PARTNER
MCDERMOTT WILL & EMERY LLP
Obiamaka P. Madubuko is a partner in the law firm of McDermott Will & Emery LLP and is based in the Firm’s New York office. Obiamaka is co chair of the Firm’s Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) & International Anti-Corruption Group and focuses her practice in anti-corruption and fraud matters, as well as advises U.S. based companies doing business in international markets.
Obiamaka advises companies on a host of compliance and transactional due diligence issues arising under the FCPA, the Dodd-Frank Act, Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) and other global trade regulations. In addition, Obiamaka assists clients that are undertaking internal investigations and independent audits concerning critical matters. She also helps clients draft, evaluate and update their corporate policies to ensure compliance with anti-corruption and other global trade laws.
In addition to her significant corporate advisory practice, Obiamaka is also an experienced trial lawyer. She has defended individuals and corporations in complex civil litigation and white-collar criminal cases in state and federal courts. She represents clients under investigation by the United States Congress, the United States Department of Justice, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the Federal Election Commission, and other federal and state authorities.
Obiamaka’s litigation experience covers a range of industries and specialties including securities, financial services, real estate, health care, intellectual property, energy, manufacturing and consumer products. Obiamaka also has experience in international litigation matters. She has assisted clients to procure documents and witness testimony from foreign persons and entities located outside the United States and has litigated claims against foreign companies seeking immunity under the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act. In addition, she has also represented corporate clients in civil actions to enforce domestic judgments against foreign entities.
Obiamaka received a notable mention in the “Energy and Infrastructure: Sub-Saharan Africa 2013 Guide,” which is published by the International Financial Law Review. She has been recognized as a Future Star in the 2013 edition of Benchmark Litigation and a Rising Star on Ethisphere Magazine’s 2012 and 2011 lists of “Attorneys Who Matter,” a publication dedicated to sharing best practices in Ethics and Compliance. She was also recognized as a 2010 Dynamic Achiever by The Network Journal for her professional accomplishments and important contributions to the African-American community. Obiamaka is also a published author and has written extensively on anti-corruption compliance matters and other white collar topics. Her articles have been published in The New York Law Journal, BNA,CFO.com, Law.com, Law360, and Bloomberg News. She has been featured in a globally televised interview conducted by CNN International to discuss investment opportunities and corruption risks in
Africa and is frequently quoted by leading media outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Boardmember.com, Corporate Counsel and Compliance Week.
Before joining McDermott, Obiamaka was in private practice in New York and Washington, D.C. She also served as a law clerk to the Honorable Constance Baker Motley of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.
Obiamaka is active in various pro bono activities including representing clients in domestic violence, immigration and asylum cases as well as mentoring lawyers, law students and high school students interested in pursuing careers in law. As an associate, Obiamaka participated in an externship program with the Legal Aid Society of the District of Columbia where she served as lead counsel on over 35 cases. Obiamaka also chairs McDermott’s Women of Color Subcommittee to the Diversity & Inclusion Committee and is a member of the American Bar Association,
where she serves on the Steering Committees for the International Section’s Africa Committee and the International Anti-Corruption Committee.
Obiamaka is admitted to practice in New York and before the United States District Courts for the Southern District of New York and the Eastern District of New York.
EDUCATION
Harvard Law School, J.D., cum laude, 1998
Boston University, B.A. and M.A., magna cum laude, 1995
