Rachel Cannon

Practice Areas

White-Collar Defense | Independent & Internal Investigations | Financial Services Litigation | Blockchain & Cryptocurrency | Commercial Trials & Litigation | Sports Integrity Team

Career

Rachel Cannon is a go-to lawyer and creative strategist for individuals and companies facing high-stakes legal challenges. Described by Chambers as "an exceptional litigator," "a true advocate," "really smart, really strong, and really skilled," and someone who "knows her way around the courtroom," she focuses her practice on trial work, investigations, white-collar criminal defense, corporate governance, and complex civil litigation. A former federal prosecutor and seasoned trial lawyer, she has tried 19 jury trials and dozens of bench trials, and has briefed and argued numerous cases in the US Court of Appeals.

Over the past decade Rachel has achieved a number of high-profile successes for individuals and companies charged criminally or sued civilly. These results range from securing full dismissals of criminal and regulatory matters, to winning denials of preliminary injunctions, to securing dismissals of civil complaints. As select examples, Rachel recently secured the dismissal of a federal criminal indictment brought against a CEO in a high-profile white-collar matter. She defeated the CFTC in its effort to enjoin a commodities trader from trading based on accusations of market manipulation. She has also convinced regulators to forego charging a wide variety of clients, ranging from an advertising agency under investigation in a high-profile antitrust matter, to an importer caught in the crosshairs of EPA and Customs violations, to a member of the C-suite ensnared in a high-profile public corruption investigation.

Rachel is also an experienced investigator. She has conducted internal investigations for all manner of organizations, including global publicly traded and privately held companies, professional sports teams, and non-profits, on matters ranging from accounting fraud to bribery to sexual misconduct. Rachel's investigative skills have led Chambers to describe her "analysis [as] spot on and her interview skills [as] outstanding." Rachel also provides corporate governance advice to organizations facing delicate board and management questions.

Rachel also works extensively in cryptocurrency matters, and advises entrepreneurs about regulatory issues surrounding cryptocurrencies, initial coin offerings, and blockchain technology. She helps companies conduct regulatory and other types of due diligence in connection with offering or accepting cryptocurrencies for payment. She has also helped secure declinations for cryptocurrency companies before the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Rachel previously served as an Assistant United States Attorney in Chicago, where she supervised the bankruptcy fraud program and prosecuted a wide variety of fraud cases involving more than US$100 million in losses. During her time as a federal prosecutor she successfully indicted and prosecuted a wide variety of corporations and individuals, including executives, doctors, investment advisors, consultants, real estate developers and public officials, among others. Rachel received a number of awards during her time as an AUSA. She also served as a periodic trial advocacy instructor for the CFTC, the DOJ, and the SEC.

Rachel teaches Trial Advocacy as an adjunct professor at Northwestern Law School and is active in a variety of charitable and civic organizations including the Economic Club of Chicago and the women’s boards of the Art Institute of Chicago and Joffrey Ballet. She also serves as the managing partner of Steptoe's Chicago office, overseeing a team of 60+ attorneys and staff.

Professional Memberships

Economic Club of Chicago

Board of directors, Chicago Bar Foundation

Woman’s board of directors, Art Institute of Chicago

Women’s board of directors, Joffrey Ballet

Personal

Adjunct Professor - Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law