Louis a member of the firm’s Financial Services & Securities Enforcement Department.
For more than 20 years, Louis has represented financial services firms, corporations, their boards, officers, directors and employees in investigations by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), and state regulatory agencies. Louis also has substantial experience conducting internal investigations and counseling clients on corporate governance and disclosure issues, including strategies for avoiding potential regulatory issues through preventive remedial measures.
Prior to entering private practice, Louis worked in the SEC’s Enforcement Division, where he conducted investigations to evaluate and enforce compliance with the federal securities laws. He also participated in the prosecution of civil and administrative enforcement actions.
Louis regularly speaks and publishes on topics relevant to his practice, including on the firm’s Subject to Inquiry blog,
Experience
- Represented investment adviser in SEC investigation of alleged conflicts of interest relating to selection of asset managers.
- Represented broker-dealer in SEC investigation of alleged unlawful distribution of securities.
- Represented public company in SEC investigation of alleged fraudulent disclosures and pump-and-dump scheme.
- Represented registered representative in SEC and DOJ investigations of alleged abuses involving pre-released ADRs.
- Represented U.S. issuers in SEC and foreign-regulatory investigations of alleged FCPA violations.
- Conducted internal investigation on behalf of broker-dealer relating to disclosure of dark pool trade-routing practices.
- Represented stock exchange in SEC investigation of alleged high-frequency-trading abuses.
- Represented mutual fund independent director in SEC investigation of alleged failures in advisory contract approval practice.
- Represented audit committee chair in SEC investigation of alleged disclosure failures.
- Represented public companies in SEC investigations of alleged insider trading.
- Represented company in the alternative investment arena in connection with investigations by the SEC, DOJ and the trustee for the SIPA liquidation of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC in relation to the Madoff matter.
- Represented public company in SEC and DOJ investigations of alleged securities fraud.
- Represented offshore bank in internal review and SEC investigation of alleged violations of the securities, broker-dealer and investment adviser registration provisions of the federal securities laws.
- Represented financial services firm and registered representative in SEC investigation into the sale of derivatives to school districts.
- Conducted internal investigation on behalf of a public company audit committee in response to allegations of accounting fraud.
- Represented registered representative in SEC investigation of auction rate securities-related issues.
- Represented investment adviser and hedge fund portfolio manager in connection with SEC investigations of alleged market manipulation, gifts and gratuities, insider trading and failure to obtain best execution.
- Advised multi-billion dollar investment advisers in connection with inspections by the SEC’s Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations.
- Represented individual affiliated with U.S.-listed foreign issuer in connection with SEC allegations of insider trading.
- Anti-Bribery & Anti-Corruption (FCPA)
- Bank Defense and Counseling
- Congressional Investigations
- Corporate
- Corporate Governance
- Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)
- Financial Advisory Services
- Government Investigations & White Collar Litigation
- International Investigations & Enforcement
- Private Equity
- Securities Enforcement & Regulatory Counseling
- Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva UniversityJD1997
- Syracuse UniversityBSMarketing1994
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Selected for inclusion in The Best Lawyers In America, Securities Regulation, Woodward/White, Inc., 2023, 2024
Selected for inclusion in “Legal 500 United States,” Securities Litigation: Defense, 2022
- Author, SEC Speaks 2024: In Defense of Enforcement’s Aggressive Agenda, Subject to Inquiry, April 11, 2024
- Author, SEC Issues Risk Alert on Reg BI Deficiencies Identified During Exams, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, February 2, 2023
- Author, SEC Adopts Significant Changes to Securities Exchange Act Rule 10b5-1 and Imposes Related Disclosures, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, December 19, 2022
- Author, SEC Speaks 2022: Ongoing Efforts to Restore Public Trust, Aggressive Enforcement Agenda, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, September 28, 2022
- Author, SEC Onslaught of Proposed Rules Turns Focus to Investment Advisers, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, February 24, 2022
- Author, SEC Speaks 2021: New Enforcement Director Resolves to Restore Public Trust, Empower Staff, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, October 25, 2021
- Author, Congress Affirms and Extends SEC’s Disgorgement Powers, Subject to Inquiry, January 13, 2021
