar Association, (May 23, 2024)
Jillian Berman joins PLI Panel on Corporate Internal Investigations, (June 29, 2023)
Jillian Berman Interviews CFTC Commissioner at 2023 White Collar Crime Institute, (May 23, 2023)
Jillian Berman Participates in ABA Antitrust International Cartel Workshop, (June 28, 2022)
Jillian Berman Speaks about Individual Defense at 10th Annual White Collar Crime Institute at NYC Bar Association, (April 27, 2022)
Jillian Berman Speaks at Practising Law Institute’s Insider Trading Law Program, (October 21, 2021)
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