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Katie Hausfeld

Katrina A. Hausfeld

Partner
Co-Chair, Global Compliance
About

Katie Hausfeld focuses her practice on corporate investigations and compliance, white-collar criminal matters and complex civil litigation.

Katie regularly advises both US and multinational companies in connection with investigations and enforcement actions conducted by the US Department of Justice, the US Securities and Exchange Commission, the World Bank, and other enforcement agencies. She has conducted numerous investigations around the world related to a broad range of issues including allegations of accounting manipulation, fraud, corruption, bribery, money laundering, environmental compliance, insider trading, bid rigging, conflicts of interest, business email compromise, executive misconduct, and sexual discrimination. She also counsels her clients in relation to matters involving asset tracing and recovery. 

As a compliance advisor, Katie assists her clients in designing and implementing risk-based compliance programs that meet the ever-evolving expectations of global regulatory and enforcement agencies, including compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other anti-corruption regulations. These enterprise-wide programs include conducting risk assessments, drafting codes of conduct and other corporate policies, advising clients on whistleblower issues, and creating and implementing training programs. In addition, Katie performs anti-corruption and anti-money laundering compliance due diligence for acquisitions, joint ventures and other transactions. Katie is also a Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist.

As part of her commercial litigation practice, Katie has represented clients in a variety of complex commercial litigation disputes in both federal and state courts and before the American Arbitration Association.

Bar admissionsIllinois
CourtsUnited States District Court for the Northern District of IllinoisTrial Bar, United States District Court for the Northern District of IllinoisUnited States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit

EXPERIENCE

Katie’s recent representations have included: 

  • Advising a security services company on the integration of its global compliance program in connection with a transformational acquisition.
  • Conducting a detailed assessment of a Fortune 500 manufacturing and fuel company’s compliance program and advised on the re-design and implementation of its updated global compliance program.
  • Conducting a post-acquisition enterprise-wide risk assessment for a global services provider.
  • Designing and conducting anticorruption risk assessment for US-based services provider across its US, UK and Latin American operations.
  • Advising global information technology solutions company on the development and build out of a risk-based compliance program.
  • Advising a company immediately prior to initial public offering regarding development and implementation of its code of conduct, key compliance policies and third-party diligence capability build out.
  • Assisting a global manufacturer with an internal investigation regarding improper sales practices in Asia.
  • Representing a financial services company in an investigation conducted by the SEC regarding a fraud committed by a client.
  • Conducting an investigation of whistleblower allegations of theft and corruption involving the Latin American operations of a US-based industrial products company.
  • Representing a healthcare company executive in an investigation conducted by the DOJ and SEC regarding FCPA violations in Africa.
  • Assisting a global manufacturer with an internal investigation regarding conflict of interest issues. 
  • Conducting an investigation into allegations of fraud, corruption, theft, money laundering and environmental issues for a US-based global services company relating to its European operations.
  • Representing an industrials company in connection with a World Bank investigation into allegations of fraud and bribery associated with World Bank-financed projects in Africa.
  • Representing the audit committee of a pharmaceutical company in an investigation conducted by the SEC into financial reporting, books and records, and internal controls violations.
  • Assisting a Fortune 500 health care company with an internal investigation into whistleblower allegations of sales manipulation, channel stuffing, and other potential misconduct in Latin America.
  • Representing a global industrials company in an investigation conducted by the SEC into allegations of insider trading, financial reporting, books and records, and internal controls violations.
  • Conducting an investigation into allegations of theft, financial control failures and accounting deficiencies in the European operations of an energy distribution company. 
  • Assisting financial services companies in tracing and recovering fraudulently transferred assets across Europe, the Middle East and Asia.
  • Representing major audit firms and individual auditors before the SEC, PCAOB and DOJ, in matters involving audit irregularities and alleged fraud at the audit client.
Languages
  • Russian
Education
  • J.D., University of Illinois College of Law
    Rickert Award for Excellence in Advocacy
    cum laude
  • B.A., International Relations, Boston University

Awards

  • Chambers USA
    • Band 3. Illinois Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (2022-2023)
  • Who’s Who Legal Future Leader in Investigations (2022)
  • Named to Crain's Chicago Business's Notable Women in Law (2020 and 2022)

Pro Bono

Katie’s has assisted pro bono clients in such diverse areas as immigration concerns, prisoners’ rights, and international human rights. For many years, she has supported the Georgian delegation at the annual Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework on Climate Change, including negotiating on behalf of Georgia at COP26 in 2021. She has also helped to conduct trial advocacy training for police prosecutors throughout the Caribbean and in Guyana through DLA Piper’s New Perimeter Program in conjunction with the National Center for State Courts. 

Along with several of her colleagues, Katie received the 2019 Award for Excellence in Pro Bono Service from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, in conjunction with the Chicago chapter of the Federal Bar Association, in recognition of their representation of two boys who were separated from their parents after crossing the US-Mexico border to seek asylum in the United States. DLA Piper and co-counsel, who were also recognized, successfully challenged the decision of the US government to separate the boys, who were 16 and nine years old, from their fathers. The families were reunited after more than six weeks of separation.

Katie also received DLA Piper’s 2022 North American Pro Bono Award.

Bylines

Seminars

Media Mentions

Prior Experience

Prior to entering the practice of law, Katie worked in the Offices of Global Communications and Correspondence at The White House and at a foreign policy think tank, with a focus on US-Russia relations.

Licenses and Certifications

  • Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist

Memberships And Affiliations

  • Women in White Collar Defense Association 
  • Chicago Inn of Court
  • American Bar Association
  • Chicago Bar Association

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