Laura Jenkins Plack is a senior associate in the Denver office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher where she is a member of the White Collar Defense & Investigations and Litigation practice groups. She is a former Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. Laura previously practiced in the Firm’s Washington, DC and Orange County offices.
Laura represents and advises companies and executives facing internal investigations, regulatory and criminal investigations, congressional investigations, government enforcement actions, and complex litigation. Laura has experience across a range of industries including financial services, technology, digital assets, higher education, sports, defense, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Representative Criminal and Regulatory Investigations:
- Represented cryptocurrency exchange in a U.S. multi-agency investigation, including resolutions with DOJ, the CFTC, FinCEN, and OFAC.
- Defended publicly traded company facing a DOJ investigation and advised on the design and implementation of its corporate compliance program.
- Represented global financial institution in connection with investigations conducted by U.S. and global authorities into the foreign exchange market.
- Defended financial institution facing a DOJ money laundering investigation.
- Defended life sciences technology executive in parallel criminal and civil actions for alleged trade secret theft.
- Conducted internal investigation and subsequent DOJ disclosure of potential price-fixing conduct for a large manufacturing company.
- Represented technology company related to an investigation by the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.
Representative Congressional Investigations:
- Represented non-profit company under investigation by House Judiciary Committee related to content moderation.
- Represented high-profile national governing body for House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Commerce Committee hearings relating to athlete abuse.
- Represented finance executive related to investigation by U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, Senate Judiciary Committee, and Special Counsel’s Office regarding Russian interference.
- Represented global financial institution related to investigation by House Financial Services Committee regarding BSA/AML compliance.
- Represented motor sports organization related to investigation by House Judiciary Committee.
- Represented former employers of federal officials related to various committee investigations.
Representative Litigation:
- Defended cryptocurrency exchange in ongoing regulatory litigation with the SEC.
- Represented university in civil litigation relating to the criminal conviction of a university physician.
- Represented major defense contractor in litigation with the Defense Contract Management Agency.
- Represented manufacturing company in civil litigation following criminal resolution with DOJ.
- Defended technology company in putative class action litigation related to alleged price-fixing.
Prior to joining the Denver office, Laura was appointed an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. In that role, Laura advised the Deputy Attorney General on significant legal and policy matters. She regularly provided strategic oversight on behalf of Department leadership relating to some of the Department’s most complex and high-profile actions. In this capacity, Laura worked closely with various components, including the Civil Division, the Criminal Division, the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, the Civil Rights Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Office of Legal Policy, the Office of Legislative Affairs, and the U.S. Trustees Program.
Laura received her law degree from the University of Virginia, where she served as a Senior Editor of the Virginia Law Review. After graduation, she clerked for the Honorable Jerry E. Smith of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit. Laura also served as a judicial extern during law school for the Honorable Diarmuid F. O’Scannlain of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Prior to law school, Laura worked at the White House for President George W. Bush as a Director in the Chief of Staff’s Office and the Office of Strategic Initiatives. She also served in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Laura earned her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the University of Oregon Honors College, where she was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa and was a member of the University of Oregon cheerleading team.
Laura is admitted to practice law in Colorado and California.
Capabilities
- White Collar Defense and Investigations
- Antitrust and Competition
- Congressional Investigations
- Consumer Protection
- Crisis Management
- Financial Institutions
- Fintech and Digital Assets
- Litigation
- National Security
- Public Policy
- Securities Enforcement
Credentials
Education:
- University of Virginia - 2012 Juris Doctor
- University of Oregon - 2005 Bachelor of Arts
Admissions:
- California Bar
- Colorado Bar
Clerkships:
- US Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, Hon. Jerry E. Smith, 2012 - 2013