Jenner & Block LLP has announced that Joanna Ludlam will join the firm as a partner in the London office on 27 January 2025, where she will co-chair the firm’s investigations department and launch its London public law and crisis management practice.
Prior to joining Jenner & Block, Joanna led the global investigations, compliance, and ethics practice at an Am Law 100 top 10 firm, where she played a key role in some of the United Kingdom’s most high-profile public inquiries and judicial review cases shaping the public agenda.
Her extensive work includes challenges to government policies including the UK-Rwanda Asylum Partnership, and former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s unlawful prorogation of Parliament ahead of the UK’s departure from the European Union. She has advised clients in major UK public inquiries, including the Post Office Horizon Inquiry, the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, the Leveson Inquiry into the practices of the British press, the Covid-19 Inquiry, and the Infected Blood Inquiry. Joanna has defended clients facing investigations and enforcement action by a number of prosecutorial and regulatory authorities, including the UK Serious Fraud Office, The US Department of Justice, the UK Financial Conduct Authority and the UK Competition & Markets Authority. Her impactful pro bono work has included landmark cases for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Bermuda Human Rights Commission before UK and European courts.
In an geopolitical environment where entities can face intense public scrutiny anywhere in the world, Joanna will work closely with Jenner’s Government Controversies, Congressional Investigations, and Global Hearing Preparation practices to advise clients facing complex crises in multiple forums around the globe. This team provides clients throughout North America, Europe, and the Pacific Rim with comprehensive strategies to address the issues they face across proceedings and jurisdictions, including in civil litigation and regulatory actions.
'Joanna is well-known and highly regarded across the London market and more globally. Her impressive track record in investigations and crisis management, along with her vast experience in regulatory and public law, adds both depth and strength to our growing London office,' said London office managing partner Christine Braamskamp. 'Joanna’s work is also uniquely complementary to our firm’s experience in congressional and sensitive investigations. We are thrilled to welcome her to the firm.'
'Jenner & Block’s reputation for advising companies, boards, and institutions at the intersection of law, business, and policy; its deeply interconnected team ethos; and its creative thinking and agile problem solving are unmatched,' said Joanna Ludlam. 'I am excited to grow my practice alongside a team that shares my dedication to excellence and values-driven work, and I look forward to integrating my expertise to deliver comprehensive, strategic solutions to clients’ most complex challenges.'
'Joanna’s arrival reflects our dedication to attracting top-tier talent who not only excel in their practice, but also embody Jenner & Block’s values,' said co-managing partners Randy Mehrberg and Ishan Bhabha. 'Her experience and reputation will deepen our capacity to serve clients facing multijurisdictional legal and reputational challenges in the UK, Europe, and globally. We are excited to see the ways she will help drive success for our clients and the firm.'
