The following is an excerpt from Practice Perspectives: Vault's Guide to Legal Practice Areas.
Jacqueline Chung is a partner in the commercial litigation practice. She has extensive experience litigating business disputes that involve complex cross-border issues. She helps foreign clients navigate state and federal court litigation in the United States. She also develops coordinated and effective strategies for clients facing litigation in multiple jurisdictions across the globe.
Jacqueline focuses on finding creative solutions to her clients’ problems. She has obtained substantial judgments on behalf of clients pursuing claims in U.S. courts and secured more than $100 million in total cash recoveries. She has also successfully defended corporate clients facing significant reputational and financial risks in high-profile disputes.
Jacqueline has extensive experience litigating judgment enforcement actions, commercial fraud claims, fraudulent conveyance claims, contract disputes, and actions alleging violations of state and federal consumer protection statutes and false claims acts.
Her clients span a number of industries, including the financial services, pharmaceutical, energy, and food and beverage sectors.
Jacqueline has an active pro bono practice that includes the representation of wrongfully convicted individuals and victims of anti-Asian hate. Jacqueline also serves on the board of New York Lawyers for the Public Interest.
Jacqueline was recognized as a Rising Star by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association in 2023.
Describe your practice area and what it entails.
As a commercial litigator, I’m engaged in all facets of dispute resolution before U.S. state and federal courts. I advocate for clients who are either seeking relief for certain wrongs committed by other parties or defending clients against claims of wrongdoing. Because White & Case is a global firm with multinational clients, my practice tends to focus on cross-border litigation, meaning that the disputes are often multi-jurisdictional and involve navigating the interplay between different legal systems.
What types of clients do you represent?
My clients cross different industries, including financial institutions, energy companies, e-commerce platforms, and food and beverage companies. Additionally, given White & Case’s global client base, I have represented individuals and companies from all across the globe who need assistance with
U.S. litigation.
What types of cases/deals do you work on?
I work on a lot of cross-border litigation matters. A few recent cases include the following:
- An ongoing case on behalf of a Romanian food and beverage company to confirm and enforce an arbitral award against Romania in federal court in the District of Columbia.
- A case on behalf of a financial institution seeking to enforce a contract for the sale of a bankruptcy claim against a fund in liquidation in the British Virgin Islands.
- An appeal before the federal appeals court in the DC Circuit on behalf of a Chinese bank defending against claims relating to the expropriation of property in China.
- An action on behalf of two Anguilla-based companies in New York State Court to enjoin the assets of a Caribbean bank pending the resolution of ongoing arbitration.
How did you choose this practice area?
I enjoy being an advocate for others, whether it be through preparing a strong written submission or arguing in court. I also enjoy the strategic and creative thinking that goes into deciding how to prevail in a dispute by winning over a judge or a jury. No case is the same, and the opportunity to dive into new facts and potentially new areas of the law are what keep the practice of litigation fresh and interesting.
What is a “typical” day like and/or what are some common tasks you perform?
No day is the same. There are days where I will be in the office advising clients, writing or editing briefs, or participating in team meetings where we catch up on the status of a particular case or brainstorm about case strategy. On other days, I may be visiting a client or attending a deposition or a hearing. And then, there are the days or weeks when I may be traveling because of a trial or hearing in a different location.
What training, classes, experience, or skills development would you recommend to someone who wishes to enter your practice area?
Developing a good foundation in U.S. civil procedure is a good start, though you may not understand the full import of the civil procedure rules until you start litigating. It would also be helpful to take a legal writing course or any class that requires you to work on an extensive writing project. Opportunities to practice oral advocacy through mock trial or moot court are also extremely helpful.
What is the most challenging aspect of practicing in this area?
It can be harder to build a book of business in litigation because your clients may not be repeat customers in the same way that they would be if you were a deal lawyer. With the exception of large corporate clients who face more constant litigation exposure, a legal dispute may be an out-of-the-ordinary and one-time occurrence for your client. This means that it is even more essential as a litigator to focus on being a good lawyer and a great advocate, as it is your reputation and the positive experiences that your existing clients can attest to that will open the door to more opportunities to advocate for others.
What do you like best about your practice area?
I enjoy thinking about case strategy and finding creative solutions to client problems. I also enjoy the fact that each case presents an opportunity to dive into new facts, new problems, and perhaps even a new industry. Finally, I also like to think about crafting the overarching narrative for the case—the story that you are going to tell the judge or the jury. That story may evolve as new facts come in, and you may continue to tweak it all the way through to trial.
What are some typical tasks that a junior lawyer would perform in this practice area?
As a junior lawyer, you will be responsible for learning the facts of the case and keeping track of the key documents and testimony that both help and hurt your case. You may also be participating in depositions and hearings. You will also be involved in researching legal issues and helping to develop legal arguments with more-senior associates and partners.
What do you feel are the benefits of taking a generalist approach in litigation versus pursuing a more specialized practice?
As a generalist, you enjoy a larger variety of work across different clients and industries. You are not called upon for your expertise in a particular industry or discipline but rather for your ability to develop effective litigation strategies for the case at hand. The judge or the jury may not be experts in the issues that are being presented, and as a generalist, part of your job is to make sure that the story being told is one that will resonate with the people who will make the decisions about the outcome of your case.