Serina Vash is the Managing Partner of the New Jersey Office of Herman Jones LLP. A seasoned former federal prosecutor and litigator, Serina has served for over two decades in the public, private and academic sectors. Her practice focuses on government and internal investigations, pre/post transactional due diligence and risk management, compliance and board training, data privacy and cybersecurity, IPO readiness, and anti-harassment/civility in the workplace. Serina has significant first chair trial experience, handling numerous federal criminal cases from investigation through verdict. She also advises clients on governance, compliance, and enterprise risk management issues, and specializes in creating and augmenting corporate compliance programs and trainings for corporate boards and C-Suite executives.

Before joining Herman Jones, Serina served as General Counsel and Executive Director of Governance, Risk and Compliance at RANE Corp., a due diligence and risk management advisory start-up. Serina also served as the first Executive Director of NYU Law School’s Program on Corporate Compliance and Enforcement (2014-2017). At NYU, Serina developed, established and managed a cutting-edge law and policy program dedicated to understanding the causes of corporate misconduct, the key attributes of effective compliance programs and the efficacy of enforcement policy.

In 2010, after twelve years at the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, Serina became the first Chief of the Office’s General Crimes Unit.

She also served as Acting Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Senior Litigation Counsel in the Organized Crime/Gang Unit and the National Security Unit, and a member of the Office’s Trial Mentorship Program.

Prior to becoming an AUSA, Serina was the first law clerk to the Honorable Faith S. Hochberg of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. She cut her teeth as a litigator in the New York office of Cahill Gordon & Reindel from 1995 to 1999. Serina graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree from Duke University. She earned her Juris Doctor degree from St. John’s University Law School.

Serina speaks regularly on behavioral ethics, effective compliance, cybersecurity risk and regulation, workplace civility, enforcement policy and handling corporate criminal investigations. She serves on the Board of Trustees for the USAO Alumni Association (DNJ) and as a Subcommittee Chair in the Ethics Section of the Federal Bar Association.

Professional Affiliations

• Board of Trustees, District of New Jersey USAO Alumni Association
• Ethics Committee, Sub-Committee Chair, Federal Bar Association
• Member, National Association of Women Lawyers (“NAWL”)
• Member, New Jersey Women Lawyers Association
• Member, American Bar Association
• Member, New Jersey Bar Association
• Member, New York City Bar Association
• Council for Unity, Board of Advisors

Featured Speaking Engagements and Seminars

• Understanding Human Behavior and Causes of Criminal Misconduct,
  USAO, District of New Jersey, April 26, 2019
• The Inside Story of Tipper X: Interview with Tom Hardin
• Why Good People Do Bad Things: Interview with Rashmi Airan
• Creating and Maintaining a Healthy Corporate Culture: Interview with Azish Filabi
• Workplace Civility Best Practices, Webinar, October 4, 2018
• Handling Government Investigations and Regulators, 5th Annual Women in Benchmark in Litigation NYC Forum, September 13, 2018
• Hear That Lonesome Whistle Blow: Effective Techniques for Responding to Whistleblowers, Webinar, September 6, 2018
• ICO and Bitcoin Regulation, Webinar, April 26, 2018
• Enterprise Risk Management, Carlyle VP Forum, March 14, 2018
• Reflections of a Former Federal Defendant and Former Federal Prosecutor: The Case for Ethical Vigilance and Responsible Global Investment, OFA Conference, March 2, 2018
• GDPR Readiness: 3 Months to Go, Webinar, February 26, 2018
• Combatting Harassment and Fostering Workplace Civility, Webinar, January 2018
• The Psychology of Culture: Why Good People Do Bad Things and the Role of Corporate Culture, Risk Management Summit S&C Conference December 2017
• New Models for Managing Cyber Security- Legal, Regulatory, & Reputational Exposures, Webinar, November 16, 2017
• Tools and Procedures to Manage Cybersecurity Risk and Reduce SEC Violations, Hedge Fund GC and Compliance Officer Conference, October 5, 2017
• Protecting Privilege: Best Practices for In-House Counsel
  Webinar, September 12, 2017
• She is Me: The Path to Ethical Decision-Making, Woman’s Leadership Conference, Las Vegas, August 7-8, 2017
• In the Know: When Good Lawyers Make Bad Decisions, American Bar Association Series, June 2016
• Department of Justice Perspectives on Corporate Compliance Programs, Second Annual Institute on Corporate Compliance, Rutgers School of Law, April 7, 2017
• Corporate Investigations After the Yates Memo–Expanding Scope of Individual Accountability for Corporate Misconduct, NYU School of Law, March 31, 2017
• Compliance Beyond Procedures: Understanding Behavioral Compliance and Fostering a Culture of Business Ethics, Conference on Compliance: New Risks, Challenges and Approaches, New York University School of Law, October 21, 2016
• Unpacking Monitorships, Webinar, October 6, 2016
• Corporate Compliance and Enforcement, Brazilian Delegation at NYU School of Law, September 13, 2016
• Getting in Gear: Ethics as a Driver of Compliance, Ethics By Design: How to Use Nudges, Norms and Laws to Improve Business Ethics, Stern School of Business, June 3, 2016
• Coordination Across Enforcement Agencies, Conference Corporate and Individual Liability for Corporate Misconduct After the Yates Memo, April 8, 2016
• Corruption in Sports: The FIFA Scandal, 5th Annual Sports Law Colloquium, NYU Law School, March 31, 2016
• Red Card for FIFA: Inside the Case Against Global Soccer, The Milbank Tweed Forum, September 16, 2015
• Risk Taking: It’s Time To Jump In, National Association of Women Lawyers Annual Conference, July 16, 2015

Publications

• Serina M. Vash, Comey’s Choice: Unprecedented Situation, Extraordinary Transparency, Compliance and Enforcement Blog, NYU School of Law (Nov. 2016)
• Serina M. Vash, FedEx Lives to Deliver Another Day, Compliance and Enforcement Blog, NYU School of Law (Oct. 2016)
• Serina M. Vash, Fokker Misses Opportunity to Provide Clear Guidance on Court’s Role in DPA Cases, Compliance and Enforcement Blog, NYU School of Law (May 2016)