Rushmi Bhaskaran is an accomplished trial lawyer and a former federal prosecutor who has more than 15 years of experience handling high-profile white collar fraud and cybercrime matters. Her practice focuses on advising individuals and corporations on internal investigations, enforcement matters, and complex civil litigation.
Prior to joining Ballard Spahr, Rushmi served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York (SDNY) from 2019 to 2025. In that role, Rushmi tried multiple cases to verdict and investigated and prosecuted a broad range of sophisticated white collar criminal cases, including those involving bank fraud, mail and wire fraud, health care fraud, securities fraud, criminal tax violations, computer crimes, theft of trade secrets, money laundering, false statements, sanctions violations, and violations of the Bank Secrecy Act. Among her jury trials, Rushmi was part of the SDNY team that tried United States v. Charlie Javice and Oliver Amar, a case involving a $175 million fraud perpetrated by startup executives on a leading financial institution. In addition to her white collar matters, Rushmi investigated and prosecuted cases involving racketeering and sex trafficking offenses. She has also briefed and argued numerous appeals before the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.
Before joining the Southern District of New York, Rushmi spent nearly a decade at a global law firm located in New York City, where her practice focused on white collar criminal defense, complex civil litigation, and international dispute resolution.
Representative Experience
Representative Matters at the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York
- United States v. Charlie Javice and Olivier Amar. Tried and convicted two startup executives who perpetrated a $175 million fraud on a leading financial institution.
- United States v. James Peraire-Bueno and Anton Peraire-Bueno. Charged two cryptocurrency traders with allegedly committing a first-of-its-kind fraud that took place on the Ethereum blockchain and resulted in the theft of $25 million worth of cryptocurrency.
- United States v. Richard Ho. Charged a quantitative trader with allegedly stealing trade secrets from a former employer, a leading quantitative trading firm.
Representative Criminal Defense and Complex Litigation Matters
- Represented an Australian mining company in obtaining a $5.9 billion arbitration award, the second-largest award rendered by the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.*
- Represented an automotive manufacturer in various state and federal investigations relating to vehicle acceleration issues.*
- Represented a European financial services company in securing a deferred prosecution agreement and first coordinated resolution between the DOJ and France’s Parquet National Financier regarding claims of potential corruption of foreign officials in Libya.*
Professional Highlights
Pro Bono Experience
Rushmi has represented pro bono clients in matters involving violations of constitutional and human rights.
Credentials
Education
University of Pennsylvania Law School (J.D., magna cum laude, 2009)
Articles Editor, University of Pennsylvania Journal of International Law
Johns Hopkins University, School of Advanced International Studies (M.A. 2006)
Johns Hopkins University (B.A., Phi Beta Kappa, General Honors, 2005)
Admissions
New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit