Luis Mejia, Formerly Chief Litigation Counsel of SEC Enforcement Division, Joins DLA Piper
(Washington, DC) December 7, 2009 - DLA Piper announced today that Luis Mejia has joined the firm’s Securities Enforcement and Litigation practices as a partner in the Washington, DC office. Mejia formerly served as Chief Litigation Counsel, Division of Enforcement, at the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he supervised the commission’s nationwide litigation program and assisted in planning and directing the SEC’s enforcement efforts.
“Lou has compiled a notable winning record in Federal District Court trials and in Administrative Proceedings. He understands the intricacies of securities law, as well as the internal processes of the SEC. He is a highly regarded attorney and we welcome him to the firm,” said Bob Mathias, Joint Global Leader and US Chair of DLA Piper’s Litigation practice.
Mejia joins DLA Piper at a time when the global financial crisis is likely to expose suspect conduct by participants in the financial markets including issuers, financial institutions, investment advisors, hedge funds and private equity funds. Novel efforts by public companies to meet earnings targets and analyst expectations in difficult economic times may draw the scrutiny of government regulators, and the potential range of targets will be global. In the first six months of 2009, the SEC brought 45 percent more enforcement actions than in the comparable period in 2008, and that activity level is expected to continue.
“In addition to his significant trial experience, Lou will be able to provide our clients with insight on the SEC’s conduct from a compliance, enforcement and policy perspective. We are entering a period of intense enforcement, due to the significant wealth loss of the last two years and the SEC’s need to re-establish itself as an effective enforcement oversight body, and Lou’s knowledge will be particularly valuable during this demanding time,” added Rusty Conner, Managing Partner of DLA Piper’s Washington, DC office.
About Luis Mejia
At the SEC, Mejia managed a 50-person litigation group in Washington, DC and assisted with the supervision of 75 trial attorneys in the regional offices of the SEC. He has a successful track record managing the SEC’s nationwide litigation program, including an 80 percent winning record in federal district court litigation.
Prior to joining the SEC in 1999, he was a partner at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer & Feld LLP in Washington, DC where he served as trial counsel in a number of significant matters.
A frequent lecturer on issues relating to securities laws and enforcement, Mejia earned a B.A. from San Diego State University and a J.D. from George Washington University.
About DLA Piper (www.dlapiper.com)
DLA Piper has more than 50 former prosecutors and government lawyers defending clients in securities litigation and assisting in formal and informal government investigations, enforcement proceedings, congressional and grand jury investigations and criminal trials.
DLA Piper has 3,500 lawyers in 29 countries and 67 offices throughout the US, UK, Continental Europe, Middle East and Asia. In certain jurisdictions, this information may be considered attorney advertising.
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