Jones Day welcomes back Veronica Dragalin, former Chief Prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office in Republic of Moldova
Veronica Dragalin will join Jones Day's Washington Office as a partner in the Investigations & White Collar Defense Practice. Previously an associate at the Firm from 2011-2016, and an Assistant U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles from 2016-2022, she served as the Chief Prosecutor of the Anti-Corruption Prosecution Office for the Republic of Moldova from 2022-2025.
Ms. Dragalin has 15 years of experience as both a defense attorney and prosecutor in white-collar criminal litigation and investigations involving allegations of bribery, bank fraud, money laundering, mail and wire fraud, obstruction of justice, RICO violations, and FCPA non-compliance. In her most recent role, she supervised the investigation and prosecution of more than 700 high-level anti-corruption cases in her native country of Moldova, including matters involving a former President, a former Prime Minister, current and former members of Parliament, and current and former judges and prosecutors, including the Chief of the Supreme Court and Prosecutor General. Her work earned her the Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence in 2023.
In her six years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Ms. Dragalin prosecuted more than 300 criminal cases, represented the United States in 10 jury trials and one bench trial, and prosecuted cases involving RICO and federal bribery charges against multiple elected officials in Los Angeles. She was recognized with the FBI Director's Award in 2020 and the ATF Case Recognition Award in 2019.
At Jones Day, Ms. Dragalin joins a team of lawyers worldwide who have helped clients with many of the most significant U.S. and cross-border investigations and white-collar criminal defense matters in recent decades. She will work with a global team of experienced lawyers to defend companies and individuals against allegations relating to all areas of white-collar crime, including internal investigations and compliance reviews, federal and state investigations, enforcement actions and criminal prosecutions, and regulatory issues.
"Veronica has proven herself to be a courageous and effective investigator and a trusted legal advisor in both the U.S. and in her native country of Moldova, upholding the rule of law and championing justice for all," said Ted Chung, the leader of Jones Day's Investigations & White Collar Defense Practice. "She has an exceptionally deep understanding of corporate enforcement in the U.S. and across Europe, and her experience handling high-profile white-collar matters will be a tremendous asset to clients in need of internal investigative services or facing government enforcement actions. I am delighted to welcome her back to Jones Day and eager to work with her in our practice."
Ms. Dragalin started her career as a business litigator in Jones Day's Los Angeles Office, advising corporate clients in FCPA investigations, tax evasion and bank secrecy investigations, judicial corruption cases, and multiple trade secret investigations.
"Veronica has an important perspective as both a defense attorney and a federal prosecutor for two nations," said Noel Francisco, Partner-in-Charge of the Firm's Washington Office. "During her previous time at Jones Day, she was a tremendous asset to our clients in business litigation matters and she was a highly valued colleague. We are delighted that she has returned to the Firm and I am pleased to welcome her to the Washington Office."
Ms. Dragalin immigrated to the U.S. from Moldova as a child. She earned her law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law and her undergraduate degree from Duke University.
"Jones Day is a very special place with a culture of collaboration and integrated teamwork that places client service and professional excellence at the core of everything," said Ms. Dragalin. "I am incredibly proud of the work that I have done in the past decade as a prosecutor in both the U.S. and Moldova, and look forward to applying that experience as a trusted advisor to our clients worldwide. I am grateful for the opportunity to return to Jones Day and look forward to joining my new colleagues in Washington."
