Alison JW Epperson helps clients navigate high-stakes white collar criminal investigations and enforcement matters, with a focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and anti-corruption compliance.
Alison represents individuals and corporations in a broad range of white collar criminal defense, anti-corruption, regulatory, and trade matters across the globe with a focus on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and other anti-corruption laws and regulations. Alison's practice involves conducting internal investigations, representing clients in matters before the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission, and U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Controls, and enhancing corporate compliance programs. Alison has extensive experience responding to subpoenas and information requests from government entities and has trial and litigation experience in multiple federal district courts. She has also helped clients navigate shareholder books and records inspection demands and shareholder derivative lawsuits. Alison has represented companies around the world in the oil and gas, medical technology, digital entertainment, pharmaceutical, education, blockchain, technology, and financial industries.
Alison's practice also includes online safety issues, including advising companies on compliance with online safety-related obligations and best practices in the US and conducting online safety compliance risk assessments, especially as it relates to user safety on internet dating platforms. Alison's experience includes representing clients in connection with criminal and civil investigations conducted by state attorneys general related to state online safety legislation.
Alison remains committed to serving her community through pro bono representation and has experience in reproductive rights cases and policies, immigration and asylum matters, death penalty cases, policing and racial justice cases and policies, and a range of other constitutional issues. Alison has represented clients on civil and criminal matters in federal court, including a domestic violence survivor in a Hague Convention proceeding. Most recently, Alison helped achieve a meaningful settlement on behalf of the family of a man killed by police officers in Greenville, Mississippi after convincing the district court to deny qualified immunity for the officers involved.
Prior to joining Orrick, Alison graduated from Case Western Reserve University School of Law. In addition, while pursuing her undergraduate degree from Centre College, Alison worked on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., specifically in the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee. In 2016, Alison co-founded the non-profit, CTE Hope, an organization dedicated to addressing the issues and research of traumatic brain injures and chronic traumatic encephalopathy.
On February 8, the OCC, the Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would provide a simplified measure of capital adequacy for qualifying community banking organizations consistent with section 201 of the EGRRCPA. Release.
On February 11, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York’s Center for Microeconomic Data released the January 2019 Survey of Consumer Expectations, which shows that while short- and medium- term inflation expectations were unchanged, households were generally less optimistic about the economy and about future changes in their financial situation. Release.
On February 12, five federal regulatory agencies issued a joint final rule to implement provisions of the Biggert-Waters Flood Insurance Reform Act of 2012 requiring regulated institutions to accept certain private flood insurance policies in addition to National Flood Insurance Program policies. Release.
On February 12, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC“) extended the comment period related to the Request for Information (“RFI“) on the Deposit Insurance Application Process until March 31. The RFI is part of the FDIC’s ongoing efforts to enhance transparency, efficiency, and accountability. Release.
On February 12, the CFTC announced 2019 Examination Priorities for registrants of the Division of Market Oversight (“DMO“), Division of Swap Dealer & Intermediary Oversight (“DSIO“) and Division of Clearing & Risk (“DCR“). This marks the first time that the agency has published Examination Priorities for its divisions. Release.
On February 13, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (“CFTC“) requested public comment on a rule amendment certification filing by ICE Futures U.S., Inc. (“IFUS“). The amendment to IFUS Rule 4.26 would allow for the implementation of Passive Order Protection (“POP“) Functionality. As described in the certification, POP Functionality is intended to reduce latency advantages between traders engaged in arbitrage strategies against related markets. The POP Functionality would be implemented in the Gold Daily and Silver Daily futures markets. Comments must be submitted on or before March 15. Release.
On February 13, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC“) published a notice of proposed rulemaking that would amend the OCC’s stress testing rule at 12 CFR 46. The proposed rule implements the requirements imposed by section 401 of the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (“EGRRCPA“). Release.
On February 13, the Federal Reserve Board announced that it will begin its Survey of Consumer Finances, a statistical study of household finances that will provide policymakers with important insight into the economic condition of broad cross section of American families. Release.
On February 13, the Federal Reserve identified an error in the historical dataset used in its 2019 stress tests and issued a correction. The mortgage rate in the fourth quarter of 2018 was originally published as 4.6 percent and should have been 4.8 percent. All other variables, both their historical values and projected values in the hypothetical scenarios, are unchanged. The scenarios are not forecasts of the Federal Reserve. Release.
