GEETA MALHOTRA focuses her practice on white collar criminal matters, internal investigations, government enforcement actions, cybersecurity and privacy matters, and complex civil litigation. She has been described by clients as “an outstanding attorney” who “combines both intellect and practical counsel,” and is “very knowledgeable and very customer-oriented.”
Geeta has extensive experience conducting complex internal investigations on a variety of matters, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), fraud and bribery, privacy and wiretapping, anti-kickback issues and drug promotional practices, and securities regulations. Geeta defends individual and corporate clients before law enforcement and regulatory agencies, including the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and various state attorneys general. In addition, Geeta conducts anti-corruption and compliance diligence in the corporate transaction context, counsels clients in the development of FCPA and other anti-corruption policies, and trains clients on anti-corruption policies, FCPA enforcement, and other investigation issues.
Clients also rely upon Geeta to navigate high-stakes cybersecurity and privacy matters, including data breach response as well as the resulting litigation and government inquiries that often follow. Geeta has served as on-call data breach counsel for clients across several industries. In this respect, she has worked closely with forensic experts on issues relating to cybersecurity and privacy. In addition, she advises clients with respect to the preparation for sophisticated cybersecurity incidents, including on the development of policies as well as the presentation of trainings and tabletop exercises.
In the civil litigation context, Geeta’s practice includes representing clients in state and federal courts in matters involving, for instance, contract disputes, business tort and consumer fraud claims, claims for trade secret misappropriation, and claims for breach of fiduciary duty.
Geeta’s advocacy has earned her recognition by Chambers USA for Litigation: White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations in Illinois (2022–2024). Clients in the 2023 edition of Chambers USA lauded Geeta for being “extremely knowledgeable” and note that “she is very detail-oriented and does an excellent job analyzing all elements of the case, making sure to leave no stone unturned.” Sources further note that “she is a solid adviser and has an ability to get to the heart of an issue” and that she “is really smart with the facts and strategy and she is a great advocate.” In 2021, Law360 named Geeta to its “Rising Stars” report, a list of lawyers under 40 whose legal accomplishments “transcend their age.” In 2020, Crain’s Chicago Business also named Geeta to its list of “Notable Minorities in Accounting, Consulting & Law,” noting that the list comprised individuals who “[had] risen to the challenge” in “an extraordinary year.” She has also been named to The Best Lawyers in America in the area of White Collar and was previously named by Leading Lawyers as an “Illinois Emerging Lawyer” in the areas of White Collar and Commercial Litigation.
Geeta is actively engaged in firm leadership as well as the civic and legal communities at large. She serves on the firm’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee and the Evaluation and Compensation of Associates Committee. She is a 2019 Fellow of Leadership Greater Chicago (LGC), a Board Member of the Better Government Association (BGA), a Member of Executives’ Club of Chicago, and a Member of Chicago United’s Leaders Council. Geeta also previously served as the co-chair for the American Bar Association’s Criminal Litigation Committee for the Section of Litigation and as a Board Member of Connections for Abused Women and Their Children (CAWC).
Geeta served as a law clerk for the Honorable Virginia M. Kendall in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Illinois College of Law, where she served as a notes editor for the University of Illinois Law Review. Geeta is the author of “The Effect of Crawford v. Washington on the Admissibility of 911 Calls in Evidence-Based Domestic Violence Prosecutions,” 2006 U. Ill. L. Rev. 205.