Jodi Avergun is Chair of Cadwalader's White Collar Defense and Investigations Group within the Global Litigation Department. She is a nationally recognized criminal defense attorney and trial lawyer who is expert in anti-money laundering law and the Controlled Substances Act. She represents corporations and individuals in matters concerning, among other things, the Bank Secrecy Act and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Jodi has successfully represented both companies and senior executives across various industries, including pharmaceuticals manufacturing and distribution, financial services and technology in internal investigations, matters before regulatory bodies including the SEC and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and in civil and criminal matters in federal court.
Jodi advises clients in the burgeoning legal cannabis space, particularly as it relates to banking and financial transactions, and represents companies and individuals in cases involving both traditional and unusual applications of the Controlled Substances Act. She counts among her clients companies throughout the entire supply chain, as well as private equity firms that invest in the pharmaceutical space. She has written and lectured widely on all aspects of controlled substance law, as well as on compliance with anti-money laundering laws and regulations.
Prior to joining Cadwalader, Jodi was a career federal prosecutor. She was an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York for 12 years, where she served as head of the Long Island branch office and as Senior Litigation Counsel. Jodi also was a member of the Senior Executive Service of the U.S. Department of Justice, serving both as a Section Chief in the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section of the Criminal Division and as the Chief of Staff of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Jodi was recognized as part of Lawdragon's 2021 list of the 500 Leading Lawyers in America and was named an International Trade and Sanctions 2020 Distinguished Advisor by Financier Worldwide Magazine in its "Power Players" supplement. Super Lawyers has consistently recognized Jodi as a leading white collar defense lawyer in Washington, D.C., since 2016. She has also been recognized in Euromoney Legal Media Group's Guide to the World's Leading Women in Business Law.
Jodi is a graduate of Brown University and received her J.D., magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School, where she was an editor of the Brooklyn Law Review.
