Dentons, the world’s largest law firm, announces today that David Kornblau, a leading Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) enforcement practitioner, has joined the Firm as a partner and will reside in its New York office.
Kornblau defends clients in sensitive and complex regulatory investigations, internal investigations and securities litigation, both in the US and across the globe. Prior to joining Dentons, he chaired the securities enforcement practice of his prior firm, and is a 10-year veteran of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, where he served as a trial lawyer and Chief Litigation Counsel. For the past decade, Kornblau has been ranked by Chambers as a leading Nationwide Securities Enforcement practitioner (band 3), and has also been named by Benchmark Litigation as a National Practice Area Star and by the Legal 500 for Securities and Financial Services. Clients praise his “excellent judgment and perfect diplomatic touch with regulators.”
“David possesses unqualified credibility with our regulators and enjoys great respect and confidence at all levels of our company,” said Stephen M. Merkel, Executive Managing Director, General Counsel, and Secretary of Cantor Fitzgerald L.P.
“We are thrilled to welcome David to our growing team, and to build upon the Firm’s demonstrated strength in the financial services sector,” said Sandra Hauser, head of the Dentons US Commercial Litigation practice. “David’s addition will particularly benefit our securities and commodities regulatory practice, and our clients around the world who may be facing scrutiny from the SEC or other US government agencies. Helping clients navigate serious Government investigations is where David excels.”
Kornblau frequently persuades government investigators to close their investigations quietly, without taking any action against his clients. For example, he recently defended a public company board member in an insider trading investigation by the SEC, which closed the investigation without bringing any charges. He is also skilled at negotiating favorable settlements, such as a complex global settlement terminating five separate SEC investigations of the New York Stock Exchange. And when the Government’s demands are unreasonable, his decades of litigation experience enable him to defend his clients fiercely in court.
In addition to his commercial practice, Kornblau is committed to serving his community through pro bono efforts. Most recently, he argued and won a landmark ruling from the New York Appellate Division establishing a defendant’s right to an evidentiary hearing on applications for temporary orders of protection in the New York State Criminal Courts.
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