Summary: Attorney Peter Chan, who was the Assistant Regional Director of the SEC Chicago Regional Office from 2000 to 2014, is joining Morgan Lewis as a partner in its Litigation Practice in Chicago.
In his nearly 20 years with the SEC, Chan was often recognized for his work, receiving both the Commission’s Supervisory Excellence Award in addition to a number of Division of Enforcement Director’s Awards. Prior to joining the SEC in 1995, Chan was a corporate and securities associate at another international law firm, where he worked under former SEC Chairman David Ruder in securities law and compliance projects.
“We are thrilled to welcome Peter to the firm’s growing Securities Enforcement Practice,” Morgan Lewis Chair Jami McKeon said. “His experience will contribute significantly to our considerable capabilities in this area at a time of increasing regulatory scrutiny of financial institutions and public companies.”
“Peter’s addition strengthens the firm’s ability to assist clients in navigating and defending against SEC enforcement actions,” said Merri Jo Gillette, leader of the firm’s Securities Litigation and Enforcement practice. “His in-depth knowledge of the federal securities laws and extensive exposure to regulatory compliance issues will prove invaluable to clients and bolster the firm’s well-positioned practice.”
He was a leader in the SEC’s escalation of enforcement efforts in the municipal securities and public pension plan arenas, and in the last year and a half, established the Financial Reporting and Audit Task Force, the Microcap Task Force, and the Broker-Dealer Task Force in his role as Co-chair of the Commission’s Priorities and Resources Subcommittee. In 2010, he was appointed as the head of the Chicago office’s Municipal Securities and Public Pensions Unit.
Chan’s notable criminal experience includes serving as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Northern District of Illinois in a criminal investigation involving market abuse by a Chicago broker-dealer, resulting in indictments of and guilty pleas by several senior executives at the firm. Additionally, he has collaborated with U.S. Attorney offices, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other law enforcement agencies in multiple parallel criminal investigations.
Looking for a litigation attorney job in Chicago? Click here to browse current openings on LawCrossing.