- Author, Still Standing: SEC Disgorgement Survives with Limitations, Subject to Inquiry, June 24, 2020
- Author, SEC and FINRA Officials Speak: Regulators Discuss Enforcement, Regulatory Priorities, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, May 26, 2020
- Author, SEC and FINRA Officials Speak: Regulators Discuss Enforcement, Regulatory Priorities, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, May 26, 2020
- Author, SEC Enforcement Co-Directors Issue Statement on Insider Trading, Subject to Inquiry, March 25, 2020
- Author, The More Things Change, the More They Stay the Same – Joint Statement by FINRA and the SEC on the Customer Protection Rule and Digital Asset Securities, Consumer FinSights, July 9, 2019
- Author, Congressional Investigations: Beyond Sensational Headlines — Incoming House Leaders Announce Broad Investigative Priorities Targeting Business Community, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, December 19, 2018
- Author, SEC Launches Self-Reporting Initiative for Investment Advisers, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, February 14, 2018
- Author, U.S. Supreme Court Rules Time Limits Apply to SEC Disgorgement Orders, Subject to Inquiry, June 6, 2017
- Author, Just Admit It – SEC Requiring Admissions with Increased Frequency, Subject to Inquiry, December 7, 2015
- Author, FY2015 SEC Enforcement Report, Subject to Inquiry, October 28, 2015
- Author, SEC Proposes to Amend Rules Governing Administrative Proceedings, Subject to Inquiry, September 25, 2015
- Author, SEC’s OCIE Issues a Second Cybersecurity Risk Alert, Password Protected, September 22, 2015
- Author, How Does Your Firm Compare? Results from the SEC’s Cybersecurity Examinations, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, February 12, 2015
- Co-author, "Lessons From SEC Focus On Compliance Officers," Law360, August 18, 2014
- Author, SEC Guidance on Liability of Compliance Officers: Lessons from Recent Cases, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, August 13, 2014
- Author, All Relief Sought by SEC Subject to 5-Year Statute of Limitations, Subject to Inquiry, May 21, 2014
- Co-author, "SEC Issues Supervisory Liability Guidance," Insights, Volume 27, Number 11 (November 2013)
- Author, SEC Compliance Initiative: Lessons from the Latest Cases, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, November 12, 2013
- Author, SEC Supervisory Liability FAQs, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, October 15, 2013
- Author, Don’t Sell Yourself Short: Rule 105 Compliance, Subject to Inquiry, September 19, 2013
- Author, In a First, SEC Sanctions Employee for Misleading Chief Compliance Officer, Subject to Inquiry, September 11, 2013
- Author, SEC Requires Admission of Liability in Settlement with Falcone and Harbinger Capital Partners, Subject to Inquiry, August 23, 2013
- Author, Potential Changes to Auditing Standards?, Subject to Inquiry, August 21, 2013
- Author, SEC’s Focus on Municipalities and Municipal Securities Continues, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, July 24, 2013
- Author, Another SEC Enforcement Action Confirms Increased Focus on Municipalities and Municipal Securities, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, May 24, 2013
- Author, During Testimony on SEC’s Budget, Mary Jo White Comments on “No Admit, No Deny” Policy, Subject to Inquiry, May 14, 2013
- Author, Recent SEC Enforcement Actions Demonstrate Increased Focus on Municipalities and Municipal Securities, McGuireWoods Legal Alert, May 7, 2013
- Author, PCAOB Issues First Policy Statement Regarding Treatment of “Extraordinary Cooperation” in Investigations, Subject to Inquiry, May 2, 2013
- Author, The SEC Enforcement Process: Practice and Procedure in Handling an SEC Investigation, BNA, 2011
- Author, "Recent Cases Against Regulated Entities & Individuals," Broker/Dealer Regulation and Enforcement, 2011
- Author, "SEC Enforcement Trends," Enforcement 2011: Multi-Agency Enforcement Efforts in the New Decade, 2011
- Author, "The United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act: Enforcement Trends," The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, 2011
- Author, "SEC Enforcement Developments," 42nd Annual Institute on Securities Regulation, 2010
- Author, "SEC Enforcement Trends," Securities Litigation & Enforcement Institute, 2008
- District of Columbia
- New Jersey
- New York
- Panelist, Government Regulatory and Enforcement Outlook 2022, March 16 & 17, 2022
- Speaker, "What to Expect in SEC and FINRA Enforcement," Mid-2020, What to Expect… A Look Toward the Future, July 15, 2020
- Speaker, "Product Supervision and Hot Topics," Fidelity Broker-Dealer Compliance Roundtable, April 2019
- Panelist, "Understanding the Enforcement Process," UNC School of Law Financial Services Compliance Boot Camp, June 11, 2018
- Speaker, "Reg M Update – Recent Short Selling Cases," SEC Compliance, Disclosure and Enforcement Update, McGuireWoods LLP SEC Practice Complimentary Webinar Series, October 22, 2013
- Speaker, Anti-Corruption Programs for Private Equity Firms, The Knowledge Congress Webinar, October 3, 2013