Veronica Dragalin is experienced in high-stakes litigation, government investigations, and cross-border anticorruption enforcement. She has experience in civil and criminal matters.
Prior to rejoining Jones Day in 2025, Veronica was Chief of the Republic of Moldova's Anti-corruption Prosecution Office, where she led prosecutions against political figures and oligarchs, coordinated international investigations, and played a key role in legislative reforms. She worked with U.S., European, and Asian enforcement authorities and with international financial organizations in evaluating Moldova's compliance with international anticorruption standards.
She also served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Central District of California, where she prosecuted more than 300 criminal cases involving elected officials and multiple abuse of power and civil rights cases against federal and local law enforcement officers that included public corruption, foreign bribery, fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. She represented the United States in 10 jury trials and briefed and argued before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Veronica also negotiated resolutions with U.S. and foreign entities that resulted in multimillion dollar payments.
During her prior time at Jones Day, Veronica litigated product liability class action matters, toxic tort, and False Claims Act cases, as well as corporate disputes, including depositions, discovery, motions, and hearings. She also has experience conducting internal investigations, including Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, tax evasion, bank secrecy, and trade secrets matters in multiple jurisdictions, including China, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, and Switzerland.
Veronica has maintained an active pro bono practice, including securing a $1 million settlement for victims of human trafficking.
Experiência
International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC 2024), Plenary Session speaker “Ending impunity: from prevention to enforcement” and High-level meeting of law enforcement and anti-corruption authorities, Vilnius, Lithuania (June 2024)
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Global Anti-Corruption & Integrity Forum, panel “Fighting high-level corruption in Eastern Europe and Central Asia”, Paris, France (Mar. 2024)
Third Summit for Democracy, virtual international conference hosted by the President of the United States, Anti-corruption cohort panel opening remarks on behalf of the Republic of Moldova (Mar. 2024)
United Nations Conference of State Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (CoSP 10), panel “Empowering women in good governance”, Atlanta, GA, USA (Dec. 2023)
World Bank Group’s International Corruption Hunters Alliance, panel “Trailblazing Women in Integrity”, Abidjan, Ivory Coast (June 2023)
National Democratic Institute,
online panel “A framework for analyzing
the remnants of toppled kleptocracies and the forces of reform” (Feb. 2023)
European Parliament, roundtable discussion “Make Russia Pay: Legal ways to seize and use frozen Russian assets for the reconstruction of Ukraine” (Dec. 2022)
International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC 2022), panel “Winning the kleptocratic war: How can international cooperation and development cooperation support the fight against kleptocrats and oligarchs”, Washington, D.C., USA (Dec. 2022)
European Partners against Corruption and European contact-point network against corruption (EPAC/EACN), opening remarks, 21st Annual Professional Conference and General Assembly, Chisinau, Moldova (Nov. 2022)
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), High-level Meeting of Anti-Corruption Decision-Makers in Eastern Europe and Central Asia, Paris, France (Nov. 2022)
- University of Virginia (J.D. 2011; Editorial Board, Virginia Journal of Law and Technology); Duke University (B.S. in Biology cum laude 2008, with a minor in Chemistry)
- Admitted in California; not admitted in District of Columbia; supervised by a licensed D.C. Bar Member
- Chief Prosecutor, Anti-corruption Prosecution Office, Republic of Moldova (2022-2025); Assistant United States Attorney, Criminal Division, United States Attorney's Office, Central District of California (2016-2022)
Associate Fellow, Royal United Services Institute, Centre for Finance and Security (2025-present)
Robert S. Tucker Prize for Prosecutorial Excellence, Elisabeth Haub School of Law, Pace University (2023)
FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) Director's Award (2020)
ATF (Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) Case Recognition Award (2019)
Named a "Rising Star" by Southern California Super Lawyers (2016)
- Romanian