DOJ Senior Anti-Money Laundering and Bank Secrecy Act Official Deborah Connor Joins Morrison Foerster

WASHINGTON, D.C. (September 15, 2022) – Morrison Foerster, a leading global law firm, is pleased to announce the arrival of Deborah (Deb) Connor as a partner in the firm’s Litigation Department, based in Washington, D.C. and focusing on anti-money laundering and Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) matters. Connor brings to Morrison Foerster over 25 years of combined experience as a criminal prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Criminal Division and United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, specializing in anti-money laundering enforcement, investigations, compliance, and complex white-collar criminal cases. She is the ninth partner to join the firm’s Litigation Department since the start of 2022.

Connor joins Morrison Foerster from the DOJ, where she was Chief of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS). In this role, Connor led seven units and 160 professionals, and oversaw a diverse portfolio of investigative matters, including prosecutions against traditional and nonbank financial institutions for Bank Secrecy Act, economic sanctions, and other violations; matters involving digital currency and financial technology companies; kleptocracy cases seeking to recover stolen proceeds from international corruption; and transnational criminal organizations engaged in organized crime, human trafficking, narcotics, and money laundering.

Connor previously spent 16 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, holding several prominent roles including serving as Chief of the Fraud and Public Corruption Section, where she led the office’s largest federal prosecution section focused on public corruption criminal cases, including violations of the BSA and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), securities fraud, healthcare fraud, bank fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy, as well as referrals from Congress. She also served as Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for the Criminal Division, where she advised the Assistant Attorney General, the Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, and Deputy Assistant Attorneys General on a wide variety of criminal matters. Before that, she served as Deputy Chief and Asset Forfeiture Unit Chief of the Federal Major Crimes Section, Deputy Chief of the Felony Major Crimes Section of the Superior Court Division, and as Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) for the Superior Court Division.

“Deb is a highly accomplished white-collar prosecutor who brings specialized Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering experience with deep insights into government expectations for Know Your Customer compliance and cryptocurrency enforcement to the firm, making her a tremendous addition for our clients,” said Morrison Foerster’s Litigation Department Co-Chair Christine Wong. “Deb’s years of experience and in-depth subject matter knowledge are synergistic with several of the firm’s successful practices, including our FCPA, National Security/Sanctions, and Banking and FinTech practices.”

With Connor’s arrival, Morrison Foerster has added 17 partners to its global Litigation Department since the start of 2021, including nine since the start of 2022. The firm has also significantly expanded its investigations and white-collar defense bench in the same period, including with the additions of former senior government officials Adam Braverman, Katherine Driscoll, William Frentzen, Edward Imperatore, Brian Kidd, Nathaniel Mendell, Brian Michael, Nathan Reilly, Peter Skinner, and Brandon Van Grack.

“I am excited to be part of the phenomenal growth of MoFo's investigations and white-collar defense practice. I look forward to working alongside the firm's unmatched bench of corporate compliance and investigation attorneys, many of whom I have known and respected for years,” said Connor. “After 25 years in government, I am delighted to join MoFo’s team as we help clients navigate today's challenging and complex Anti-Money Laundering/Bank Secrecy Act environment across many financial sectors, both traditional and in emerging technologies.”

Earlier in her career, Connor was a trial attorney in the Computers and Finance Section of DOJ’s Antitrust Division. Over the span of her legal career, Connor has been recognized for her service, including being presented with the Assistant Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award and Distinguished Service Award, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia Star Award. She is a frequent speaker on issues pertaining to white collar crime and anti-money laundering enforcement and investigations. Connor earned her B.A. in English and Political Science from Miami University of Ohio and her J.D. cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center. She is admitted to practice in Virginia and the District of Columbia.