Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) appointed former university Counsel and Vice President of Strategy and Department of Justice prosecutor Jenelle Beavers as a Managing Director in its Disputes and Investigations (DI) practice. Ms. Beavers adds higher education sector experience to A&M’s Investigations and Compliance offering and highlights A&M’s strategic expansion plan to help clients navigate current and anticipated challenges.
Ms. Beavers specializes in investigating alleged fraud, false claims, and conflicts of interest and in advising clients on compliance and strategic preventive management in regulated industries. With more than a decade and a half of litigation and investigation experience, Ms. Beavers advises clients on legal, governance, and strategic aspects of federal and state investigations across a range of industries.
Jerry Dent, Managing Director and North America Practice Leader of A&M’s Disputes and Investigations group commented, “Jenelle’s hire spotlights the steady growth of our investigations and compliance capabilities, developed to deliver transformative value for clients. As clients navigate complex regulatory environments and rising compliance costs, having the counsel of former regulators and law enforcement professionals is invaluable. Jenelle exemplifies A&M’s results-oriented approach and shares our commitment to driving change.”
Before joining A&M, Ms. Beavers served with the Civil Frauds Section of the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), where she led large and complex investigation and litigation teams comprised of agents from the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, Energy, Defense, Treasury, Interior and Homeland Security. These teams included interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary experts and law enforcement personnel.
During her more than decade-and-a-half career, Ms. Beavers has tackled a broad range of assignments including serving as Vice President for Strategy at a large, public research institution, where she developed and executed internal and external policy priorities; led a comprehensive strategic planning process; and coordinated identification, analysis, and management of institutional risks.
Before that she advised a four-campus university system and major healthcare services organization, providing legal advice regarding Title VII, Title IX, federal, state and local employment laws, constitutional claims and internal grievances, government investigations, litigation, public sector union labor relations, trusts and donor relations, federal regulatory compliance, and the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
Steve Spiegelhalter, Managing Director and North American Investigations Practice Leader, and a former DOJ federal fraud and corruption prosecutor, noted, “Jenelle’s background aligns with A&M’s heritage of operational excellence and mission of solving clients’ complex problems. Her knowledge of DOJ and ability to translate its inner workings, against the backdrop of an increasingly complex regulatory environment, provides tangible benefits to our clients.”
Erin Covington, Managing Director and Education Practice Leader, stressed the timeliness of Jenelle’s addition to the team, “Higher education institutions, reeling from the combined pressures of the pandemic and economic dislocations, face unprecedented challenges and opportunities. Jenelle’s background enhances and deepens our performance improvement focus across the education ecosystem.”
Ms. Beavers earned a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Missouri and a J.D. and MPH from the University of Michigan, serving on the Michigan Law Review. She is licensed to practice law in New York, sits on the advisory board for the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, and is a former member of the Supreme Court of Missouri’s Commission on Racial and Ethnic Fairness.