Donna A. Bucella

Donna A. Bucella

 

Donna A. Bucella is of counsel with Foley & Lardner LLP, and is a seasoned litigator. Her practice focuses on white collar criminal defense, internal investigations, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, health care, privacy and security, information technology, and immigration. Her experience includes health care fraud, pharma cases, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, government contract fraud and internal investigations for matters investigated by government agencies and United States Attorneys' Offices.

Ms. Bucella has served as a senior official in pivotal roles in both the Department of Justice and Homeland Security. She has had a diverse and extensive legal career in both the private sector and public service.

In 1999, Ms. Bucella was appointed by President Clinton, confirmed by the U.S. Senate and for the next two years served as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Florida. As such, she was the chief law enforcement officer for over 35 counties in central Florida. During her tenure, Ms. Bucella oversaw over 100 attorneys who represented the federal government in matters both criminal and civil, including numerous cases involving health care providers, pharmaceutical manufacturers and other entities in the health care system. Prior to that, Ms. Bucella served as the Director of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys and reported directly to the Attorney General and her Deputy Attorney General. She provided compliance oversight, executive management, legal training and policy support to all of the 93 United States Attorneys' Offices nationally, which included 5,000 Assistant United States Attorneys. She coordinated efforts among the United States Attorneys and the Justice Department Components, Congress, Judiciary, media and external groups. She was instrumental in crisis management through coordination of the United States Attorney's investigative efforts with law enforcement. Ms. Bucella also implemented a comprehensive compliance plan for all United States Attorneys' offices which included on-site evaluation of criminal and civil programs. Before that, Ms. Bucella was an Assistant United States Attorney in the United States Attorney's office in the Southern District of Florida where she was involved in a variety of criminal matters including fraud investigations and public corruption matters.

After 9/11, Ms. Bucella was responsible for the airports of the southeast at the Transportation and Security Administration. In 2003-2006, Ms. Bucella was the first director of the Terrorist Screening Center, a presidential initiative, and reported to the Director of the FBI. In that capacity, she supervised a number of Special Agents and forged an alliance between law enforcement, Homeland Security, the private sector, privacy, and intelligence communities. Ms. Bucella also served in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps in the Procurement Fraud Division. She recently retired as a Colonel from the United States Army Reserves as the Assistant Chief of the U.S. Army Litigation Division. She has served on the advisory board of the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA).

Ms. Bucella is a graduate of The University of Virginia (B.A., with distinction) and earned her law degree from the University of Miami School of Law.

She is admitted to practice in Florida, Virginia and Washington, D.C., the Florida Supreme Court, the United States Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces, the Virginia Supreme Court, and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia and the Middle and Southern Districts of Florida.

Awards that Ms. Bucella received include:

· Transportation Security Administration Outstanding Service Award (2004)

· Attorney General's Exceptional Service Award (1997)

· Director's Award, Enhancing the missions of the Executive Office for United States Attorneys and the United States Attorneys Offices (1996)

· Attorney General's Special Achievement Award (1994)

· Sustained Prosecutorial Excellence (1991)