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Overview

Helen represents healthcare and educational institutions in complex commercial disputes, combining strategic judgment and disciplined advocacy to achieve successful outcomes for clients. She practices from Brooklyn, New York as a member of our virtual office, The Link.

Her broad litigation background spans complex commercial litigation, government investigations and enforcement actions, employment disputes, whistleblower matters, and appellate litigation. She has advised universities on evolving regulatory and compliance issues and represented them through complex investigations involving multiple federal agencies, including the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the Department of Education (Education Department). She has represented commercial institutions and individuals in extensive civil litigation and agency enforcement actions brought by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the DOJ. Her experience spans every stage of litigation, from developing and investigating claims through motion practice, trial, and appeal. Throughout the life of a case, she works closely with clients to develop effective strategies, advance their objectives, and secure the best results.

Helen also maintains a strong commitment to public interest work.  She has represented victims of sexual assault, harassment, and discrimination, obtaining restitution through litigation and mediation.  She has also secured the immediate release of multiple individuals unconstitutionally detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through habeas relief.

Helen brings a strategic, disciplined approach to litigation, combining sound judgment with a clear understanding of each client’s business priorities and long-term objectives. She anticipates challenges, evaluates options, and provides practical counsel that enables clients to make informed decisions, efficiently deploy resources, and reach effective resolutions.

Industries

Services

Recognition

  • Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch® in America
    • Commercial Litigation, 2026-2027
  • New York Super Lawyers, Rising Star
    • Civil Litigation, 2024-2026
  • Law360, Legal Lions of the Week, August 2026
  • Law.com, Litigators of the Week Runners-Up, February 2024        

Education

  • J.D., Pepperdine University School of Law
    • summa cum laude
    • Order of the Coif
    • Pepperdine Law Review, Editor-in-Chief
    • International Arbitration Moot Court Team
    • Ninth Circuit Appellate Advocacy Clinic
    • Faculty Scholar
  • B.S., Cornerstone University
    • cum laude

Admissions

  • New York
  • California
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York

Clerkships

  • Hon. Collin J. Seitz Jr., Supreme Court of Delaware
  • Hon. Jay S. Bybee, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit


*Helen works remotely and is licensed in New York, practicing in Brooklyn, NY. Contact Helen via email or phone for in-person/virtual meetings. Use the Los Angeles office address for mail/deliveries only.

Experience
  • Served as lead senior associate on two jury trials, securing judgments totaling $88.3 million for E. Jean Carroll in her defamation and sexual assault claims against Donald Trump in the Southern District of New York.
  • Represented universities, medical schools, and hospitals in internal and government investigations and enforcement actions, including by the DOJ, HHS, and the Education Department.
  • Obtained dismissal of market manipulation claims in a civil action brought by the CFTC against a swaps trader in the Southern District of New York.
  • Secured summary judgment for a government contractor in a False Claims Act action in the Southern District of New York and drafted the principal brief on appeal to the Second Circuit, where the judgment was affirmed.
  • Successfully represented a prominent rideshare company in an appeal before the Second Circuit challenging a proposed data privacy law.
  • Successfully briefed and argued a habeas petition, obtaining the client's immediate release from wrongful detention in a precedential procedural due process decision in the Western District of Louisiana.
  • Obtained a shifted-burden bond hearing for an individual detained by ICE, resulting in the client's release, in the Northern District of New York.
  • Represented executives and senior employees in employment and compensation disputes involving alleged discrimination, fiduciary-duty violations, contractual claims, and wrongful termination.
  • Represented victims of sexual and physical assault, including in litigation brought pursuant to the New York Adult Survivors Act and Federal Trafficking Victims Protection Act.
  • Represented a large financial institution in regulatory investigations conducted by the DOJ, CFTC, and SEC, culminating in a deferred prosecution agreement.
  • Represented a financial institution in individual actions, government investigations, and multidistrict litigation proceedings concerning the Paycheck Protection Program.
  • Obtained dismissal of a federal securities class action in the Southern District of New York on behalf of a financial and retail technology company.
Outside the Office

Helen enjoys hiking, camping, and backpacking, and spent two weeks whitewater rafting through the Grand Canyon. Helen is often traveling and values spending time with friends and family across the country.

Community Leadership
  • Our Daughters International, Advocate
  • Kaleo Arts, Volunteer