Team

Jonathan E. Lopez

Partner

Jonathan is an experienced investigations and trial attorney who represents individuals and corporations in a wide array of government enforcement actions, congressional inquiries and internal investigations. He specializes in money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, anti-corruption and financial fraud matters.

Jonathan is highly regarded for his client-centric and practical approach, as recognized by Chambers in Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations and Legal 500. According to Chambers, Jonathan is “an extremely conscientious and practical former federal prosecutor who navigates complex issues thoughtfully and efficiently,” known for being “meticulous and extremely concerned about his client’s wellbeing.”

Jonathan is a former federal prosecutor who served for over a decade at the DOJ before returning to private practice. Jonathan was Deputy Chief of the DOJ Criminal Division’s Bank Integrity Unit, where he led 15 prosecutors in the investigation of money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act (Title 31) matters, coordinating closely with other regulatory and enforcement agencies such as FinCEN, the SEC, FINRA, and the New York Department of Financial Services. Jonathan was also an accomplished trial attorney who successfully tried to verdict several matters, including as a member of the Enron Task Force; an FCPA trial as a Senior Trial Attorney in the DOJ’s Criminal Fraud Section; and as an Assistant United States Attorney in Miami, Florida. Jonathan also served in the DOJ’s Office of Legislative Affairs, where he engaged with Capitol Hill, in close coordination with the White House, on key legislative priorities and oversight matters.

Jonathan is a well-respected member of the white-collar defense bar and has successfully represented a broad range of clients in regulatory and enforcement matters. Recent representations include Chief Compliance Officers of major financial institutions in anti-money laundering investigations; several employees of a multinational aviation company in a large anti-corruption and ITAR investigation; a crypto-currency exchange facing criminal and regulatory investigations; a global financial institution for compliance advice in relation to digital assets; and defense of several life sciences- related enforcement matters.

Jonathan’s deep experience as a private practitioner and in government have provided him with an in-depth understanding of how the DOJ operates, both internally and in its interactions with other federal, state, and foreign counterparts. Jonathan’s well-rounded background has proven invaluable to clients navigating complex, multi-layered investigations. He is routinely asked to speak at national conferences, in particular for panels relating to anti-money laundering and personal liability.

For the past ten years, Jonathan has been an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, where he teaches a course on federal criminal trial strategy.

Jonathan is also a classic car enthusiast and long-time owner of a Triumph TR6, which occasionally runs.