Anne Harkavy is a partner in the firm's Litigation/Controversy Department, and a vice chair of the Government and Regulatory Litigation Practice Group. She joined the firm in 1998. Ms. Harkavy represents companies and individuals in congressional oversight and investigations matters and in high stakes litigation with governmental or public policy dimensions. She also provides strategic advice and counseling on issues before Congress and federal agencies. In 2004, Ms. Harkavy served as Deputy National Counsel for Sen. John Kerry’s presidential campaign while on a leave of absence from the firm.
Practice
Ms. Harkavy has represented public and private companies, educational institutions, and nonprofit entities before committees in both houses of Congress and in federal and state trial and appeals courts.
Recent Highlights
A sample of Ms. Harkavy’s current matters and recent highlights includes:
Congressional Hearings and Investigations
- Representing a leading financial institution in connection with multiple investigations and hearings by the House Financial Services Committee, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations (PSI) and others involving consumer credit issues, including credit cards, student lending, and mortgages
- Representing a major international petrochemical corporation in responding to oversight investigation and in preparing for hearings by the House Energy and Commerce Committee regarding pipeline safety and environmental issues
- Representing a leading health insurance provider in connection with a hearing before the House Energy and Commerce Committee relating to marketing of private Medicare plans
- Representing a major insurer before the House Education and Labor Committee in connection with an inquiry concerning retirement plans
- Representing a FEMA contractor in preparing for and defending witness interviews and responding to document requests in connection with the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs, Special Hurricane Katrina Investigation
- Representing a major financial institution in connection with multiple investigations by the Senate PSI relating to anti-money laundering protocols in international private banking
- Representing a leading internet search engine in connection with hearings by the House Subcommittee on Africa, Global Human Rights and International Operations relating to operations in China
- Representing a non-profit credit counseling entity in connection with an investigation and hearing by the Senate PSI concerning allegations of deceptive consumer practices
Litigation
- Defending a non-bank lender in a False Claims Act lawsuit relating to Small Business Administration loans
- Successfully defending a major foreign airline in an antitrust class action seeking more than $50 billion in damages
- Representing the University of Michigan, from the trial court through the Supreme Court, in successfully defending its consideration of race and ethnicity in admissions
- Successfully defending a leading standardized testing company against claims by former executives involving stock options
- Representing the American Legacy Foundation in successfully defending its anti-smoking truth® advertising campaign against a challenge from Lorillard Tobacco Company and providing ongoing strategic counseling and pre-publication review of advertisements
- Representing a major pharmaceutical company in obtaining a stay of patent infringement litigation pending reexamination of the asserted patent
- Representing an intermodal rail transportation provider in arbitration of a commercial dispute
Honors and Awards
In 2008, Times Online named Ms. Harkavy one of the "Future Stars of America," a selective list that highlights only ten up and coming lawyers in the US.
