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Evelyn B. Sheehan photo
Evelyn B. Sheehan
Lawyer
Miami
201 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 1900
Miami, Florida 33131
+1 305 967 6112
evelyn.sheehan@kobrekim.com
vCard Download 
Miami
201 South Biscayne Boulevard, Suite 1900
Miami, Florida 33131
+1 305 967 6112
evelyn.sheehan@kobrekim.com
vCard Download 

Evelyn Sheehan focuses her practice on advising high-net-worth individuals, institutional clients, executives and trustees in cross-border investigations and enforcement actions involving allegations of fraud, money laundering, sanctions violations and other forms of alleged misconduct. She formulates offensive and defensive global litigation strategies, including in relation to civil and criminal asset forfeiture, trust disputes, and insolvency litigation. Ms. Sheehan has significant experience in high-stakes matters where there is tension between parallel asset forfeiture and insolvency proceedings.

Ms. Sheehan also has an active international asset recovery practice, including the enforcement of judgments and arbitration awards and the representation of victims of crime. Her matters regularly involve legal actions across multiple jurisdictions and mobilizing both public and private remedies. She has unique experience designing recovery strategies for claimants and insurers in the cryptocurrency industry. As a result of her experience and expertise, Citywealth recently recognized her among the “Top 20 USA Crypto Power Women.”

Before joining Kobre & Kim, Ms. Sheehan served as a prosecutor at the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Florida. Most recently, she served as Deputy Chief of the Asset Forfeiture Division for that office, where she was responsible for overseeing complex cross-border investigations related to international corruption, foreign bribery, white-collar fraud, narcotics trafficking, organized crime and violations of anti-money laundering laws. While at DOJ, Ms. Sheehan received various distinguished service awards for her work on asset forfeiture matters to recover illicit proceeds on behalf of victims of crime.

During her tenure at DOJ, Ms. Sheehan worked for over six years to litigate the complex forfeiture matters related to the infamous US $1.4 billion fraud scheme led by Scott Rothstein, particularly with respect to the tension between parallel asset forfeiture and bankruptcy proceedings. The prosecution and forfeiture resulted in the successful conviction and imprisonment of 29 total defendants, and concluded in the full restitution of the hundreds of victims involved. As a result of her work in this case, Ms. Sheehan was awarded the 2016 U.S. Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award and was a semi-finalist for the 2010 Daily Business Review’s Most Effective Lawyers Award for Criminal Justice Category.

Ms. Sheehan was also a member of the Regional Committee of the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). As a result of her work on two high-profile international money laundering investigations, she earned two National OCDETF Awards.

She has also lectured extensively on the application of asset forfeiture and money laundering laws for the U.S. Department of Justice and a number of federal agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Drug Enforcement Agency. She continues to be a thought leader in this area, regularly speaking in a number of U.S. and international conferences and events.

Before her time as a prosecutor, Ms. Sheehan practiced with White & Case LLP, where she focused on complex commercial litigation, and with Debevoise & Plimpton LLP, where she focused on private equity fund formation and bankruptcy work.

SERVICES

Admissions

  • Florida
  • New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Education

  • Yale Law School (J.D., May 2002) (Yale Journal of International Law, Submissions Editor)
  • University of Michigan (B.A., May 1999) (High Honors; Phi Beta Kappa)

Languages

  • Spanish

Accolades

  • Citywealth, Top 20 USA Crypto Power Women 2022
  • Chambers USA, Florida White Collar Crime & Government Investigations (2022)
  • Private Client Global Elite, "Rising Leader" (2022)
  • Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service (2016)
  • Department of Defense Award for Outstanding Investigation (2018)
  • National Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Group Award for Outstanding Investigation (2018 and 2016)
  • Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity & Efficiency, Task Force Investigative Team Award (2017)
  • Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Chief’s Award for Outstanding Investigation (2017)
  • Daily Business Review’s Top 20 Women in Law (2015)
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s 40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers in Miami-Dade (2013)
  • Daily Business Review’s Most Effective Lawyers Award for Criminal Justice Category- Semifinalist (2010)
SERVICES

