Venable LLP is pleased to announce that Daniel Hayes has joined the firm as a partner in the Investigations and White Collar Defense Practice in the Chicago office. Mr. Hayes is an experienced trial attorney whose practice will focus on representing clients in government enforcement actions and investigations, internal corporate investigations, securities class actions, and other business disputes. As both a government attorney and commercial litigator in private practice, Mr. Hayes has more than 25 years of combined experience prosecuting and defending complex financial and commercial disputes.
Mr. Hayes was with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) from 2010 to 2023, where he served as supervisory trial counsel and senior trial counsel. During his tenure, Mr. Hayes led the prosecution of a wide variety of SEC enforcement actions in U.S. district courts and in SEC administrative proceedings throughout the country. Most recently, Mr. Hayes was co-head of the trial unit in the SEC’s Chicago Regional Office (CHRO). In that role, he helped manage all enforcement actions prosecuted by the CHRO, and he served as a member of the national trial unit management team that directly reported to and consulted with SEC Enforcement Division senior leadership on litigation, trial, and settlement strategies and practices. Before joining the SEC, Mr. Hayes was a litigation partner at a large national law firm, where he represented individuals and businesses in commercial litigation in both state and federal courts and in arbitration proceedings.
Warren Hamel, chair of the firm’s Investigations and White Collar Defense Practice, said, “Dan is a well-respected attorney who has years of experience working with the government and knows the ins and outs of how to navigate complex issues that clients face. His knowledge and background will add tremendous value to our capabilities as we continue to build upon our practice.”
“Dan has built an impressive trial record both at the SEC and in private practice, and we are excited to incorporate his prosecutorial and defense experience into our growing team of talented attorneys here in Chicago and nationally as well,” said Michael Morkin, partner-in-charge of the firm’s growth and expansion plans.
Commenting on his move to Venable, Mr. Hayes said, “Venable’s reputation for providing exceptional legal representation for its clients on complex matters is well known. That certainly was a big reason why I chose Venable. But, equally important to me, is the fact that Venable sits at the top of the legal profession for its firm culture. I want to work with outstanding lawyers and legal professionals who are also great people, and that pretty much defines Venable.”
Mr. Hayes received his J.D., magna cum laude, from the University of Notre Dame Law School and his B.A. in political science from Boston College.
Venable LLP is an American Lawyer Global 100 law firm headquartered in Washington, DC that serves as primary counsel to a worldwide clientele of large and mid-sized organizations, nonprofits, high-net-worth entrepreneurs, and other individuals. With more than 850 professionals across the country, in California, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, New York, Virginia, and Washington, DC, the firm strategically advances its clients’ objectives in the United States and around the globe. Venable advises clients on a broad range of business and regulatory law, legislative affairs, complex litigation, and the full range of intellectual property disciplines. For more information, please visit https://www.venable.com/.
