Dawn Nelson joins Guidepost as a managing director, bringing extensive expertise in intellectual property (IP) enforcement, fraud prevention, and strategic operations, developed over a distinguished career in federal law enforcement. Her work has spanned complex investigations, cross-sector collaborations, and international policy development, all grounded in a commitment to national and economic security.
As a senior advisor and division leader within a federal investigative agency, Ms. Nelson led strategic planning initiatives, operational reforms, and interagency coordination efforts. She designed and implemented a multiyear strategic plan that became the standard for similar divisions and led national enforcement strategy development, including reporting to Congress on major enforcement efforts. Her leadership extended to managing multimillion-dollar budgets, supervising high-performing teams, and driving intergovernmental engagement with executive and legislative stakeholders.
Ms. Nelson has a strong track record in advancing IP enforcement, having led efforts to combat counterfeit goods and digital piracy. She increased actionable intelligence by overhauling intake processes, resulting in exponential growth in enforcement referrals. Her initiatives brought together competitors in key industries to form collaborative enforcement efforts and led to measurable increases in arrests, indictments, and convictions.
Her prior roles included directing investigative units focused on identity and benefit fraud, where she implemented a risk-based management model and expanded task force operations nationwide. Her efforts strengthened the integrity of the immigration identification and benefit issuance processes and earned national recognition for innovation and impact.
Throughout her career, Ms. Nelson has been recognized for advancing operational effectiveness, strategic innovation, and cross-functional collaboration. Her ability to integrate legal, policy, and enforcement perspectives allows her to deliver practical solutions for clients facing complex regulatory and security challenges.
Ms. Nelson holds a Juris Doctor from Washington University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Justice from American University. She is also a graduate of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center’s Criminal Investigator Training Program.
