Ana L. Jara
Ana also conducts internal investigations involving allegations of accounting and securities fraud, employee misconduct, and data breaches. She regularly advises organizations of all sizes on strengthening compliance efforts and responding to government inquiries. Clients value Ana’s empathetic and tactful approach to sensitive matters, as well as her substantive, hands-on style in high-stakes litigation and investigations. Before joining Venable, Ana was an associate at a national law firm, where she argued and won a civil litigation appeal before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit involving construction litigation issues and the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA). Ana also maintains an active pro bono practice, where she supervises associates and paralegals.
Related Practices
Experience
Government Experience
- Charles C. Ruff fellow, Civil Litigation Division, Office of the Attorney General, District of Columbia
- Policy fellow, Office of Congressman Mark Pocan, U.S. House of Representatives
Representative Matters
- Successfully compelled arbitration in class action litigation for a national real estate developer
- Served as trial counsel for a national real estate developer in 32-party construction defect litigation alleging various tort claims
- Second-chaired a jury trial, giving the opening statement, examining two lay witnesses and an expert, and arguing motions, resulting in complete acquittal for the client
- Successfully defended two holding corporations in litigation related to short sales made on certain stocks nationwide. Obtained voluntary dismissals for both clients
- Secured dismissal on summary judgment for a government contractor in Title VII and 42 U.S.C. § 1981 employment discrimination litigation
- Represented FINRA’s Audit Committee in conducting a highly publicized independent review of its Dispute Resolution Services arbitrator selection process
- Conducted an internal investigation related to employee misconduct involving the use of corporate confidential information on behalf of a multinational corporation
- Managed aspects of an investment company’s business litigation docket by successfully resolving FINRA disputes, responding to federal and state subpoenas, and drafting regulatory compliance policies for the client to implement
Insights
Credentials
Education
- J.D. The George Washington University Law School 2013
- Staff member, American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) Quarterly Journal
- George Washington Law School Merit Award
- AJ Harris Law Scholarship
Bar Admissions
- Maryland
- District of Columbia
Clerk Experience
- The Honorable Judge Carol Dalton Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Professional Memberships and Activities
- At-large board member, Board of Directors, Hispanic Bar Association for the District of Columbia
- At-large board member, Board of Directors, Women’s Bar Association for the District of Columbia
Recognition
- Best Lawyers in America
- Ones to Watch, Real Estate Litigation, 2021– 2022, 2025
- Ones to Watch, Real Estate Litigation and Insurance Law, 2023, 2025
- Hispanic Bar Association, Member Spotlight, 2019
Community
Pro Bono
- Won a habeas corpus for an undocumented immigrant who was detained and seeking asylum
- Secured asylum for a client
- Won a motion under the Second Look Amendment Act in DC for client to be resentenced and released
- Provides extensive pro bono work with the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project