Former Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Rushmi Bhaskaran—who has more than 15 years of experience handling sophisticated white collar fraud and cybercrime matters—has joined Ballard Spahr's Litigation Department and White Collar Defense and Investigations Group as partner, firm Chair Peter Michaud announced today. Rushmi is resident in the firm's New York office.
"Ballard is known for the strength and acumen of its white collar team," Peter said. "Rushmi's experience in the Southern District, coupled with her skill in regulatory enforcement matters and government investigations, makes her a valuable addition. She is an outstanding trial lawyer and strategic thinker who is prepared to help our clients solve their most complex challenges."
In her nearly seven years at the Southern District of New York, one of the country's most high-profile prosecutorial offices, Rushmi tried numerous jury trials to verdict, including United States v. Charlie Javice and Olivier Amar, a $175 million fraud committed by startup executives on a leading financial institution. She has investigated and prosecuted complex white collar criminal cases involving bank fraud, mail and wire fraud, health care fraud, securities fraud, criminal tax violations, computer crimes, theft of trade secrets, money laundering, false statements, sanctions violations, and violations of the Bank Secrecy Act. Before joining the Southern District of New York, Rushmi spent nine years at Debevoise & Plimpton.
At Ballard Spahr, Rushmi joins 11 former U.S. Attorneys or Assistant U.S. Attorneys. The firm's Litigation Department is home to more than 340 litigators who represent clients across the country in civil, criminal, and administrative matters. On January 1, 2025, Ballard Spahr combined with Lane Powell, adding more than 150 new attorneys to the firm—including 85 litigators—as well as offices in Anchorage, Portland, and Seattle.
"Ballard has a national platform and a reputation for excellence in litigation and white collar criminal defense, and I'm thrilled to be joining the team," Rushmi said. "They are excellent lawyers who handle highly complex disputes for a wide range of clients. They're also great people whom I know I'll enjoy working with. I'm eager to get started."