Select Engagements

International Private Client

  • Representation of an Asian business executive in global legal matters arising out of the “1MDB” matter, which involve criminal charges and civil asset forfeiture proceedings brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as additional legal action from authorities located in Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and various other countries, involving several billions of USD in controversy.
  • Representation of an international businesswoman in advising on strategies relating to global reputation issues arising out of attempts to link her to the alleged criminal conduct of third parties.
  • Representation of former government official from Republic of Seychelles and his wife in defending against charges of corruption and money laundering.
  • Representation of a close family member of the leader of an African country in a Florida civil forfeiture matter brought by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Government Enforcement Defense

  • Representation of a high-net-worth individual who controls a significant digital currency mining operation in defending against an indictment issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey alleging conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to sell unregistered securities.
  • Representation of Latin American executive in an FCPA investigation being conducted by the U.S. DOJ and other authorities into alleged bribery with respect to contracts awarded to a state-owned oil company and money laundering regarding the same.
  • Representation of two South Florida executives in an investigation being conducted by the U.S. DOJ into alleged healthcare fraud and violations of the anti-kickback statute.
  • Representation of the liquidation trustee of a Florida hospital group to reach a coordination agreement with the Department of Justice related to competing criminal forfeiture in a criminal investigation in a $200 million clinical laboratory scheme.
  • Representation of the provisional joint liquidators for a Bermuda investment company in multiple sets of proceedings regarding preservation and ownership of assets worth US $3.2 billion, including DOJ tax enforcement/forfeiture issues arising from an alleged multi-billion tax fraud scheme.

International Judgment Enforcement and Asset Recovery

  • Representation of an energy company in the enforcement of a US multibillion-dollar arbitration award against an African state.
  • Representation of an insurance company in assessing and facilitating criminal restitution claims as a result of ransomware attacks in which tens of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency were allegedly obtained.
  • Representation of a corporate victim of a US $60 million film financing fraud in developing and executing a cross-border asset recovery strategy against assets and targets to recover stolen funds.
  • Representation of a victim of fraud in developing and executing a cross-border asset recovery strategy against assets and targets located in Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., among other jurisdictions, to recover over US $300 million taken by a money laundering operation.
  • Representation of a high-net-worth individual in asset tracing and recovery projects to collect on a judgment worth tens of millions of US dollars.

Insolvency Disputes

  • Representation of the provisional joint liquidators for a Bermuda investment company in multiple sets of proceedings regarding preservation and ownership of assets worth US $3.2 billion, including DOJ tax enforcement/forfeiture issues arising from an alleged multi-billion tax fraud scheme.
  • Representation of the liquidation trustee of a Florida hospital group in bankruptcy arising from a $200 million clinical laboratory scheme in efforts to reach a coordination agreement with the Department of Justice related to competing criminal forfeiture.
 
SERVICES

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Yale Law School Association Executive Committee Member
  • Yale Law School Alumni Association of South Florida, Steering Committee Member
  • International Bar Association, Asset Recovery Subcommittee Member
  • Women’s White Collar Defense Association, Monitor/Receiver Initiative and Rankings Initiative Subcommittee Member
  • Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Community Outreach Committee Member
  • Hispanic National Bar Association, Member
SERVICES

