The NYU School of Law Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement (PCCE) is delighted to announce that Avi Gesser, Randall Jackson, Winston Paes, and Jennifer Zachary have joined PCCE’s Board of Advisors.

Avi Gesser

Mr. Gesser is Co-Chair of Debevoise & Plimpton’s Data Strategy & Security Group. His practice focuses on advising major companies on a wide range of cybersecurity, privacy and artificial intelligence matters. He has represented global financial services firms, private equity firms, insurance companies, hedge funds and media organizations in large-scale ransomware attacks, cyber breaches by nation-states, and regulatory investigations relating to the use of artificial intelligence. Mr. Gesser regularly advises boards and senior executives on governance, risk, and liability issues relating to cybersecurity and AI. Mr. Gesser is also a primary author of the firm’s Data Blog and the architect of the Firm’s Data Portal, an online tool that helps clients quickly assess and comply with their cyber breach notification obligations and tracks AI regulatory developments.

Mr. Gesser has been recognized for his outstanding work throughout his career by legal directories and trade publications. He is recommended by Chambers Global (2024) and Chambers USA (2024) as a leading lawyer for privacy and data security, with clients noting that he has “impressive substantive knowledge, commercial savvy and sophistication.” Sources have also said he provides “truly sophisticated legal guidance” and he is “incredibly commercial and thoughtful.” He is also recognized as a Leading Lawyer in The Legal 500 US (2024), where sources have described him as “an amazing counselor who is able to apply his expertise to provide practical advice.” In 2022, he was named an “AI Visionary” by Relativity, a leading software developer, in its first annual list featuring leaders in AI. In 2013, he was the recipient of both the Attorney General’s Exceptional Service Award and the FBI Director’s Award for Excellence – Outstanding Criminal Investigation. From 2010 to 2012, Mr. Gesser served as Counsel to the Chief of the Fraud Section, Criminal Division at the Department of Justice.

He received his B.S. from the University of Manitoba in 1991, his LL.B. from the University of Manitoba in 1994, his LL.M. from the University of Cambridge in 1995 and his LL.M. from New York University in 1998.

Randall Jackson

Randall W. Jackson is a partner in the Litigation Department of Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz.  Randall focuses on government and internal investigations, white collar criminal defense, complex civil litigation and regulatory compliance.

Randall has served as lead or co-lead attorney in over 20 federal trials, including some of the longest and most complex in recent years. He has also led complex state court litigation in a number of venues, including successful merger-related litigation in the Delaware Court of Chancery. In 2022, he co-led a major victory and complete acquittal for client Thomas Barrack, founder of Colony Capital, in a highly publicized trial in the Eastern District of New York alleging illegal foreign lobbying, obstruction of justice and other charges.  In 2019, Randall co-led the successful defense of shipbuilding executive Jean Boustani against charges brought by the U.S. Department of Justice alleging a $2 billion international securities fraud scheme, securing a complete acquittal on all counts after a months-long jury trial in the Eastern District of New York.  In 2016, Randall led the successful trial defense of an international bank in a highly publicized civil trial in the Southern District of New York involving wide-ranging claims of misconduct and retaliation against an executive, culminating in a complete jury finding for the financial institution.  Randall has also briefed and argued numerous appeals before the U.S. Courts of Appeals, and he has been instrumental in negotiating favorable resolutions of regulatory matters involving the U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the New York Attorney General’s Office, the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and other agencies.

Before private practice, Randall served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York (2007 – 2015), where he led numerous sensitive investigations and prosecutions that spanned the globe, including successfully co-leading the six-months-long jury trial of the top culpable executives at Madoff Securities.  At the time Randall left the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he was a senior member of the Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force, where he conducted a number of joint and parallel investigations with the FBI, SEC, CFTC, IRS and other agencies.  Over the course of his career as a prosecutor, his work included securities fraud, accounting fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, public corruption, various tax crimes, terrorism and international narcotics trafficking.

Prior to becoming a prosecutor, Randall was a law clerk to the Honorable Ann Claire Williams, for the U.S. Court of Appeals in the Seventh Circuit and the Honorable Nina Gershon for the U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of New York.

