Laura Jenkins Plack is a partner in the Denver office of Gibson Dunn, 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 Orange County and Washington, DC offices.
Laura defends companies and executives facing internal investigations, criminal and regulatory investigations, congressional investigations, criminal prosecutions, and government enforcement actions. In addition, Laura helps clients navigate high-stakes civil and commercial disputes, particularly in litigation following government actions. Laura has experience across a range of industries, including financial services, technology, fintech and digital assets, higher education, defense, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Prior to joining Gibson Dunn’s Denver office, Laura was appointed a Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General and then an Associate Deputy Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. Laura advised the Deputy Attorney General on significant legal and policy matters. She provided strategic oversight on behalf of DOJ leadership relating to some of the Department’s most complex and high-profile actions. In this capacity, Laura worked closely with various DOJ 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. Before joining DOJ, Laura was an associate in Gibson Dunn’s Orange County and Washington, DC, offices.
Prior to law school, Laura worked in the West Wing of the White House for President George W. Bush, serving in the Chief of Staff’s Office and the Office of Strategic Initiatives and External Affairs. She was also an appointee in the Office of the General Counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Laura received her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law, 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. She earned her undergraduate degree magna cum laude from the University of Oregon Honors College, where she studied political science and business and was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa.
Laura is admitted to practice law in Colorado, California, and Washington, DC.
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 life sciences technology executive in parallel criminal and civil actions for alleged trade secret theft.
- Conducted internal investigation with 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 organization under investigation by House Judiciary Committee related to content moderation.
- Represented high-profile national governing body during House Energy and Commerce Committee and Senate Commerce Committee hearings relating to athlete abuse.
- Represented executive from a global financial institution 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 litigation with the SEC.
- Represented large university system in civil litigation relating to the criminal conviction of a university physician.
- Represented defense contractor in litigation with the Defense Contract Management Agency.
- Defended manufacturing company in civil litigation following criminal resolution with DOJ.
- Defended technology company in putative class action litigation related to alleged price-fixing.
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
- District of Columbia Bar
Clerkships:
- US Court of Appeals, 5th Circuit, Hon. Jerry E. Smith, 2012 - 2013