Pamela J. Bethel, Esquire

AV® PreeminentTM Peer Review Rated attorney (5 of 5 rating)
https://www.martindale.com/ratings-and-reviews

Education: George Washington University School of Law (Juris Doctor, with Honors)

Ms. Bethel formed a law firm in 1989, after more than 17 years of service as a Government attorney (Securities and Exchange Commission, Enforcement Division, Enforcement Attorney; U.S. Department of Justice [Main Justice and the Office of the U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Virginia]).

Ms. Bethel began her career as an honors graduate in the Office of General Counsel (OGC) for the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD). She rotated through several sections of the OGC and handled legal issues ranging from regulatory compliance of multifamily housing programs to the defense of the Agency in government contracts claims.

Ms. Bethel then joined the Enforcement Division, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a trial attorney. She litigated violations of the Securities Act of 1933, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Investment Advisors Act of 1940 in federal district courts and in administrative proceedings.

Ms. Bethel next joined the Fraud Section, Criminal Division, US Department of Justice to handle securities insider trading case. She secured convictions in major insider trading cases as well as a variety of government procurement fraud cases. Ms. Bethel later joined the Fraud Section of the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, where she prosecuted government contract fraud. She was recognized for her leading role as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Operation Illwind defense procurement probe. One of her accomplishments was the management of the successful prosecution of the then Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force and the immediate past Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

Ms. Bethel left HUD and joined the Enforcement Division, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as a trial attorney. In this role, Ms. Bethel litigated violations of the Securities Act of 1933, Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and the Invest- ment Advisors Act of 1940 in federal district courts and in administrative proceedings.

Following her work at the SEC, Ms. Bethel joined the Fraud Section, Criminal Division, US Department of Justice. She was recruited to the Fraud Section to handle an increasing caseload of securities insider trading case. She secured convictions in major insider trading cases as well as a variety of government procurement fraud cases. Ms. Bethel was then recruited to join the Fraud Section of the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. There her focus was on the prosecution of fraud matters related to federal government contracts. She was recognized for her leading role as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Operation Illwind defense procurement probe. One of her accomplishments was the management of the successful prosecution of the then Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force and the immedi- ate past Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

Between 1989 and 2000, Ms. Bethel was co-founder and principal in multiple nationally-ranked, women-owned firms. In June 2000, Ms. Bethel joined O’Riordan & Associates and the firm was renamed The O’Riordan Bethel Law Firm.

Since entering private practice, Ms. Bethel has regularly represented corporations and individuals, handling several cases that have received national notoriety. She conducts investigations into, and advises clients with respect to, all related matters, including allegations of breach of fiduciary duties; best practices; disclosure requirements; document retention policies; officer compensation; corporate transactions involving public and private companies; Sarbanes-Oxley reporting requirements; federal contracting compliance; antitrust; and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Her client list includes regional, national, and international not-for-profits and foundations; publicly held companies with both national, and international operations; and privately held companies with regional, national, and international operations.