Publications & Presentations

  • Panelist, “Interagency Cooperation” (NAFER 2022 Annual Conference, Washington DC, September 2022)
  • Moderator, “Fireside Chat with Beth Bisbee” (CFAAR North America Launch, Washington DC, September 2022)
  • Panelist, “Non-Conviction-based Forfeiture: What Is It and How Is It Used?” (39th Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, Cambridge, September 2022)
  • Panelist, “Crypto in Brazil: Navigating the Legal Pitfalls” (Kobre & Kim and Bottini & Tamasauskas, São Paulo, August 2022)
  • Co-author, “Recovering crypto from insolvent companies may be easier than you think” (Forkast, August 2022)
  • Panelist, “How Public/Private Partnerships Can Complement Law Enforcement’s Mission” (Chainalysis CryptoDC Workshop Day, Washington DC, July 2022)
  • Panelist, “Money, Money, Money: The Future is Now - Digital Assets, Is the Law Keeping Up?” (Private Client Forum Americas 2022, Playa del Carmen, July 2022)
  • Co-author, “Old Dog, New Tricks: Innovating Traditional Asset Recovery Tools to Recover Crypto-assets” (Chambers and Partners, May 2022)
  • Speaker, "Navigating Cross-Border Insolvencies Involving Cryptocurrency: Addressing Fraud and Maximizing Recovery" (Global Restructuring Review, May 2022)
  • Co-author, “Exploring the Shift in the DOJ’s Prosecutorial Reach of Foreign Defendants” (The Anti-Corruption Report, April 2022)
  • Panelist, "Family Governance Litigation & Dispute Resolution in the Region – What Worked and Why" (Institute of Family Governance 2021 Miami Conference, Miami, December 2021)
  • Panelist, "Worldwide Trends in Extradition Law" (International Bar Association 23rd Annual Transnational Crime Conference, Madrid, November 2021)
  • Panelist, "Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture – Seizing Everything ‘Involved In’ Crimes" (American Bar Association 36th National Institute on White Collar Crime, Miami, October 2021)
  • Moderator, "Emerging Frontiers of INTERPOL Abuse" (Federal Bar Association 2021 Annual Meeting & Convention, Miami, September 2021)
  • Panelist, "Non-conviction-based (civil) forfeiture: what is it, when is it used, and what are the procedural safeguards?" (38th Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, September 2021)
  • Co-author, "Mitigating AML Act Exposure For High-Net-Worth Individuals" (Law360, January 2021)
  • Presenter, "The Long Arm of the DOJ: The Landscape of U.S. Asset Forfeiture in Brazil" (Family Wealth Report, October 2020)
  • Co-author, "Who Owns a Bribe? And Why Should You Care?" ("Business Crime 2021", International Comparative Legal Guides, October 2020)
  • Co-author, "The Hong Kong Wealth Shift: Pitfalls for Wealth Professionals and the Ultra-Wealthy" (Law.com International, September 2020)
  • Co-author, “DOJ’s Long Arm Over Latin America: Recent Trends and Future Risks From Extraterritorial Application of U.S. Laws” (Anti-Corruption Report, September 2020)
  • Speaker, “Anticipation is Essential: Deploying Proactive Strategies to Protect Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals in Central America” (Kobre & Kim, September 2020)
  • Speaker, “DOJ’s Enforcement Beyond the U.S.: Recent Trends and Future Risks for Latin America” (Kobre & Kim, August 2020)
  • Panelist, “End of the Innocence: Behind bars: The criminalization of the profession and erosion of the attorney-client privilege” (Private Client Forum Americas, Playa del Carmen, February 2020)
  • Panelist, “The Bankruptcy Trustee vs. Uncle Sam: Dividing the Proceeds of the Crime” (American Bankruptcy Institute Caribbean Insolvency Symposium, San Juan, February 2020)
  • Expert Advisor for Asset Recovery Workshop, World Bank and United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime Stolen Asset Recovery (“STAR”) Initiative (Guatemala City, February 2018)
  • Panelist, “Avoiding Turf Wars in Parallel Receiverships and Forfeiture Proceedings” (6th Annual National Association of Federal Equity Receivers (“NAFER”) Conference, Miami, October 2017)
  • Case Study: United States v. Scott Rothstein. Maximizing Asset Forfeiture Involving Complex Assets. United States Marshals Service Complex Asset Unit Summit (Washington, D.C., August 2014)
  • Case Study: United States v. Alvaro Lopez Tardon. Advanced Money Laundering Seminar at the National Advocacy Center (Columbia, South Carolina 2014)
SERVICES

Credentials

Admissions

  • Florida
  • New York
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida
  • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Education

  • Yale Law School (J.D., May 2002) (Yale Journal of International Law, Submissions Editor)
  • University of Michigan (B.A., May 1999) (High Honors; Phi Beta Kappa)

Languages

  • Spanish

Accolades

  • Citywealth, Top 20 USA Crypto Power Women 2022
  • Chambers USA, Florida White Collar Crime & Government Investigations (2022)
  • Private Client Global Elite, "Rising Leader" (2022)
  • Attorney General’s Award for Distinguished Service (2016)
  • Department of Defense Award for Outstanding Investigation (2018)
  • National Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Group Award for Outstanding Investigation (2018 and 2016)
  • Council of the Inspectors General on Integrity & Efficiency, Task Force Investigative Team Award (2017)
  • Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations Chief’s Award for Outstanding Investigation (2017)
  • Daily Business Review’s Top 20 Women in Law (2015)
  • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s 40 Under 40 Outstanding Lawyers in Miami-Dade (2013)
  • Daily Business Review’s Most Effective Lawyers Award for Criminal Justice Category- Semifinalist (2010)

