Jenny Durkan is a partner in the firm’s Business and Commercial Disputes Practice and leads the U.S. White Collar Team. A nationally recognized lawyer with over 35 years of experience, Jenny is a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. She has a proven track record of successfully addressing some of the nation’s most complex domestic and international matters. Known for her deep understanding of cybercrime and national security, Jenny’s practice spans cyber law, crisis management, and high-stakes litigation, representing both public and private clients in navigating cybersecurity, national security, and regulatory challenges.

She served as the mayor of Seattle from 2017 through 2021, leading the city through the COVID-19 pandemic. Through her leadership, Seattle had the lowest incidence of disease, hospitalization, and death of any U.S. city, despite being the first area of diagnosed cases and deaths. Her work during the pandemic earned her recognition from Fortune Magazine, naming her one of the “World’s 25 Greatest Leaders: Heroes of the Pandemic” in 2020. In June 2024, she was also recognized as a “Lamplighter” for her work by the American Democracy and Health Security Initiative, a collaboration that includes Brown University School of Public Health Pandemic Center and the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Alongside her efforts in public health, Jenny championed educational opportunities through the Seattle Promise, a program providing two years of free college to public high school graduates. Her leadership continued to expand outside of Seattle, as she played a significant role on the international Steering Committee of C40 Cities, a global coalition of cities committed to addressing climate change. She also served on the C40 Mayors’ COVID-19 Recovery Task Force, collaborating with mayors from diverse regions to shape recovery efforts with a focus on climate, health, and economic resilience.

As U.S. attorney for the Western District of Washington from 2009 to 2014, Jenny served as the chief federal law enforcement officer for the region, overseeing all federal prosecutions and representing the U.S. in civil matters. During her tenure, she chaired the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Subcommittee on Cybercrime, in which she played a key role in revamping national strategies to detect and disrupt criminal and national security cyber threats. Her office investigated and prosecuted some of the first international cybercrime cases, setting the standard for how these cases would be handled thereafter. Jenny also served on the U.S. Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and was also a member of the DOJ’s National Security Subcommittee, holding the highest national security clearances and was regularly briefed on classified matters related to cyber and national security threats. She testified before Congress on cybercrime issues for DOJ and worked closely with federal law enforcement and the European Cybercrime Center. Her office investigated and prosecuted some of the first international cybercrime cases. After leaving her U.S. attorney position, she served on the U.S. Secret Service Cyber Investigations Advisory Board. Jenny was known both for her proactive approach to law enforcement and her dedication to ensuring civil rights. Seeing two areas of significant need for federal actions, she created both a cyber division and a civil rights department in her office.

Beyond traditional law enforcement, Jenny’s tenure as U.S. attorney saw her lead groundbreaking enforcement programs focused on cybercrime, civil rights, violent crime, and white-collar crime. Notably, she spearheaded the investigation into the Seattle Police Department, which resulted in a landmark consent decree aimed at addressing civil rights violations. In addition to her civil rights work, she launched key initiatives targeting drug cartels and environmental crimes, further enhancing her reputation for managing critical and sensitive legal matters.

She has consistently worked at the intersection of the law and technology, and currently chairs the Washington State Bar Association Task Force on Emerging Technologies such as artificial intelligence and the practice of law.