Jason M. Covert

Jason is a former federal prosecutor and experienced trial attorney who represents individuals and corporations in a variety of litigation matters, including criminal investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, and internal investigations. Prior to joining Taft, he spent more than a decade with the federal government, serving the last six years as a white-collar prosecutor with the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Criminal Division, Fraud Section, and before that, as an enforcement attorney with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). Jason leverages that experience and knowledge to provide clients with the full range of advice and guidance needed to navigate the ever-increasing complexity of the federal regulatory and criminal justice systems.

At the DOJ, Jason served as a prosecutor in the Market Integrity and Major Frauds unit, where he investigated and prosecuted individuals and corporations engaged in complex white-collar matters, including securities fraud, accounting fraud, investment fraud, bank fraud, environmental fraud, insider trading, FCPA violations, and money laundering. In this role, Jason gained extensive experience with the OCC, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and other federal regulatory agencies, as well as with cross-border matters, involving INTERPOL, extradition proceedings, and Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) requests with foreign governments. While at the DOJ, he also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

• Co-Author, Banking [on] Blockchain: A Legal and Regulatory Primer, “Chapter 5:Know-Your-Customer/BSA,” ABA Publishing (2024).
• Panelist, “CrossFit – Getting Your Cross Examination Game in Shape” IndyBar Association Bench Bar Conference (June 2024).
• Moderator, “Cryptocurrency & Illicit Finance: Risk Mitigation Strategies,” ABA Business Law Section’s Spring Meeting (April 2024).
• Panelist, “SEC-FINRA Enforcement Update,” Midwest Securities Law Institute (Sept. 2023).
• Panelist, “No Good Deed: PPP and the False Claims Act,” ABA Business Law Section’s Spring Meeting (April 2023).
• Author, “5 Things to Note in Charges Against FTX’s Bankman-Fried,” Law360 (Dec. 5, 2022).