Tamara Kraljic is counsel in the Washington, DC office of Hughes Hubbard & Reed LLP. Tamara is fluent in English, German and French and advises international clients on high-stakes matters, focusing principally on international dispute resolution, business ethics and compliance and white collar defense work. As part of her international dispute resolution practice, Tamara has successfully represented clients in commercial and investment arbitration proceedings, contested proceedings before the World Bank Group as well as US state and federal court proceedings. In her compliance, business ethics and white collar defense practice, Tamara has assisted clients in resolution efforts with various national enforcement agencies and advised clients in matters involving international anti-corruption, corporate governance, and securities laws. Tamara has extensive experience conducting global compliance risk assessments, internal investigations, M&A due diligence and business partner reviews for her clients’ operations in Europe, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Tamara has also provided training on ESG and anti-corruption compliance to international clients and conference audiences.
Before joining Hughes Hubbard, Tamara was an associate in the international arbitration practice group of a major international law firm in Paris, France where she worked on a range of commercial and investment arbitration matters with a particular focus on the energy sector.
Outside
of her disputes and investigations/compliance work, Tamara is actively engaged
in three core areas:
Transatlantic
Ties: As a European
native, Tamara has close ties to the European—particularly French and
German—business, diplomatic, and cultural communities in Washington, DC. She
frequently co-hosts and/or speaks at events focused on transatlantic relations
and multilateral investment. She is currently engaged in a pro bono initiative
to help build sister city ties between Berlin and Washington DC.
Tech,
AI, Future of Work: Tamara
brings a strong focus on technology and AI to her legal work. In 2025, she was
appointed to the 12-member nationwide Advisory Council of the American Bar
Association on the use of AI. She also serves as a Board Member of La Tech DMV,
a regional organization supporting the French-speaking tech ecosystem in the
Washington metropolitan area (DC, Maryland, Virginia).
Gender
Equity: Tamara is a
committed advocate for gender equity in the legal profession. She was
recognized on the 2024 Rising List of the National Association of Women Lawyers
(NAWL) and received the 2024 Women Worth Watching in Leadership Award by the
Diversity Journal. She currently serves as Treasurer-Elect of the Women’s Bar
Association (WBA) of Washington, DC, having previously served as committee
co-chair. As part of her WBA work, Tamara initiated the Future of Work Speaker
Series and co-created the WBA’s fellowship initiative.
Boards, Committees, Advisory Councils & Professional Activities
Board member, La Tech DMV (French tech in the DC, Maryland and Virginia region)
Member, AI Advisory Council for ABA Commission on Women
Treasurer-Elect, Women’s Bar Association of Washington DC
Co-chair of the Professional Development Committee, Women’s Bar Association of Washington DC (2023-2025)
Member of the Working Parents Sub-Committee, WBA of Washington DC
Member of the National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL)
Advisory Board Member, Institute for Transnational Arbitration
Member of the Women’s White Collar Defense Association (WWCDA)
Member of Women in Leadership, French-American Chamber of Commerce
Associate, international arbitration group at the Paris, France office of an international law firm, 2009-2012
Court Admissions
United States District Court for the District of Columbia
Thought Leadership
ESG, Compliance and Global Enforcement
Workshop Lead and White Paper Author, “ESG Supply Chain Investigations, a Step-by-Step Guide for General Counsel in France”, Cercle Montesquieu, Paris (France), June 10, 2025
Workshop Lead and White Paper Author, “ESG Disputes – A US-France/EU Comparison for General Counsel in France”, Cercle Montesquieu, Paris (France), May 20, 2025
Guest Speaker, “All Things Investigations Podcast, 2024 in Review: Key Lessons – International Compliance and Enforcement”, December 10, 2024
Panelist and workshop moderator, “ESG and SDGs”, The Women in Law Conference, Vienna (Austria), September 13, 2024
Author, “OMG … My ESG!!!”, Transatlantic Law Journal, Vol. 2, Issue 3, May 2024
Panelist, “Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG): Corporate Responsibility or State Responsibility?”, Australian Arbitration Week ACICA, Perth (Australia), October 9, 2023
Panelist, HHR Compliance Academy, October 13, 2021
Panelist, “Trends and Developments on FCPA Enforcement: Hot Buttons to Consider”, Webinar, June 10, 2020
