Tara E. Levens

Tara is a former federal prosecutor and trial-tested litigator who represents companies, boards and executives in government investigations and enforcement matters, internal investigations, white-collar defense and complex civil litigation. Drawing on experience first- and second-chairing six federal trials and arguing multiple federal appeals, she helps clients navigate high-stakes matters involving allegations of fraud, securities violations, criminal conduct and other business-critical misconduct at all stages of litigation.

Before joining Cooley, Tara spent more than four years as an assistant US attorney with the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. She led investigations and prosecutions involving public corruption, export controls, wire fraud, organized crime and Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) offenses, among other matters. Tara first-chaired four trials and second-chaired a seven-week public corruption trial and a six-week RICO trial, examining lay and expert witnesses, arguing motions and charge conferences, and delivering closing arguments. Tara also argued three appeals before the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and served as an appellate attorney reviewing and advising on briefs in criminal and civil matters. In 2024, she received the Executive Office for United States Attorneys Director’s Award for Superior Performance by a Litigative Team.

Tara began her career clerking for Judge Stanley Marcus of the US Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and then-Chief Judge Beryl A. Howell of the US District Court for the District of Columbia. She then practiced at a leading multinational law firm in New York, representing clients in criminal prosecutions, government investigations and complex commercial litigation, and conducting internal investigations and compliance reviews involving economic sanctions, antiterrorism financing and anti-money laundering.

Tara earned her JD from the University of Chicago Law School, where she served as editor-in-chief of The University of Chicago Law Review. She earned her undergraduate degrees in mathematics and political science from the University of Chicago, where she also captained the varsity swim team.

Tara’s representative matters include:

Litigation

• Defending a travel technology company against consumer protection claims in California state court
• Defending a leading provider of business travel and expense management software and its directors and officers in a federal securities class action
• Representing a data center developer and operator in state court litigation concerning a commercial landlord-tenant dispute, including arguing multiple pretrial motions

Government investigations and enforcement

• Guiding a global online gaming platform in its response to civil and criminal investigations by state attorneys general
• Representing a venture capital investor in a Department of Justice (DOJ) investigation involving a portfolio company, including in connection with a voluntary witness interview
• Advising a clinical-stage pharmaceutical company in responding to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) subpoenas and a special litigation committee investigation concerning alleged insider trading
• Representing a leading financial intelligence and information services company in Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) voluntary self-disclosures, internal investigations, subpoena responses and civil settlements concerning apparent violations of US sanctions regulations*

Internal investigations and compliance

• Advising the special litigation committee of the board of directors of a leading domain registration and web-hosting provider in investigating alleged breaches of fiduciary duty
• Advising the audit committee of an enterprise AI software company in an internal investigation responding to whistleblower allegations of potential accounting fraud
• Advising a leading developer of AI image-creation technology on compliance with federal obscenity laws
• Conducting anti-money laundering and sanctions risk assessments for multiple global social media and online payments companies*

Pro bono

• Representing a domestic violence survivor in obtaining a restraining order and restitution award in California state court
• Drafting and filing amicus briefs for civil rights organizations in the US Supreme Court and federal courts of appeals in cases involving voting rights and immigration*

* Representation handled prior to joining Cooley