Rebecca Orel is an experienced litigator who focuses her practice on white collar criminal defense and investigations. She has guided individual and corporate clients through internal investigations as well as enforcement actions by numerous state and federal agencies, including the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the New York Attorney General’s Office.
Rebecca L. Orel
Rebecca L. Orel
Experience
- Represented a company in parallel investigations by multiple agencies relating to the alleged sale of unregistered securities.
- Represented a biotech company in a federal court action brought by the SEC.
- Represented a loan servicer in an investigation by the CFPB of certain servicing practices.
- Conducted internal investigations on behalf of numerous clients including financial institutions, an international manufacturer, and a professional sports league.
- Represented individuals in federal criminal court, crafting investigation, motion practice, and trial strategies and advising clients on negotiations with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Pro Bono Work
Rebecca has a longtime commitment to pro bono work. Significant representations include:
- Representing, in federal court, immigrant parents separated from their children at the border, including authoring opposition to government’s motion to dismiss and obtaining emergency temporary restraining order.
- Co-authoring multiple amicus briefs: for the Supreme Court in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt and Fisher v. University of Texas; for the Ninth Circuit in Raimondo v. Federal Bureau of Investigation; and for multiple circuits in Hobby Lobby challenges to the Affordable Care Act.
Affiliations
Memberships
- New York City Bar Association
Professional Activities
Rebecca served as the habeas law clerk for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York under Chief Judge Carol B. Amon and Chief Judge Dora L. Irizarry. In connection with her clerkship, Rebecca developed and taught a Continuing Legal Education course in association with the Federal Bar Association titled, “Habeas Corpus Petitions: A Practical Guide.”
During law school, Rebecca was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar and served as the Executive Managing Director of the Columbia Human Rights Law Review.
Credentials
Admissions
- New York
- U.S. District Court - Eastern District of New York
- U.S. District Court - Southern District of New York
Education
- University of Pennsylvania, BA, summa cum laude
- Columbia Law School, JD