Practice
John Nathanson is a partner in the firm’s Litigation Group. His practice focuses on United States Department of Justice inquiries, Securities and Exchange Commission and other regulatory matters, internal investigations and civil securities litigation.

Prior to joining the firm in 2009, Mr. Nathanson served for five years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, where he was assigned to the Business and Securities Fraud Unit for four years. Most recently, Mr. Nathanson was the Acting Deputy Chief of the General Crimes Unit. During his time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Nathanson investigated and prosecuted numerous securities fraud matters, including cases involving CDOs (Bear Stearns asset managers), options backdating, private investment in public equity (“PIPE”), insider trading and other complex accounting and securities frauds.

Before the U.S. Attorney’s Office, from 2001 to 2004, Mr. Nathanson served as an Assistant District Attorney in the Frauds Bureau of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. While an ADA, Mr. Nathanson investigated and prosecuted securities and other business fraud cases, including the successful prosecution of brokerage D.H. Blair & Co., Inc. and several of its executives. Prior to becoming an ADA, Mr. Nathanson was associated with a large international law firm where he worked primarily on complex securities litigation matters.

• Represent individual defendant in significant insider trading matter, United States v. Newman, et al., 12 Cr. 121 (RJS) and SEC v. Adondakis, et al., 12 Civ. 409 (HB).
• Represent individuals in investigation of insider trading by US-based asset manager in stocks of overseas companies on foreign exchanges.
• Represent Galleon Management in all criminal, SEC, fund wind-down, and governance matters arising from alleged insider trading at Galleon.
• Represent major building services company in Manhattan DA’s Office investigation into alleged improper billing.
• Represent major media company in Manhattan DA’s Office investigation into employee embezzlement.
• Represent two major financial institutions in separate SEC investigations concerning structuring/underwriting CDOs.
• Represent major financial institution in a Department of Justice and CFTC investigation into certain market practices related to interest rates.
• Represent investment managers in alleged “pay-for-play” criminal and civil investigations related to state pension funds by the Department of Justice, SEC, and New York Attorney General.
• Represent investment manager in all criminal and governance matters related to highly-publicized federal bank fraud charges against a major campaign fund-raiser.
• Represent major financial institution in litigation over CDO litigation.
• Represent financial institution in SEC “pay-for-play” investigation of municipal securities dealer.
• Represent individual defendant in DOJ prosecution of bulk cash smuggling charges.

• Criminal Advocacy Committee, New York City Bar Association, 2006-2009

Publications

• Co-author, “The Year Ahead: SEC Enforcement Outlook 2012,” BNA Publications, 2012 (with Herbert Washer)
• Co-author, “Fewer Corporate Prosecutions, A More Effective Approach?,” White Collar Law360, 2012 (with Casey O’Neill)
• Co-author, “SEC Cooperation Initiative: Game Changer or Preserving Status Quo?,” New York Law Journal, 2011 (with Colin Cassedy)
• Co-author, “Walking the Privilege Line,” New York Law Journal, 2009 (with Mallory Tosch)