Meet Our Team

Kristin L. Rakowski is a litigator, investigator, and compliance counselor who represents clients in their most complex and sensitive matters.  Ms. Rakowski has handled significant cross-border matters, including internal investigations and compliance assessments for Fortune and Global 500 companies. She has represented clients in matters, investigations, and proceedings initiated by the Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, and other federal and state regulatory agencies, as well as in civil and criminal litigation.

Ms. Rakowski previously practiced for nine years at Jenner & Block LLP, where she was a partner in the Litigation and Investigations, Compliance, and Defense practices.  She brings the experience of a former in-house counsel, having served as Senior Corporate Counsel for CDW Corporation, a Fortune 500 provider of information technology solutions. She has also taught appellate advocacy at Loyola University Chicago School of Law and served as a federal law clerk.

In 2012, Ms. Rakowski received the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois’s Award for Excellence in Pro Bono and Public Service for her work as part of a team that reduced an $11.7 million civil judgment against a non-profit organization to just $3 in nominal damages.
Ms. Rakowski earned her law degree cum laude from Northwestern University School of Law, where she served as the executive editor of the Northwestern University Law Review. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard College, cum laude in English & American Literature and Language.  While at Harvard she also served as an editor for The Harvard Crimson.

Education
Northwestern University School of Law, J.D. 2008, cum laude
Harvard College, B.A. 2003, cum laude in English & American Literature & Language

Admitted to Practice
Illinois
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Judicial Clerkships
Law Clerk, Judge David H. Coar, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois
Staff Law Clerk, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit
Legal Extern, Judge Wayne R. Andersen, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

Ms. Rakowski’s representative matters include the following:

• Served in leadership role for the Monitor of Credit Suisse A.G. following the bank’s $715 million settlement with the New York Department of Financial Services, part of a $2.6 billion settlement that involved the U.S. DOJ, the SEC, and the Federal Reserve

• Led defense of a telecom company in FCC compliance audit, resulting in no adverse findings

• Managed compliance reviews in Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean for Fortune Global 500 financial institution, assessing compliance with U.S. securities regulations

• Conducted investigations into product recalls for auto manufacturer and produced responses to federal regulators regarding the events leading up to the recalls

• Conducted internal investigation in response to SEC whistleblower investigation of asset management company

• Defended health care client in DOJ investigation into kickback scheme, resulting in favorable non-prosecution agreement, and subsequently succeeded in reinstating client’s ability to participate in federal health care programs

• Conducted FCPA investigations for Global 100 corporation and assisted corporation in improving its FCPA compliance program

• Conducted internal investigation into procurement fraud scheme at a multinational corporation, facilitating timely remediation, and subsequently drafted anti-corruption training for the company’s business personnel

• Conducted internal investigation into theft of trade secrets by contractors for Global 100 manufacturing company