Member of Drafting Committee and Contributor, Hughes Hubbard FCPA/Anti-Bribery Alert (2013 – 2020)
Faculty member, “Third-Party Arrangements”, Healthcare Compliance Certificate Program of Seton Hall Law School, Newark, NJ, October 18, 2019
Faculty member, “Third-Party Arrangements”, Healthcare Compliance Certificate Program of Seton Hall Law School, Newark, NJ, June 14, 2019
Guest Lecturer, “Introduction to the FCPA”, University of Pennsylvania Law School, Philadelphia, PA, October 16, 2018
Panelist, “Best Practices for Third-Party Due Diligence: Minimizing Risks and Ensuring Compliance”, Webinar, September 29, 2017
Author, “Obligations de Due Diligence – Mise à l’épreuve des rapports de force entre consultants externes, opérationnels et responsables conformité des entreprises”, Dossier Loi Sapin 2, Cahiers de Droit de l’Entreprise (April 2017) (on conducting due diligence on external consultants and navigating resulting dynamics between a company’s compliance and commercial personnel)
Panelist, “World Bank / MDB Sanctions Systems”, Penn State Law, Carlisle, PA, February 27, 2017
Author, “Procédure de sanctions de la Banque mondiale – Guide pratique : à quoi s’attendre, comment y répondre ?” Revue Internationale de la Compliance et de l’Ethique des Affaires / International Review of Compliance and Business Ethics (June 2016) (article co-authored with Anne Gaustad, offering practical advice and guidance on the World Bank sanctions procedures)
Panelist, “Third Party Due Diligence”, 7th Annual Business Ethics Anti-Corruption Compliance & Fraud Prevention Strategies in CEE, SEE & CIS Conference, Prague, Czech Republic, March 17-18, 2016
Panelist, “Corporate Decision Making”, American Society of International Law (ASIL) Anti-Corruption Law Interest Group Workshop, Wharton Business School, Philadelphia, PA, October 2-3, 2015
Contributing editor to 2nd edition of “Anti-Corruption Law and Compliance: Guide to the FCPA and Beyond” (Bloomberg BNA, 2014) (by Kevin Abikoff, John Wood and Michael Huneke)
International Disputes
Moderator, “Time to Update the New York Convention to Ensure Efficiency and Fairness in the Enforcement of Arbitral Awards?”, Washington Arbitration Week, December 4, 2024
Panelist, “Standards applied by French Courts in Reviewing Corruption Allegations in Set Aside Proceedings”, French Arbitration Day hosted by the Georgetown International Arbitration Society and the Maison Française of the French Embassy, Washington DC, April 15, 2024
Panelist, “360 Degree Overview of Aviation Disputes”, Inaugural Conference of The Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation, The Hague (Netherlands), January 26, 2024
Contributor, Hughes Hubbard & Reed InDispute Series
Contributor to the 1st edition of “The Revised UNCITRAL Rules” (Wolters Kluwer) (by Jan Paulsson and Georgios Petrochilos KC)
Transatlantic Relations (US, France, Germany)
Member of the Editorial Team, Transatlantic Law Journal (published by leading German publisher C.H. Beck, distributed in US and Germany/Europe)
Co-organizer with Embassy of France in Washington DC, Reception for French Delegation of Select-USA Investment Summit, May 12, 2025
Co-organizer, “Transatlantic Roundtable Discussion: Lawyers as Advocates for the Rule of Law”, hosted by the German Embassy of Washington DC, February 4, 2025
Panel Discussion Co-Host with German Embassy, “Women and Other Marginalized Groups in the US Criminal Legal System”, Washington DC, September 24, 2024
Speaker, “Legal Considerations for French Tech Start Ups Entering the US Market”, Vivatech Conference, (Largest Tech Conference in Europe), Paris, May 24, 2024
Speaker, “Legal Aspects for French Companies Entering the US Market”, Business France event, Washington, DC, May 2, 2023
Future of Work, AI / Tech and Gender Equity
Member, AI Advisory Council for ABA Commission on Women
Board member, La Tech DMV (French tech in the DC, Maryland and Virginia region)
Contributor/Editor, WorkVue Future of Work Advisory Council Report, February 2025
Moderator, “WBA Career Catalyst Series: Returning to Practice”, May 16, 2025
Organizer, “Leveraging Tech, Data and AI for DEI”, Future of Work Speaker Series, Women’s Bar Association (WBA) of DC, July 18, 2024
Organizer and Moderator, “From Agile and Remote Work to Talent Economy – Exploring Alternative Work Models,” Future of Work Speaker Series, Women’s Bar Association (WBA) of DC, November 8, 2023
Author, “A Transatlantic Ravenmother’s Tale, Generation Z’s Demands & What Germany Can Teach the US About Part-Time Work in the Legal Profession”, Transatlantic Law Journal, Vol. 1, Issue 3, November 2023
Panel and workshop moderator, “New Work – Tech, Platforms and AI”, The Women in Law Conference, Vienna (Austria), September 15, 2023
