Overview

Ms. Plochocki’s practice involves a wide range of domestic and cross-border disputes, including financial services, insolvency, contract, and fraud litigation, both at the trial and appellate levels. Ms. Plochocki devises and executes strategies to discover and recover assets through U.S. courts on behalf of multinational financial institutions, international investors and foreign corporations.  Her practice includes plenary civil litigation, 1782 petitions, and lawsuits for the recognition of foreign arbitral awards and judgments in the United States.  Ms. Plochocki is the Washington, D.C. member of ICC Fraudnet, the world’s leading asset recovery network.  In recognition of her excellence in the field of International Law, Ms. Plochocki was also selected as a Washington DC “Rising Star” by Super Lawyers. 

In addition to her international litigation practice, Ms. Plochocki has represented individuals in connection with congressional and law enforcement investigations into high-profile political scandals.  She also specializes in extradition law and regularly serves as an expert in proceedings in the UK and other Commonwealth countries. 

Ms. Plochocki regularly speaks at global conferences on fraud and asset tracing, as well as the extraterritorial application of U.S. law.

Ms. Plochocki is dedicated to pro bono service and litigates matters at the intersection of constitutional rights, international law, and national security.  She has successfully represented detainees in Guantanamo Bay; in 2021, she won the first Guantanamo habeas petition in over ten years, construing the laws of war to obtain the release of her client Asadullah Haroon Gul, a former commander of an associated force.  She has also brought challenges to the U.S.’s designation of individuals for death by drone strike, including Zaidan v. Trump and Jaber v. United States.  In Zaidan, a federal district court ruled that U.S. citizens have a constitutional right to due process that must be met before they may be targeted by the United States.  Ms. Plochocki has also authored amicus briefs on behalf of individuals and organizations on issues of fairness in education and criminal justice.

Professional Affiliations

  • Member, ICC Fraudnet
  • Member, California Bar Association
  • Member, District of Columbia Bar Association
  • Trustee, Washington Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights and Urban Affairs

Experience

  • Associate, Washington office of International Law Firm
  • Associate, Washington office of National Law Firm

Representative Matters

  • Obtained recognition of $24.5 million arbitral award on behalf of Hong Kong corporation against Tajik state-owned enterprise
  • Obtained dismissal of lawsuit against remittance company for allegations of terror financing
  • Representation of Brazilian executive against fraud action by U.S. securities firm and obtained dismissal of suit
  • Representation of Saudi Arabian corporation in seeking recovery for losses arising out of international bribery scheme
  • Representation of investors, corporations, and individuals in 1782 applications to obtain evidence from banks and investment firms in the United States for use in legal proceedings abroad
  • Representation of multiple investors in complex civil litigation arising out of securities fraud committed by Venezuelan financier
  • Representation of Saudi Arabian conglomerate in civil litigation concerning complex financial service fraud totaling in excess of $10 billion
  • Representation of numerous companies and individuals, both in the U.S. and abroad, in connection with various matters including investigations by U.S. law enforcement and regulatory agencies
  • Representation of individual in connection with defamation claims against national publications concerning allegations of involvement in Russia scandal
  • Represented U.S. citizen journalist in lawsuit against U.S. government challenging designation to the “Kill List”

  • Obtained release of Afghan detainee in habeas proceedings seeking release from detention in Guantanamo Bay under law of armed conflict

  • Authored amicus brief on behalf of national education organization in action by schoolchildren alleging that Detroit Public Schools violated their constitutional right to access to education
  • Co-authored an amicus brief on behalf of medical ethics organization seeking disclosure of identities of doctors who botched the execution of inmate on death row
  • Successfully appealed the removal of an SES federal employee before the Merit Systems Protection Board

Publications & Events

In the News

Education

  • University of Michigan Law School (J.D., cum laude, 2007), Managing Editor of the Michigan Journal of International Law
  • Barnard College of Columbia University (B.A., cum laude, 2002)

Bar Admissions

  • District of Columbia
  • New York
  • California
  • U.S. Supreme Court
  • U.S. District Courts for the District of Columbia, Southern District of New York and Eastern District of Michigan
  • U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second and D.C. Circuits