Rachel Copenhaver

Rachel Copenhaver is a Shareholder at Vedder Price and a member of the Chambers USA-ranked Government Investigations and White Collar Defense team in the firm's Chicago office.

Ms. Copenhaver has significant experience representing clients in regulatory investigations and proceedings brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), U.S. Attorney’s office, and other federal and state agencies.

Her practice includes representing companies and individuals in government investigations, conducting internal investigations, counseling clients during regulatory examinations, and defending suits alleging directors and officers liability.

Ms. Copenhaver has successfully represented public companies, investment advisers, broker-dealers, boards of directors, accounting firms, officers, directors and individuals in matters involving alleged financial fraud, insider trading, board governance and oversight, whistleblower allegations, financial statement restatements and internal controls violations.

In addition, Ms. Copenhaver has well-rounded litigation experience on a wide variety of business disputes involving financial institutions, failed banks, breach of fiduciary duty, misappropriation of trade secrets, restrictive covenants, business torts and other commercial matters.

Ms. Copenhaver is a member of the American Bar Association and the Women’ White Collar Defense Association. Ms. Copenhaver is a co-founder and leader of Big Careers Little Kids (Big Careers Little Kids), a group connecting Chicago’s female professionals in the fields of law, finance, and business. In addition to her work on behalf of clients facing government investigations, Ms. Copenhaver demonstrates a commitment to pro bono service, most recently with her representation of asylum seekers in the United States.

Prior to joining Vedder Price, Ms. Copenhaver was a Law Clerk with the Illinois Circuit Court of Cook County for the Chambers of the Honorable Rita M. Novak.

Ms. Copenhaver has been selected for inclusion as an Illinois Rising Star by Super Lawyers from 2014 to 2022. She has also been selected as an Emerging Lawyer, an affiliate of Leading Lawyers, from 2014 to 2022. Ms. Copenhaver was named a Top Lawyer/Woman Leader in Leading Lawyers.