Engagements

International Private Client

  • Representation of an Asian business executive in global legal matters arising out of the “1MDB” matter, which involve criminal charges and civil asset forfeiture proceedings brought by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), as well as additional legal action from authorities located in Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and various other countries, involving several billions of USD in controversy.
  • Representation of an international businesswoman in advising on strategies relating to global reputation issues arising out of attempts to link her to the alleged criminal conduct of third parties.
  • Representation of former government official from Republic of Seychelles and his wife in defending against charges of corruption and money laundering.
  • Representation of a close family member of the leader of an African country in a Florida civil forfeiture matter brought by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Government Enforcement Defense

  • Representation of a high-net-worth individual who controls a significant digital currency mining operation in defending against an indictment issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey alleging conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to sell unregistered securities.
  • Representation of Latin American executive in an FCPA investigation being conducted by the U.S. DOJ and other authorities into alleged bribery with respect to contracts awarded to a state-owned oil company and money laundering regarding the same.
  • Representation of two South Florida executives in an investigation being conducted by the U.S. DOJ into alleged healthcare fraud and violations of the anti-kickback statute.
  • Representation of the liquidation trustee of a Florida hospital group to reach a coordination agreement with the Department of Justice related to competing criminal forfeiture in a criminal investigation in a $200 million clinical laboratory scheme.
  • Representation of the provisional joint liquidators for a Bermuda investment company in multiple sets of proceedings regarding preservation and ownership of assets worth US $3.2 billion, including DOJ tax enforcement/forfeiture issues arising from an alleged multi-billion tax fraud scheme.

International Judgment Enforcement and Asset Recovery

  • Representation of an energy company in the enforcement of a US multibillion-dollar arbitration award against an African state.
  • Representation of an insurance company in assessing and facilitating criminal restitution claims as a result of ransomware attacks in which tens of millions of dollars in cryptocurrency were allegedly obtained.
  • Representation of a corporate victim of a US $60 million film financing fraud in developing and executing a cross-border asset recovery strategy against assets and targets to recover stolen funds.
  • Representation of a victim of fraud in developing and executing a cross-border asset recovery strategy against assets and targets located in Europe, the Middle East and the U.S., among other jurisdictions, to recover over US $300 million taken by a money laundering operation.
  • Representation of a high-net-worth individual in asset tracing and recovery projects to collect on a judgment worth tens of millions of US dollars.

Insolvency Disputes

  • Representation of the provisional joint liquidators for a Bermuda investment company in multiple sets of proceedings regarding preservation and ownership of assets worth US $3.2 billion, including DOJ tax enforcement/forfeiture issues arising from an alleged multi-billion tax fraud scheme.
  • Representation of the liquidation trustee of a Florida hospital group in bankruptcy arising from a $200 million clinical laboratory scheme in efforts to reach a coordination agreement with the Department of Justice related to competing criminal forfeiture.

News

Professional & Community Involvement

  • Yale Law School Association Executive Committee Member
  • Yale Law School Alumni Association of South Florida, Steering Committee Member
  • International Bar Association, Asset Recovery Subcommittee Member
  • Women’s White Collar Defense Association, Monitor/Receiver Initiative and Rankings Initiative Subcommittee Member
  • Miami-Dade Chapter of the Florida Association for Women Lawyers, Community Outreach Committee Member
  • Hispanic National Bar Association, Member

