D. Jean Veta

Jean Veta is a partner whose litigation and regulatory practice focuses on civil and regulatory enforcement matters, government investigations, internal corporate investigations, and congressional investigations, primarily on behalf of financial institutions and their officers and directors.  She is Chair of the firm's Financial Institutions Group and is recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in the field of Financial Services Enforcement and Investigations.  Ms. Veta also is recognized in the 2008 edition of Best Lawyers in America for banking law, is listed as one of  Washington's Super Lawyers in white collar criminal defense, and is recommended by The Legal 500 for SEC investigations and enforcement actions.  Her practice includes the representation of clients on a broad array of regulatory enforcement matters, including anti-money laundering, lending discrimination, safety and soundness, and other government investigations.  Prior to rejoining Covington in 2001, Ms. Veta was Deputy Associate Attorney General at the United States Department of Justice, where she was responsible for a wide range of legal and policy issues.

Representative Matters

• Representing the former Sterling Financial Corporation (now a part of The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.) in consolidated securities class action litigation, as well as inquiries by the SEC and the U.S. Attorney's Office, concerning a massive fraud at a Sterling subsidiary that resulted in the restatement of Sterling's financial statements.
• Representing Freddie Mac in SEC and OFHEO government inquiries and civil litigation related to its $5 billion restatement of earnings.
• Representing financial institutions and their officers and directors in defending against proposed and/or actual civil money penalties, consent orders, and formal agreements concerning such issues as alleged call report violations, violations of fiduciary duties, consumer compliance issues, brokered deposit issues, loan loss reserves, and other safety and soundness issues.
• Representing financial institutions in conducting internal investigations on compliance with domestic and foreign anti-money laundering laws, internal controls, and safety and soundness issues. 
• Representing financial institutions in enforcement inquiries regarding lending discrimination issues brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (e.g., United States v. Mid America Bank, fsb) and the federal bank regulators.
• Representing a client in inquiries by the Federal Trade Commission and various state attorneys general regarding one of the five largest data security breaches reported in the world in 2007.
• Representing an information technology company in False Claims Act investigations by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Navy.
  

Previous Experience

• Deputy Associate Attorney General, United States Department of Justice (2000-2001)
• Deputy General Counsel, United States Department of Education (1998-2000)

Honors and Rankings

• Recognized in the 2008 and 2009 editions of Best Lawyers in America for Banking Law.
• Recognized by Chambers USA as a leader in the field of Financial Services/Regulatory Enforcement and Investigations (2006-2008).
• Recognized by Washington, D.C. Super Lawyers as one of the top lawyers in white collar criminal defense (2007).
• Recognized by The Legal 500 as a leader in the field of SEC investigations and enforcement actions (2007).
  

Pro Bono

• Representing several social scientists in submitting a “friend of the court” brief in support of soldiers challenging the legality of the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy.

Memberships and Affiliations

• American Bar Association Section of Litigation, Chair of Political Party Platform Policy Task Force and also part of the Section’s leadership for a number of years
• Tulane Law School, Dean’s Advisory Board (2006-present)
• Tulane Law Review, Board of Advisory Editors (1992-present)

Publications and Speeches

• "Federal Reserve Establishes Commercial Paper Funding Facility," Covington E-Alert (10/8/2008), Co-Author
• "Congress Passes Omnibus Financial Recovery," Covington E-Alert (10/3/2008), Co-Author
• "Treasury Department Commences Guaranty Program for Money Market Funds," Covington E-Alert (9/30/2008), Co-Author