Timothy Heaphy and Soumya Dayananda join Willkie Farr & Gallagher in Washington as partners

Timothy Heaphy and Soumya Dayananda join Willkie Farr & Gallagher in Washington as partners

They have replaced Martin J Weinstein, the compliance group's chair and fellow partner Jeffrey Clark

Willkie Farr & Gallagher has added Timothy Heaphy, the chief investigator to the US House committee investigating the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol, to co-lead its compliance, investigations and enforcement practice. Also, joining the firm is Soumya Dayananda, who served as a senior investigative counsel to the US House committee.

The duo has over 40 years of combined public service experience and expertise in complex government investigations, compliance, crisis management, and white-collar litigation.

David Mortlock, the managing partner of the firm's Washington DC office commented, "We are thrilled to welcome Heaphy and Dayananda to our growing Washington office. It now includes over 130 lawyers focused on helping our clients navigate novel and complex litigation, regulatory, and government enforcement matters. The two are respected senior government lawyers whose experience, including on Capitol Hill and in the Justice Department, will complement our global team of litigation and investigations attorneys."

William Stellmach, the co-chair of the firm's compliance, investigations and enforcement practice, remarked, "Our investigations and defense team advises clients on their most complicated, high-stakes matters. Heaphy and Dayananda's addition will deepen our group with their decades of experience managing high-profile government investigations in congressional investigations, multi-agency enforcement, and compliance matters."

Heaphy served as chief investigative counsel to the January 6 committee from August 2021. His duties included creating and implementing the investigative plan that guided its day-to-day work. He also conducted numerous depositions and helped craft the committee's hearings and reports.

Prior to that, he spent several years as a US attorney for the Western District of Virginia and led investigations and cases involving national security, financial and health care fraud, public corruption, money laundering, and civil rights. He also chaired the white-collar defence practice at Hunton & Williams and was a partner at McGuireWoods.

On the other hand, Dayananda spent the last 18 months leading a team of lawyers investigating the law enforcement and military response to the US Capitol attack.

Earlier, she was a senior investigative counsel to the US Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. She also served as an assistant US attorney in leadership positions in the International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section of the US Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of New York.