
Jessica S. Heim

555 Mission Street
Suite 2000
San Francisco, CA 94105





Jessica helps clients—specifically companies, their Audit Committees or individual executives—respond to issues that arise through whistleblower hotlines or government inquiries of every sort. She works with them to conduct internal investigations and advises and defends them in government investigations and enforcement actions, whether brought by U.S. or international regulators. Jessica has counseled clients in a range of industries, including banking, food, oil and gas and technology, to name just a few. She has extensive experience with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), state Attorneys General, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Commerce Department, the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), and several other government agencies.
Jessica also assists clients with proactive compliance measures, finding creative ways to develop and implement formal compliance programs and processes and defending those programs to regulators. She has also helped clients navigate matters involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, antitrust offenses, economic and trade sanctions, securities violations, False Claims Act and trade secrets.
As a junior associate, Jessica launched her government investigations and white collar career by helping V&E represent a client in the Bernie Madoff case, one of the largest white collar criminal investigations of the century. Today she handles everything from routine compliance activities to the most high stakes scrutiny a company or executive can face. Jessica serves as the Hiring Partner in the firm’s San Francisco office.
Experience Highlights
Represents the Audit Committee of a public oil and gas services company in connection with DOJ and SEC investigations concerning alleged FCPA violations in West Africa and the Middle East and counseling company regarding compliance program
Represents the Audit Committee of a public multinational technology company involved in an investigation before the SEC and DOJ to conduct an independent investigation into the company’s compliance with the FCPA in Russia, China, Hong Kong, India and other countries and counseling company regarding compliance program; following numerous presentations to regulators on Audit Committee’s behalf, DOJ closed its investigation with no action taken against company
Represents oil and gas services company in connection with Commerce and OFAC investigations into alleged economic and trade sanctions violations; following voluntary disclosures and presentations to regulators on company’s behalf, both agencies closed their investigations with no action taken against client
Represents an executive of a food company in federal criminal price-fixing investigation by the Antitrust Division of DOJ
Represents a former employee of a pharmaceutical company in connection with a major investigation of potential FCA violations by the Massachusetts U.S. Attorney’s Office
Represents senior-level banking executive in investigations by the SEC, DOJ, OCC and California AG in connection with alleged securities and consumer fraud
Represents an executive of a major pharmaceutical company in a criminal investigation by the Antitrust Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in connection with a federal price fixing investigation
Conducted internal investigation of FCPA compliance for a public multinational technology company regarding sales practices in the Middle East
Represented a major Japanese company in connection with DOJ investigation based on allegations of cartel activity in the manufacture of major consumer parts
Conducted internal investigation concerning allegations of securities violations by high-level executive and consulted with the Audit Committee and Board of Directors regarding results of investigation; represented Audit Committee in connection with follow on SEC investigation
Represented a major Chinese corporation in connection with a DOJ investigation into the alleged theft of trade secrets for a manufacturing process
Successfully represented a Silicon Valley company in commercial disputes over rights to IP
Represented a Silicon Valley company in contractual dispute with a major drug wholesaler concerning alleged HIPAA obligations
Represented a broker-dealer and two of its officers in lawsuits commenced by the SEC and SIPC Trustee as well as investigations by the DOJ and several state Attorneys General
Credentials
- University of California-Hastings, J.D. magna cum laude, 2006 (Fraternities: Thurston Society, Order of the Coif; Co-Editor in Chief, Hastings International and Comparative Law Review, 2005–2006)
- Barnard College, Columbia University, B.A. cum laude, 1998
- Selected to the Northern California Rising Stars list, Super Lawyers® (Thomson Reuters), 2016 and 2017
- Legal 500 U.S., Corporate Investigations and White-Collar Criminal Defense, 2019 and 2020
- Member: Women In Securities (WISE)
- Member: Women Corporate Directors (WCD) – Northern California Chapter
- Mentor: Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD) Success in Law School Mentoring Program, 2014–Present
- Member: California Attorneys for Criminal Justice (CACJ)
- Member: Bar Association of San Francisco (BASF)
- Member: Steering Committee – Young WCC Lawyers (Northern California), ABA Criminal Division
- Member: American Bar Association
- Member: Women’s White Collar Defense Association
- Member: Barnard Alumni Association
- Member: University of California-Hastings Alumni Association
- New York
- California
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- Northern, Central and Eastern Districts of California
- U.S. Bankruptcy, Eastern District of California
- French (fluent)
- EventJanuary 19, 2021
- The V&E ReportDecember 11, 2020
- The V&E ReportNovember 19, 2020
- The V&E ReportNovember 3, 2020
- Coronavirus: Preparation & ResponseSeptember 29, 2020
Published in Law360, September 25, 2020
- Coronavirus: Preparation & ResponseAugust 26, 2020
- The V&E ReportAugust 12, 2020
- The V&E ReportJune 25, 2020
V&E Government Investigations Update
- Event RecapJune 24, 2020
- Event RecapJune 17, 2020
- Rankings & AwardsJune 16, 2020
- Coronavirus: Preparation & ResponseJune 4, 2020
- The V&E ReportJune 4, 2020
- Coronavirus: Preparation & ResponseApril 7, 2020
- The V&E ReportMarch 4, 2020
- The V&E ReportFebruary 28, 2020
- The V&E ReportFebruary 6, 2020
- The V&E ReportFebruary 5, 2020
- The V&E ReportDecember 16, 2019
- Event RecapNovember 13, 2019
- The V&E ReportNovember 6, 2019
- The V&E ReportOctober 11, 2019
- The V&E ReportSeptember 19, 2019
- Managing the Modern WorkplaceSeptember 19, 2019
- The V&E ReportSeptember 9, 2019
- Deals & CasesSeptember 6, 2019
Resolution of SEC Investigation Follows DOJ Decision to Decline Charges
- The V&E ReportAugust 1, 2019
- The V&E ReportJune 27, 2019
- Rankings & AwardsMay 30, 2019
- The V&E ReportMay 23, 2019
- The V&E ReportMay 15, 2019
- The V&E ReportApril 10, 2019
- The V&E ReportApril 4, 2019
- The V&E ReportMarch 15, 2019
- The V&E ReportMarch 14, 2019
- The V&E ReportMarch 8, 2019
- The V&E ReportMarch 7, 2019
- InsightFebruary 20, 2019
V&E Government Investigations & White Collar Criminal Defense Update
- InsightFebruary 8, 2019
V&E FCPA Update
- The V&E ReportJanuary 30, 2019
- The V&E ReportJanuary 25, 2019
- InsightJanuary 17, 2019
V&E False Claims Act Update
- Event RecapWednesday, November 13, 2019
- The V&E ReportJanuary 11, 2019
- InsightJanuary 10, 2019
V&E FCPA Update
- The V&E ReportDecember 27, 2018
- The V&E ReportDecember 20, 2018
- The V&E ReportDecember 13, 2018
- The V&E ReportDecember 10, 2018
- The V&E ReportDecember 4, 2018
- The V&E ReportOctober 22, 2018
- The V&E ReportOctober 18, 2018
- InsightJune 14, 2017
V&E FCPA & Global Anti-Corruption Update E-communication
- Managing the Modern WorkplaceJune 9, 2017
- “Navigating Cross-Border Activity with New Compliance Laws,” The Benchmark Litigation 5th Annual Women in Litigation Forum, June 20, 2019 (panelist)
- “How to Stay Out of Federal Prison, and Other Helpful Tips,” May 16, 2018 (speaker)
- “How to Leverage Technology and Avoid its Pitfalls to Conduct an Effective Internal Investigation,” 10th West Coast Conference on FCPA Enforcement and Compliance, September 26, 2017 (panelist)
- “Government Investigations and Compliance,” Benchmark Women in Litigation Forum – West, June 20, 2017 (speaker)
- “The UK’s Serious Fraud Office Successfully Chips Away Privilege Protections in the Investigations Context,” V&E FCPA & Global Anti-Corruption Update E-communication, May 24, 2017 (co-author)
- “The DOJ and SEC’s New Tough Love Program for Corporations and Executives,” V&E Client Presentation, June 3, 2016 (co-presenter)
- Co-Speaker, Stanford Law School, L.L.M. Corporate Governance and Practice Seminar (February 2015)
- “Preparing for and Conducting Witness Interviews,” CLEs (January, February & March 2015)
- FCPA and Anti-Corruption trainings for the Middle East and APAC regions of U.S. companies
- “Shareholder Suits: You Ain’t Seen Nothing Yet,” Corporate Board Member, January/February 2009 (co-author with Walter Stuart)
- “France: Banning Legal Pluralism by Passing a Law,” Hastings International and Comparative Law Review, Winter 2006
- “Get Outta Here! Unhappy Shareholders Are Trying to Eject Entire Boards,” Corporate Board Member, Feature Story, Spring 2001
- “The Coming Proxy Wars,” Corporate Board Member, March/April 2002
- “D&O Premiums: Up, Up & Away,” Corporate Board Member, May/June 2002
- “Bill Ford Appointed a Chief Governance Officer. Should You?,” Corporate Board Member, Jan/Feb 2003