Rachel T. Copenhaver

Rachel Copenhaver regularly represents companies, boards, audit committees, executives, and other individuals in government investigations and proceedings brought by the SEC, DOJ, and other federal or state agencies.

She has successfully defended companies and individuals in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation. Rachel regularly conducts internal investigations and counsels clients during regulatory examinations.

Rachel has successfully represented public companies, investment advisers, boards of directors, accounting firms, officers, directors, and individuals in matters involving alleged financial fraud, insider trading, board governance and oversight, whistleblower allegations, financial statement restatements and internal controls violations. Guiding clients at every stage, she conducts tailored internal investigations, navigates fast-paced fact-, document- and witness-intensive civil and criminal regulatory investigations and litigation and provides clear, actionable advice throughout the process. 

In addition to her active practice, Rachel co-leads the Chicago Chapter of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA). She co-founded and is a board member of Big Careers Little Kids (BCLK), a group that connects Chicago’s female professionals in law, finance, and business. Rachel is a Litigation Counsel of America fellow and a Top Lawyer/Woman Leader in Leading Lawyers.

Experience  

• Represented the former CFO of a large publicly traded pharmaceutical company in a special committee investigation, SEC investigation, various shareholder derivative lawsuits and a securities class action in connection with the company’s financial restatement arising from revenue recognition errors.
• Guided a publicly traded engine supplier and multiple current and former employees through an SEC investigation stemming from a financial restatement and whistleblower allegations regarding the company’s revenue recognition practices, as well as related shareholder derivative lawsuits and a securities class action.
• Represented the independent trustees of a large mutual fund complex in an SEC investigation involving supervision and oversight issues.
• Represented an investment adviser and certain officers and employees in an SEC investigation involving alleged cross-trading and principal transactions.
• Representing individuals in insider-trading investigations.
• Conducting bespoke internal investigations by creating a practical plan of attack and establishing sound procedures, tailored to the organization, that withstand external scrutiny.