
Jessica L. Averitt
Biography
Jessica Averitt is a partner in Baker McKenzie's Houston office.
Practice Focus
Representative Legal Matters
-
Advises clients on emerging trends in cyber discovery, data privacy, cross border data transfer, information governance and strategic discovery.
-
Advises clients in multiple industries on cyber incident response strategies including table top exercises, red team exercises and crisis management.
-
Experience in conducting information-related litigation and investigations, such as breaches of confidentiality and theft of trade secret.
-
Co-lead and developed comprehensive investigation strategy for international internal investigation for global financial institution related to possible theft of trade secrets, data security and cross border data privacy.
-
Counseled large IT service provider on contractual and regulatory cyber security notice requirements.
-
Led large scale digital analysis projects for telecommunications, financial institutions, automotive, railroad and oil and gas industries.
-
Trusted advisor to leading telecommunications company on internal investigations, response to government investigations, and large complex litigations.
-
Counseled a large domestic oil and gas company in connection with civil investigations into hydraulic fracturing by the US Congress and federal and state agencies.
-
Advised a leading financial institution regarding crisis management related to a significant cyber threat.
-
Lead liaison attorney as national E-discovery counsel for major telecommunications provider.
-
Defended depositions of technical and IT witnesses in large employment class actions.
-
Prepared for depositions of key witnesses in significant shareholder litigation matters, regulatory investigations and theft of trade secret matter.
-
Managed large scale discovery in response to multiple DOJ civil investigative demands, FCC Letters of Inquiry, DOJ Second Requests and large complex litigation matters.
-
Advised clients on legal standards for preserving, collecting, and producing electronic data.
-
Advised on and assisted in drafting document retention policies to include data concerns.
Professional Associations and Memberships
- Houston Bar Association - Member
- American Bar Association - Member
- The Sedona Conference WG 1 on Electronic Document Retention and Production - Member
- The Sedona Conference WG6 on International Management, Discovery and Disclosure - Member
- The Sedona Conference WG 11, Privacy and Data Security - Member
Admissions
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of Texas~United States (2004)
- U.S. District Court, Northern District of Texas~United States (2004)
- U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas~United States (2004)
- Texas~United States (2003)
Education
- University of Houston (B.A., summa cum laude) (1999)
- University of Texas at Austin (J.D.)
Languages
- English