McGuireWoods continues the expansion of its securities enforcement and litigation team with the arrival of Washington, D.C., partner Brian J. Baltz, a former Securities and Exchange Commission attorney with significant experience in regulatory issues that cut across financial institution clients’ broker-dealer, investment adviser and bank fiduciary businesses.
Baltz advises clients on business and regulatory issues at the intersection of differing federal and state regulatory schemes that impact their business models, including federal and state securities laws, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency rules governing bank fiduciaries and laws governing retirement account fiduciaries. He joins McGuireWoods from another international law firm.
Baltz previously held multiple positions in the SEC’s Division of Trading and Markets. While at the SEC, he played an active role in the agency’s deliberations over the harmonization of broker-dealer and investment adviser regulations (which ultimately led to the SEC’s adoption of Regulation Best Interest) and issues impacting retirement accounts, as well as the SEC’s adoption of regulations impacting municipal advisers.
“Brian’s broad experience and skill set will enhance our powerful securities enforcement and litigation capabilities,” said Dion Hayes, McGuireWoods’ deputy managing partner for litigation.
Baltz’s move to McGuireWoods follows the recent addition of D.C. partner John Ayanian to the firm’s broker-dealer regulatory counseling practice.
“Brian is a perfect fit for our growing team,” said E. Andrew Southerling, co-chair of the firm’s securities enforcement and litigation group. “Our broker-dealer and investment adviser clients will greatly benefit from his experience navigating complex and novel regulatory and enforcement issues impacting their businesses.”
McGuireWoods’ securities enforcement and litigation group counsels and defends clients involved in leading-edge regulatory issues confronting financial institutions, public companies and senior executives. The team leverages significant insight from prior posts inside the SEC, FINRA and the Department of Justice, as well as private practice, to provide clients with innovative and pragmatic counsel in regulatory investigations, enforcement proceedings and litigation, or when faced with corporate crises.
“Our clients will benefit from Brian’s unique insight on a wide range of business and regulatory issues confronting the securities industry,” said partner William E. Goydan, head of the firm’s broker-dealer and investment adviser group.
McGuireWoods’ securities enforcement and litigation group and its broker-dealer and investment adviser counseling practice, which include former government insiders and senior in-house counsel, work hand-in-hand to assist clients in regulatory compliance, examinations and investigations.
“McGuireWoods has a deep and talented team of former government insiders, in-house counsel and accomplished litigators guiding clients through complicated issues confronting the securities industry,” Baltz said. “I am excited to collaborate with this outstanding team and put my experience to work for our clients.”