Randall received his B.A. from Morehouse College and his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

Randall has been cited in a variety of publications, including Forbes, as a force in the courtroom.  He was awarded the U.S. Department of Justice’s Distinguished Service Award and the John Marshall Award.  Randall is ranked by Chambers USA as one of the leading attorneys in the area of Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations and is recognized as a “Litigation Star” in Benchmark Litigation.

Winston Paes

Winston M. Paes is a litigation partner and a member of the White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group. He is a seasoned trial lawyer and advises clients on complex matters concerning white collar criminal defense, regulatory enforcement, internal investigations and civil litigation. Mr. Paes also serves as Co-Chair of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at the firm.

Mr. Paes is ranked as a leading lawyer in Chambers USA (2021-2024), where he is said to be “absolutely skilled as a tactician and professional.” Clients have also reported that “He is excellent on both written work, in that he is a great persuasive writer, and also on his feet, in that he is an extremely experienced trial lawyer.” Other clients note that “He thoroughly grounds himself in the fundamentals of what his clients are talking about” and that he is “a brilliant, strategic lawyer who has tremendous respect from his time in the government.”

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Paes served for nine years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, the final two years of which he spent as Chief of the Business and Securities Fraud Section. As Section Chief, Mr. Paes supervised a team of 20 experienced federal prosecutors focused on white collar matters. Under his leadership, the EDNY significantly expanded its white collar practice and prosecuted several of the Department of Justice’s most high-profile matters. Before his appointment as a Section Chief, Mr. Paes also served as the Deputy Chief of the Business and Securities Fraud Section and Supervisor of the Department of Justice’s Medicare Fraud Task Force.

During his tenure as a federal prosecutor, Mr. Paes investigated and prosecuted a number of notable criminal matters, primarily related to securities and accounting fraud, insider trading, cybercrime, kickback schemes, money laundering, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Bank Secrecy Act and Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. In his leadership position, Mr. Paes worked closely with senior officials at the Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Commodities Futures Trading Commission, the Food and Drug Administration, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and other foreign and local regulators. He successfully tried 10 jury trials, including six white collar trials, and argued 12 appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He is also a recipient of the Department of Justice Director’s Award for Superior Performance and the Inspectors General Council’s Excellence in Litigation Award.

From 2003 until 2008, Mr. Paes was a litigation associate for a major international law firm. Mr. Paes earned his J.D. magna cum laude from Brooklyn Law School in 2003, and received his B.A. magna cum laude from the State University of New York, Stony Brook in 1998.

Mr. Paes is a member of the New York City Bar Association’s White Collar Crime Committee and a member of Board of Directors of the Justice Resource Center and Brooklyn Law School’s Alumni Association. He is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Sonia & Celina Sotomayor Judicial Internship Program.

Jennifer Zachary

Jennifer Zachary joined Merck as executive vice president and general counsel in April 2018. She serves as a legal advisor to the board of directors and company executives, leads the company’s office of general counsel and sets the company’s global legal strategy. She is also responsible for the company’s global safety and environment, and global security functions.

Prior to joining Merck, Jennifer was a partner and associate at the international law firm Covington & Burling, LLP. She practiced in the area of pharmaceutical and medical device regulatory law and advised a wide range of manufacturers and trade associations on compliance with government requirements for the development, manufacture and sale of their products.

Earlier in her career, Jennifer served as an associate chief counsel for enforcement at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and as a special assistant U.S. Attorney in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

Jennifer serves on the board of directors for REGENXBIO Inc. and is a member of the audit committee. In addition, Jennifer is a board member of Code the Dream, a non-profit organization that teaches software development to youth from diverse, low income backgrounds.

She is a member of the bar associations for the District of Columbia, California and New Jersey. Jennifer holds a B.S. in biology and a B.A. in chemistry from Arizona State University and a J.D. from Harvard Law School.

About PCCE’s Board of Advisors

The PCCE Board of Advisors is comprised of experts with diverse backgrounds who advise PCCE’s leadership team on the most pressing and substantive policy issues in the area of compliance and enforcement. The Board of Advisors acts in an advisory capacity only and does not directly oversee the activities of PCCE.  All members of the Board of Advisors serve in their individual capacity. A list of current board members is available here.