Publications & Presentations

  • Panelist, “Interagency Cooperation” (NAFER 2022 Annual Conference, Washington DC, September 2022)
  • Moderator, “Fireside Chat with Beth Bisbee” (CFAAR North America Launch, Washington DC, September 2022)
  • Panelist, “Non-Conviction-based Forfeiture: What Is It and How Is It Used?” (39th Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, Cambridge, September 2022)
  • Panelist, “Crypto in Brazil: Navigating the Legal Pitfalls” (Kobre & Kim and Bottini & Tamasauskas, São Paulo, August 2022)
  • Co-author, “Recovering crypto from insolvent companies may be easier than you think” (Forkast, August 2022)
  • Panelist, “How Public/Private Partnerships Can Complement Law Enforcement’s Mission” (Chainalysis CryptoDC Workshop Day, Washington DC, July 2022)
  • Panelist, “Money, Money, Money: The Future is Now - Digital Assets, Is the Law Keeping Up?” (Private Client Forum Americas 2022, Playa del Carmen, July 2022)
  • Co-author, “Old Dog, New Tricks: Innovating Traditional Asset Recovery Tools to Recover Crypto-assets” (Chambers and Partners, May 2022)
  • Speaker, "Navigating Cross-Border Insolvencies Involving Cryptocurrency: Addressing Fraud and Maximizing Recovery" (Global Restructuring Review, May 2022)
  • Co-author, “Exploring the Shift in the DOJ’s Prosecutorial Reach of Foreign Defendants” (The Anti-Corruption Report, April 2022)
  • Panelist, "Family Governance Litigation & Dispute Resolution in the Region – What Worked and Why" (Institute of Family Governance 2021 Miami Conference, Miami, December 2021)
  • Panelist, "Worldwide Trends in Extradition Law" (International Bar Association 23rd Annual Transnational Crime Conference, Madrid, November 2021)
  • Panelist, "Money Laundering and Asset Forfeiture – Seizing Everything ‘Involved In’ Crimes" (American Bar Association 36th National Institute on White Collar Crime, Miami, October 2021)
  • Moderator, "Emerging Frontiers of INTERPOL Abuse" (Federal Bar Association 2021 Annual Meeting & Convention, Miami, September 2021)
  • Panelist, "Non-conviction-based (civil) forfeiture: what is it, when is it used, and what are the procedural safeguards?" (38th Cambridge International Symposium on Economic Crime, September 2021)
  • Co-author, "Mitigating AML Act Exposure For High-Net-Worth Individuals" (Law360, January 2021)
  • Presenter, "The Long Arm of the DOJ: The Landscape of U.S. Asset Forfeiture in Brazil" (Family Wealth Report, October 2020)
  • Co-author, "Who Owns a Bribe? And Why Should You Care?" ("Business Crime 2021", International Comparative Legal Guides, October 2020)
  • Co-author, "The Hong Kong Wealth Shift: Pitfalls for Wealth Professionals and the Ultra-Wealthy" (Law.com International, September 2020)
  • Co-author, “DOJ’s Long Arm Over Latin America: Recent Trends and Future Risks From Extraterritorial Application of U.S. Laws” (Anti-Corruption Report, September 2020)
  • Speaker, “Anticipation is Essential: Deploying Proactive Strategies to Protect Ultra-High-Net-Worth Individuals in Central America” (Kobre & Kim, September 2020)
  • Speaker, “DOJ’s Enforcement Beyond the U.S.: Recent Trends and Future Risks for Latin America” (Kobre & Kim, August 2020)
  • Panelist, “End of the Innocence: Behind bars: The criminalization of the profession and erosion of the attorney-client privilege” (Private Client Forum Americas, Playa del Carmen, February 2020)
  • Panelist, “The Bankruptcy Trustee vs. Uncle Sam: Dividing the Proceeds of the Crime” (American Bankruptcy Institute Caribbean Insolvency Symposium, San Juan, February 2020)
  • Expert Advisor for Asset Recovery Workshop, World Bank and United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime Stolen Asset Recovery (“STAR”) Initiative (Guatemala City, February 2018)
  • Panelist, “Avoiding Turf Wars in Parallel Receiverships and Forfeiture Proceedings” (6th Annual National Association of Federal Equity Receivers (“NAFER”) Conference, Miami, October 2017)
  • Case Study: United States v. Scott Rothstein. Maximizing Asset Forfeiture Involving Complex Assets. United States Marshals Service Complex Asset Unit Summit (Washington, D.C., August 2014)
  • Case Study: United States v. Alvaro Lopez Tardon. Advanced Money Laundering Seminar at the National Advocacy Center (Columbia, South Carolina 2014)

"She combines lengthy experience and understanding of money laundering with language skills, which makes her an invaluable partner."

"She brings a lot of great white-collar experience and clients look to her on complex issues."

– Chambers & Partners