Former SEC Senior Counsel rejoins DC enforcement and litigation practice; represents clients in full range of federal and state securities and regulatory matters
Washington, DC – May 11, 2016 – Venable LLP announced that experienced securities enforcement and regulatory attorney George Kostolampros, a former senior counsel with the Securities and Exchange Commission, has rejoined the firm as a partner in Washington, DC.
Mr. Kostolampros arrives from Dentons, where he was also a partner. He represents public companies as well as officers and directors in investigations and prosecutions by federal and state enforcement and regulatory agencies. He has extensive experience advising boards of directors – including audit committees – along with broker-dealers, hedge funds and asset managers, financial professionals, and attorneys in securities-related cases.
In addition to enforcement work, Mr. Kostolampros represents clients in civil securities matters and other business disputes, including class actions involving shareholder disputes, False Claims Act claims, breach of contract, and other litigation. Besides having a strong hand in SEC cases, he is a veteran of proceedings involving FINRA and other self-regulatory bodies, as well as cases brought by state attorneys general offices. He also regularly counsels clients on implementing corporate governance and compliance programs.
Prior to his first tour at Venable from 2007-13, Mr. Kostolampros served three years as senior counsel in the SEC. He investigated numerous violations of federal securities laws, including accounting irregularities, improper mutual fund trading, and market manipulation. He also handled corruption cases, including alleged violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and other business crimes. He was accustomed to working closely with other federal and state agencies, including the Department of Justice and various regional U.S. Attorney offices, as well as state AG offices.
At Venable, Mr. Kostolampros joins a strong litigation and investigations group comprised of a number of former prosecutors and enforcement attorneys at the state and federal level, including those with backgrounds at the U.S. Treasury, SEC and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
"We're thrilled to welcome George back to the firm – his experience in handling high-stakes enforcement and investigative matters remains invaluable and he has continued to add to his arsenal on the civil side of litigation," said Geoffrey Garinther, who chairs Venable's Litigation Division. "After several years of relative quiet, securities litigation is showing a pronounced uptick and we’re in a stronger position to support our clients in these types of cases with George back on our team. We expect to see him active on private class actions as well as in matters stemming from the government, and his white collar skills are invaluable."
Mr. Kostolampros commented on his return: "Venable has continued to build out its litigation and enforcement platforms in recent years and boasts one of the deepest trial benches in Washington. The firm understands the urgencies and complexities associated with securities cases, whether prompted by a civil shareholder case or a government knock at the door. Companies, executives and boards are also dealing with new standards of criminality related to business conduct. I’m excited at my homecoming and looking forward to helping Venable clients navigate the new normal in securities enforcement and business litigation."
Mr. Kostolampros received his J.D. from Widener University School of Law and his B.A. from Syracuse University.
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