Biography

Rachel Wolkinson represents high profile individuals and corporations in sensitive and complex litigation and enforcement matters, including securities litigation and investigations, shareholder class actions and derivative litigation, SEC enforcement proceedings, government investigations and audit committee reviews. She is hailed as a leading litigator in Legal 500, with clients noting that she is an “excellent negotiator” who is “completely devoted” to her clients.

Rachel represents individuals and companies across a wide array of industries, including financial institutions, cryptocurrency, health care, energy, sports and technology companies.

In addition, Rachel has represented many clients pro bono in the areas of Social Security disability benefits, asylum and family custody disputes. While at law school, Rachel was a summer intern for the late Judge David G. Trager of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Awards

Work Highlights

Basketball Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal in defense of a purported securities class action relating to the sale of nonfungible tokens.

Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks in a class action relating to cryptocurrency investments.

Energy executive Cyril Cabanes in defense against charges by the DOJ and SEC of bribery related to a significant solar energy project.

Terren Peizer, CEO and founder of telehealth provider Ontrak, in a first-of-its-kind criminal insider-trading case, the first federal case in which criminal liability is alleged in connection with the execution of Rule 10b5-1 trading plans.

ProFrac, a publicly traded Texas oil and gas company, in ongoing compliance and as corporate governance counsel.

Special committee of the audit committee of an online payroll and human resource technology provider in a review of whistleblower allegations and SEC disclosure issues.

Audit committee of a public oil field service company in a review of disclosure concerns, other complex accounting issues and several whistleblower allegations.

Audit committee of a U.S.-based technology company in internal investigation of whistleblower allegations of SEC violations.

Company under investigation by the SEC for fraud in connection with the resolution of several defaulting mortgages.

Some of Rachel’s notable matters handled prior to joining Brown Rudnick include:

Class Action and SEC Enforcement: Zurich Insurance Group, JBS (class action).

Shareholder Derivative Litigation: Hewlett-Packard, Royal Dutch/Shell, Brocade Communications Systems, Halliburton, YRC Worldwide.

Leading foreign meat processor in a class action lawsuit stemming from allegations of securities fraud.

Worldwide distributor of medical supplies in a class action and Section 220 demand request stemming from securities fraud allegations.

Investment adviser and several individuals under multi-year investigation by the SEC for producing misleading valuations of its business development company’s investments and shifting its own expenses onto its investors. Administrative Order made no scienter-based fraud charges and charged no individuals.

Organization alleged to have aided and abetted war crimes and genocide.

Defense contractor under investigation by the SEC for violating the whistleblower provisions of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

Information technology company reporting solely to its committee of independent directors formed to consider allegations made in shareholder derivative actions and shareholder demands regarding the company’s purchase of a U.K. company and subsequent multibillion-dollar write-down.

Debt-buying company accused of fraudulently obtaining default judgments against consumers in violation of the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act and New York General Business Law.

Specialty finance company in defense of multiple class and derivative actions stemming from allegations of securities fraud.

Banks in their review of residential foreclosure actions regarding the banks’ mortgage servicing portfolios for loans.

Business processing outsourcing company in an SEC investigation and class action defense of accounting and disclosure issues surrounding stock option grants and expensing. Matter resulted in cessation of SEC probe with no regulatory action and a settlement with the class plaintiffs.

Senior executive of a Japanese airline in a DOJ-criminal antitrust investigation relating to allegations of price-fixing. Client was never charged by the DOJ.

Education

University of Pennsylvania Law School, J.D.
Brandeis University, B.A., magna cum laude

Bar Admissions

District of Columbia
Maryland
Publications
Professional Affiliations
Awards and Honors
Community Involvement