Financial Services Litigation and Administrative Enforcement
Represented a foreign bank on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List in a delisting matter before the Office of Foreign Assets Control.
Defended tribal-owned short-term consumer lenders in an investigation and enforcement action brought by the Consumer Protection Financial Bureau.
Represented short-term consumer lenders in multiple actions asserting Telephone Consumer Protection Act, the California (Rosenthal) Fair Debt Collection Practices Act and other consumer claims in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California and California Superior courts.
Represented a merchant point-of-sale systems provider in civil litigation against a payment processor regarding the EMV liability shift, payment card industry (PCI) compliance and contract issues in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Represented a payment processor in civil litigation against a merchant group regarding the alleged breaches of several merchant account agreements involving PCI compliance, reserve account determinations and related accounting matters in state court.
Defended a large bank BSA compliance officer in formal enforcement proceedings brought by the OCC concerning alleged Bank Secrecy Act violations relating to the adequacy of the institution’s anti-money laundering program.
Represented an international prepaid card program management company in a civil action brought by the SEC and a court-appointed receiver against individuals involved in an alleged Ponzi scheme.
Defended an international prepaid card program manager and national bank card issuer in formal enforcement proceedings brought by the FDIC concerning alleged BSA violations stemming from allegedly inadequate anti-money laundering controls.
Other Complex Commercial Litigation
Represented a project finance company in an arbitration against an international mining corporation for breach of contract and other claims causing the destruction of the project.
Defended a domestic shipbuilding company and defense contractor in sexual harassment and gender bias litigation in federal court.
Represented a large, national defense contractor against its subcontractor in an action brought in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia concerning the misappropriation of trade secrets and related claims involving emerging wireless communications technologies in the underground mining industry.
Represented a major domestic coal producer in multiple related commercial disputes with a customer in two separate federal district courts and state court proceedings, and in two separate arbitrations.
Represented a major domestic and international producer of automotive and industrial batteries in multiple complex litigation proceedings spanning an eight-year period in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware.
Defended numerous individual redeeming investors in multiple bankruptcy adversary proceedings brought in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York involving the bankruptcy of a massive Ponzi enterprise.
Represented in federal court a domestic shipbuilding company in bet-the-company litigation involving a government contract for the production of coastal patrol craft under the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Foreign Military Sales program.
Represented the consul general of a foreign government in numerous civil matters brought by former employees of the foreign government.
White Collar / Corporate Internal Investigations
Defended an investment advisor and his company in formal enforcement proceedings brought by the SEC for alleged violations of the Investment Advisors Act of 1940, the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
Represented a former Internet digital currency exchange in legal proceedings to wind down the exchange pursuant to a court-authorized liquidation plan in coordination with the U.S. Secret Service and the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland.
Defended a multinational energy resources corporation in a formal investigation brought by the SEC concerning alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act involving the corporation’s Central American operations.
Represented a large, national defense contractor in an internal corporate investigation, a DoD Inspector General investigation and a False Claims Act lawsuit alleging accounting and bookkeeping fraud.
Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Adjunct instructor of Drone Launch’s legal and regulatory component for its Remote Pilot Airman Certificate training program.
Counseled a large telecommunications company on filing a Section 333 grant of exemption with the FAA for a social media advertising campaign involving the use of unmanned aircraft.
Advised a social media networking site on the potential acquisition of a former military airfield for the operation of unmanned aircraft systems to broadcast Internet access globally.
Provided regulatory compliance counseling to a solar energy company seeking to operate a small, commercial unmanned aircraft in support of its mainline business.