Featured in “Getting More”, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling negotiations technique guidebook by Wharton Business School Professor Stuart Diamond
Mentorship
Panelist, “LLM Career Conversation Circle”, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Philadelphia, PA, September 30, 2024
Panelist, “Women’s Bar Association of Washington DC Career Insights Roadshow”, Georgetown University Law Center, February 28, 2024
Panelist, “LLM Career Conversation Circle”, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Philadelphia, PA, February 22, 2024
Speaker, “LLM Career Conversation Circle”, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Philadelphia, PA, December 1, 2022
Panelist, “Legal Career Advice”, Penn State Law, Carlisle, PA, February 27, 2017
Speaker, “Understanding the US Legal Market”, University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School, Philadelphia, PA, August 6, 2014
Recognitions
2024 Women Worth Watching in Leadership Award Winner, Diversity Journal
2024 National Association of Women Lawyers Rising List
2020 – 2016 Capital Pro Bono Honor Roll, sponsored by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals and the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
2015 Empire State Counsel, sponsored by the New York State Bar Association in recognition of free legal services provided to low-income individuals
International Arbitration and Litigation
Highlighted Matters
Representation of German telecommunications company in enforcement phase following award against sovereign arising out of a telecommunications investment
Representation of German energy company against Russian state-owned energy entity in multi-billion-dollar gas pricing dispute
Representation of European nuclear power plant company in relation to a power plant construction dispute
Representation of major telecommunications operator in the Balkan region in licensing dispute
Assisted in representation of investors in various investment treaty arbitrations, including in matters in mining disputes under the China-Mongolia BIT (1991)
Successful representation of Texas-based oil & gas corporation in common law fraud case before the Delaware Superior Court
Representation of Delaware-incorporated company in adversary proceedings brought against it in Arizona Bankruptcy Court
Representation of claimants in Torture Victim Protection Act against East African government officials
Successful representation of French consulting companies and individual in contested proceedings before the World Bank’s Sanctions Board; obtained acquittal on all charges by the Sanctions Board, reversing decision of the Office of Suspension and Debarment, and terminating suspension and proceedings. Decision reported on the World Bank Sanctions Board website: Sanctions Board Decision No. 81 (Sanctions Case No. 215) issued on September 29, 2015
Successful representation of French consulting companies in World Bank "Show Cause" proceeding. Enforcement action was terminated
Representation of European consulting firm in World Bank Sanctions matter related to allegations of corruption
Compliance, White Collar Enforcement & Internal Investigations
Highlighted Matters
Representation of a major multinational oil and gas company in connection with extensive internal investigation and anti-corruption compliance audit work, including in context of multi-billion mergers & acquisitions
Representation of a major multinational engineering and construction company for company-wide anti-corruption risk assessment and design and implementation of anti-corruption compliance program, including multi-day anti-corruption trainings and workshops
Conducted internal investigations for a global luxury brand company
Conducted global anti-corruption compliance reviews on behalf of the Corporate Compliance Monitor appointed by the US Department of Justice, the US Securities & Exchange Commission, and the UK Serious Fraud Office for a multinational specialty chemical manufacturer
Counseled publicly traded companies in mergers & acquisitions context on compliance assessment of target company’s business partner network
Representation of a major multinational financial services company for assessment of its compliance program
Pro Bono
Representation of a sister-city non-profit organization to support transatlantic ties, in particular, between Washington DC and Berlin
Successful representation of inmate sentenced to life in First Step Act proceedings
Represented inmate in clemency proceedings
Represented minor in Special Immigration Juvenile Status proceedings
Participated in legal pro bono programs in New York (divorce clinic for battered women)
Participated in the successful representation of a victim of domestic abuse seeking a temporary restraining order before the Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Acted as a fundraiser for the DC Legal Aid Society (2016 and 2017)