IRIS E. BENNETT, Of Counsel Publications · Professional Activities Washington, DC Office Office: (202) 639-6008 Fax: (202) 661-4903 Email: ibennett@jenner.com  Add to Outlook Contacts

Iris E. Bennett is Of Counsel to Jenner & Block and a member of the Firm's Litigation Department.  She is a member of its White Collar Defense and Investigations and Antitrust Litigation Practices.
 
Ms. Bennett conducts internal investigations for companies concerned about potential violations of criminal law, provides counseling with respect to resolution strategies and remediation, and represents companies in government investigations.  Ms. Bennett has significant experience representing companies that operate internationally and that are subject to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA). She has represented several major corporations in internal investigations involving questionable practices under the FCPA and has also represented companies in voluntary disclosures to federal authorities. Ms. Bennett also represents companies in other matters relating to federal criminal law including antitrust, the Anti Kickback Act, and the mandatory disclosure rules applicable to government contractors under the Federal Acquisition Regulations. Ms. Bennett is fluent in Spanish and conducts case investigation and analysis in that language as needed.

Ms. Bennett provides legal compliance counseling and training for companies and their personnel, including in the FCPA arena.  She also assists companies in auditing their FCPA compliance, including by working in conjunction with outside accountants to conduct FCPA-related financial auditing.

Ms. Bennett joined Jenner & Block after serving as an Assistant Federal Public Defender for the District of Columbia Federal Public Defender's Office from 2002-2003, where she represented numerous clients at the trial court level in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia.

Ms. Bennett regularly takes on pro bono cases, with a focus on appellate litigation concerning immigrants and civil rights. In 2007, she briefed and argued a habeas case challenging prolonged immigration detention during removal proceedings before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. Her other pro bono work includes amicus curiae briefs on behalf of the American Bar Association in Lopez v. Gonzalez (2006); on behalf of criminal law professors from around the country in Flores-Figueroa v. United States (2008); on behalf of the National Association of Federal Defenders in Carachuri-Rosendo v. Holder (2010); and on behalf of the NACDL and numerous immigration/criminal law expert organizations in Padilla v. Kentucky.  In each of these decisions the Supreme Court adopted arguments urged by the amici represented by Ms. Bennett.  Ms. Bennett received the 2007 Albert E. Jenner, Jr. Pro Bono Award for her immigrants' rights work.

Ms. Bennett graduated from Harvard College with an A.B. in social studies in 1989, summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa.  She obtained her J.D. from New York University Law School in 1999, magna cum laude, Order of the Coif.  She was a member of the NYU Law Review and authored the article "The Unconstitutionality of Non-uniform Immigration Consequences of 'Aggravated Felony' Convictions," for the publication in 1999.  After graduation, Ms. Bennett served as a law clerk to the Honorable Robert W. Sweet, United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, and then as law clerk to the Honorable David S. Tatel, United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.