Michael J. Osnato, Jr., Former Chief of the Complex Financial Instruments Unit of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, to Join Simpson Thacher

NEW YORK--()--Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP announced today that Michael J. Osnato, Jr., former Chief of the Complex Financial Instruments Unit of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Enforcement Division, will join the Firm as a Partner in the New York office and a member of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice.

In his most recent role at the SEC, Mike led a specialized, nationwide unit of 45 attorneys and industry experts in the SEC’s investigations related to complex financial products and practices involving sophisticated market participants. At the SEC, he also helped lead the Enforcement Division’s national Cooperation Committee, which oversees the SEC’s Cooperation Program for entities and individuals subject to SEC investigation. Mike supervised investigations and litigations involving the structuring, sale, trading and valuation of derivatives, asset-backed securities and other complex securities. Under Mike’s leadership, the SEC’s CFI Unit pioneered several sophisticated analytics tools and software applications. He first joined the SEC’s Enforcement Division in September of 2008 as a staff attorney. Prior to his promotion to Chief of the CFI Unit, he served as Assistant Regional Director in the SEC’s New York Regional Office from 2010 through January 2014, where he supervised a number of prominent financial crisis, accounting fraud and asset management investigations.

“We are pleased to welcome Mike to the Firm,” said Bill Dougherty, Chairman of Simpson Thacher’s Executive Committee. “His extensive experience in high-profile SEC investigations and enforcement actions will be an asset to our talented Government and Internal Investigations Practice, enhancing our ability to assist clients with the complex challenges they face in an evolving regulatory environment.”

“Mike will be a great addition to our bench, which includes other enforcement attorneys, former prosecutors and trial lawyers,” added Jonathan Youngwood, Co-Chair of Simpson Thacher’s Litigation Department. “His substantial experience involving investigations and enforcement proceedings in a wide variety of areas will be extremely valuable to our clients.”

In the SEC’s press release announcing Mike’s departure, Stephanie Avakian, Acting Director of the SEC’s Enforcement Division, commented, “Mike has been an insightful and innovative leader of the Enforcement Division’s unit dedicated to policing complex financial instruments and practices.”

Prior to his tenure at the SEC, Mike was a counsel at Linklaters LLP and an associate at Shearman & Sterling LLP. He received his J.D. in 1997 from Fordham Law School, and his B.A. from Williams College in 1994.

Simpson Thacher’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice represents a wide variety of clients in a broad range of government and internal investigations, regulatory enforcement actions, and designing and implementing corporate compliance programs. Our attorneys advise clients throughout North and South America, Asia, Europe, the Middle East and Africa in matters involving allegations of: securities, accounting and financial fraud; investment advisor fraud; FCPA and anti-corruption violations; criminal bid rigging and price fixing; insurance and healthcare fraud; violations of the False Claims Act and FIRREA; intellectual property theft, computer hacking and data breaches; violations of OFAC and economic sanctions; and money laundering violations.

ABOUT SIMPSON THACHER & BARTLETT LLP

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP (www.simpsonthacher.com) is one of the world’s leading international law firms. The Firm was established in 1884 and has more than 900 lawyers. Headquartered in New York with offices in Beijing, Hong Kong, Houston, London, Los Angeles, Palo Alto, São Paulo, Seoul, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., the Firm provides coordinated legal advice and transactional capability to clients around the globe.

Contacts

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Danzey Burnham, +1-212-455-3509
dburnham@stblaw.com

Contacts

Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP
Danzey Burnham, +1-212-455-3509
dburnham@stblaw.com