Karen P. Hewitt

Partner

Karen Hewitt is a former United States Attorney and an experienced trial lawyer who has successfully litigated hundreds of cases in federal court over two decades. She currently represents companies in civil and criminal investigations and in complex business litigation. Karen's practice focuses on defending matters involving possible violations of federal law, including the Anti-Kickback Statute, the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, the False Claims Act, and the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Before joining Jones Day in 2010, Karen served as San Diego's chief federal law enforcement officer, where she led the federal effort to protect the safety and security of the three million people residing in the region. Karen focused on national security, border security, cyber and intellectual property crime, white-collar and financial crime, civil fraud, violent crime, narcotics, and immigration enforcement. During Karen's tenure, the U.S. Attorney's Office also investigated and prosecuted violations of the securities laws and bankruptcy fraud. Under Karen's direction, the U.S. Attorney's Office achieved a record number of convictions, including cases involving the prosecution of numerous high-ranking members of a deadly Mexican drug cartel, a defense contractor for bribing a congressman, the executive director of the CIA for fraud, a man who made an internet threat to kill a presidential candidate, a man for murder of a U.S. Border Patrol agent, a Chinese resident for conspiring to steal U.S. military encryption technology, three individuals who bombed the federal courthouse, a SPAWAR employee for accepting bribes, and a former Assistant Secretary of the Navy for possession of child pornography.

Karen is Partner-in-Charge of the San Diego Office. She is a director of the San Diego North Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Former U.S. Attorneys. She is a member of the Board of Directors of the Girl Scouts of San Diego, a Master in the Enright Inn of Court, and a member of the Association of Business Trial Lawyers and Lawyers Club.