Debevoise & Plimpton LLP announced today that Philip A. Fortino has rejoined the firm’s New York office as counsel and a member of the firm’s White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group. Mr. Fortino will advise clients facing major investigations or enforcement actions by the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC) and other federal regulators, as well as state attorneys general and securities regulators.
Mr. Fortino brings to the firm extensive government investigative and enforcement experience involving complex securities matters. Most recently, he served as a Senior Trial Counsel in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement where he conducted investigations and litigated enforcement actions involving investment adviser fraud, market manipulation, mismarking, insider trading, and books-and-records violations. Mr. Fortino also served in the SEC’s Complex Financial Instruments Unit where he focused on enforcement matters involving novel hedge fund and proprietary trading strategies, as well as sophisticated investment products, including asset-backed securities and credit default swaps. His cases at the SEC consisted of precedent-setting wins, including settlements with 15 depositary banks and broker-dealers in an industry-wide investigation relating to the handling of American depositary receipts (ADRs).
“Looking ahead, we anticipate enforcement activity levels to remain high as the SEC continues to pursue an aggressive enforcement policy, with new regulations on the horizon,” said Andrew Ceresney, Partner and Co-Chair of the Litigation Department. “As a former colleague of Phil’s both at the SEC and at the firm, I am confident that his deep regulatory experience, exceptional lawyering ability, and litigation skills will make him a formidable asset to our white collar practice and our clients.”
Mary Beth Hogan, Partner and Co-Chair of the Litigation Department added: “In addition to Phil’s government enforcement experience, he is an outstanding trial lawyer who will add even more depth to our overall litigation offering."
Mr. Fortino is the latest SEC veteran to join the firm’s White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group in the last two years, following the arrival of Kristin Snyder, the former deputy director of the SEC Division of Examinations. Prior to joining the SEC, Mr. Fortino was an associate and counsel at Debevoise from 2005 to 2015. He received his J.D. from Columbia Law School in 2005 and his dual M.A. and B.A. in political science from Yale University in 2001.
Debevoise’s award-winning White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group is ranked as one of the world’s top practices by Global Investigations Review and as Band 1 by Chambers on both sides of the Atlantic for its complex representations of clients facing litigation and public policy crises, as well as Band 1 in the U.S. for securities enforcement. Selected by Law360 as a 2021 White Collar Practice Group of the Year and by Benchmark Litigation as the 2022 White Collar Firm of the Year, the group has been involved in some of the most significant investigations, litigations, and resolutions over the past few years, and offers international and domestic clients a depth of experience and global reach that allows for effective and strategic counsel.
Debevoise & Plimpton LLP is a premier law firm with market-leading practices, a global perspective and strong New York roots. We deliver effective solutions to our clients’ most important legal challenges, applying clear commercial judgment and a distinctively collaborative approach.