Jessica is a founding partner of Donovan & Fitts LLP. She focuses her practice on representing institutions and individuals in all manner of investigative proceedings, including internal reviews, regulatory inquiries, government investigations, and civil and criminal enforcement matters. She is also a seasoned litigator and regularly represents clients in a variety of complex civil matters.
Prior to founding Donovan & Fitts, Jessica was a litigator at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP, where she specialized in white-collar defense and internal investigations. She advised clients through their most critical moments, navigating investigations brought by the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorneys' Offices, SEC, CFTC, and the Department of Education. She also litigated numerous complex civil litigation cases in federal court and the state courts of New York and New Jersey.
Jessica received her J.D. from Harvard Law School and graduated with Highest Distinction and Honors in History and Political Science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is admitted to practice in New York and the District of Columbia.
Relevant Experience
Government & Internal Investigations
Represented a premier financial institution and lead underwriter of a multi-billion dollar municipal bond offering in a joint SEC/CFTC investigation, obtaining a declination of enforcement action.
Defended a global asset management fund in a multiyear SEC investigation related to conflicts of interest.
Advised a large manufacturing company in responding to SEC inquiries concerning its accounting practices.
Represented an officer of an asset management firm in connection with a Department of Justice investigation into alleged FCPA violations.
Investigated the executive director of an international nonprofit organization and advised the board regarding the director’s alleged misconduct.
Conducted a large-scale investigation into and advised the board regarding alleged employee misconduct within a global restaurant chain.
Represented a global shipping company in a Department of Justice investigation into alleged security breaches.
Colleges & Universities
Conducted multiple sensitive Title IX investigations involving university students’ allegations of sexual misconduct.
Advised a preeminent educational institution in drafting its sexual misconduct policies and procedures.
Represented a graduate-level educational institution in a Department of Education investigation into a professional development program for women.
Litigation
Defended a hedge fund in a New York state defamation lawsuit involving an alleged “short and distort” market manipulation scheme and obtained a dismissal on First Amendment grounds.
Represented an investment advisor and its principal in a securities class action and multiple shareholder derivative lawsuits alleging fraud and breach of fiduciary duty and obtained dismissal of all actions.
Obtained dismissal of a breach-of-contract action in New York state court concerning an international oil company’s alleged misrepresentations in connection with the sale of a subsidiary.
Represented a large regional marketer of petroleum products in a New Jersey state court lawsuit alleging violations of federal and state franchise laws and prevailed on summary judgment.
Obtained dismissal of a products liability class action against a major electronics company in Massachusetts federal court.
Pro Bono
Obtained habeas relief in New Jersey federal court for a legal permanent resident who had been detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for more than two years pending removal proceedings
Represented multiple women in divorce, custody, child support, and immigration proceedings in partnership with Her Justice, a New York City-based legal services organization
Obtained a unanimous life-sentence verdict for the defendant in a South Carolina state court capital murder trial
Advised The Constitution Project’s Death Penalty Committee, a bipartisan panel of criminal justice system experts, on its report “Irreversible Error: Recommended Reforms for Preventing and Correcting Errors in the Administration of Capital Punishment”