Women's White Collar Defense Association

Member Spotlight: San Francisco Chapter Development Chair Ellen London is the co-founder of London & Naor, an Oakland, CA, based boutique that focuses on civil False Claims Act defense, commercial litigation, internal investigations, and other civil matters.

Ellen’s experience as a civil Assistant United States Attorney in SDNY and NDCA has allowed her to be particularly adept at navigating complex matters involving multiple stakeholders and high-stakes events.

Join the Rankings and Endorsement (REC) and Small Firm Initiative (SFI) Committees for WWCDA’s Annual Chambers Rankings Program on June 23, 2026.

Krista Tongring, co-chair of WWCDA REC will present an overview, best practices and preview of the application and referee process. SFI Chapter Liaisons Gail Shifman from the San Francisco Chapter and Effie Blassberger from the New York Chapter will share their experiences and successes in the ranking process.

A Question-and-Answer session will follow. All members of WWCDA are invited and welcome to attend. Register here: https://ow.ly/7ONq50Zfjn1

Congratulations to LA Chapter member Alyssa Bell, who was recently ranked by Chambers in the Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations area for California.

She also recently achieved a major win in the Ninth Circuit regarding an insider trading case, with the news being covered by many major trades including Law360 and Bloomberg. Great work, Alyssa!

New York Chapter member Elizabeth Kelley spent five weeks in Singapore working with the Center for Asian Legal Studies at the National University of Singapore, organizing a series of educational programs regarding invisible disabilities and the criminal justice system.

What an incredible evening in London! Thank you to everyone who joined us!

Yesterday, WWCDA welcomed members, colleagues, and friends from across the investigations, enforcement, compliance, and white-collar defense community for our London | Programme & Reception at Apothecaries' Hall.

The evening featured Part 2 of our Global Enforcement & Compliance Series, Through the Eyes of the Accused: A Firsthand Perspective of the Experience of Being a Suspect/Defendant in a White-Collar Criminal Investigation, where attendees heard a powerful and candid discussion from Rachel Rhodes about her firsthand experience navigating a lengthy white-collar criminal investigation and prosecution.

Following the program, attendees gathered for an evening of meaningful conversation, new connections, and global perspectives during our reception.

Thank you to everyone who joined us, and to our speakers, volunteers, and partners who helped make the event such a success. We were especially pleased to welcome many attendees from the GIR Women in Investigations Conference and continue fostering connections across our professional communities.

We look forward to seeing you at future WWCDA events and programs!

's DC Chapter held a Summer Networking Reception featuring luxury charcuterie, dessert, and beverages from women-owned businesses, along with a rooftop view of downtown DC and the National Cathedral. The event brought women across the chapter together for a night of conversation, community, and refreshments. Thank you to HKA and Pamela Verick for hosting the event!

Today's the day!

While in-person capacity has been reached, you can still join us virtually (at no cost to you) for today's WWCDA Global Enforcement & Compliance Panel, Part 2:

Through the Eyes of the Accused: A Firsthand Perspective of the Experience of Being a Suspect/Defendant in a White-Collar Criminal Investigation.

This excellent discussion will kick off at 5:30 PM BST.

Hope to “see” you there!

https://www.wwcda.org/events/event-description?CalendarEventKey=fcac32ba-9037-44ad-b1d3-019d8d897abd&CommunityKey=955d0007-3f22-4a42-88fc-ff533fab325f&Home=%2fhigherlogic%2fccadmin%2fadmin%2fevents%2fmanagecalendarevents.aspx

There is still time to join us (virtually) tomorrow, June 9th, for the WWCDA Global Enforcement & Compliance Series, Part 2!

The in-person seats are sold out but you can still register to attend virtually (for free).

This is the Part 2 session of this year’s four-part series for the Global Enforcement & Compliance program.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn about pressing global matters from our expert speakers.

https://www.wwcda.org/events/event-description?CalendarEventKey=fcac32ba-9037-44ad-b1d3-019d8d897abd&CommunityKey=955d0007-3f22-4a42-88fc-ff533fab325f&Home=%2fhigherlogic%2fccadmin%2fadmin%2fevents%2fmanagecalendarevents.aspx

Program Details:

TOPIC: Through the Eyes of the Accused: A Firsthand Perspective of the Experience of Being a Suspect/Defendant in a White-Collar Criminal Investigation

Rachel Rhodes, former CFO of London Mining plc (in administration) was investigated and subsequently prosecuted by the SFO in respect of allegations of bribery and corruption. She was arrested in 2016 and charged in 2023. Rachel maintained her innocence throughout. In February this year the SFO offered no evidence, and not guilty pleas were entered.

In a Q&A session led by Rita Mitchell (Partner Willkie Farr & Gallagher) Rachel with her lawyer Shula de Jersey (Partner BCL Solicitors LLP) will share her experience of being a suspect and then a defendant in this long-running investigation.

Today we are spotlighting San Francisco Chapter Member Stephanie Douglas, President of the National Security Practice at Guidepost Solutions, LLC. Ms. Douglas is well known for her extensive experience leading audits and monitorships of Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS)-related National Security Agreements.

Stephanie leads engagements involving national security investigations, compliance reviews, CFIUS audits and monitorships, as well as cybersecurity, sanctions and export controls, privacy, and sensitive internal investigations. Prior to Guidepost, Stephanie spent nearly 24 years with the FBI.

We are only one week away from the WWCDA London Programme & Reception!

While there is a waitlist for the Global Enforcement & Compliance Series, Part 2. Future registrants are still welcome to join us for the reception that follows or attend GEC, Part 2 virtually.

https://www.wwcda.org/event/other-programs/london-reception

Program Details:

Rachel Rhodes, former CFO of London Mining plc (in administration) was investigated and subsequently prosecuted by the SFO in respect of allegations of bribery and corruption. She was arrested in 2016 and charged in 2023. Rachel maintained her innocence throughout. In February this year the SFO offered no evidence, and not guilty pleas were entered.

In a Q&A session led by Rita Mitchell (Partner Willkie Farr & Gallagher) Rachel with her lawyer Shula de Jersey (Partner BCL Solicitors LLP) will share her experience of being a suspect and then a defendant in this long-running investigation.