Steve Korotash

Partner

Steve Korotash directed the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC’s) enforcement efforts in the Southwestern United States for many years as the top enforcement official in the agency’s Texas regional office. During his government career, Steve also served as a federal prosecutor in seven judicial districts throughout the nation, including the District of Columbia and the Eastern District of Virginia. One of only two practicing lawyers in the United States who has served as both a senior enforcement officer with the SEC and a federal prosecutor, Steve uses his experience on both sides of the table to assist clients facing government investigations.

Extended Profile

A member of the Morgan Lewis white collar and securities enforcement teams, Steve represents corporations and regulated entities and their officers and directors in actions involving the SEC, Department of Justice (DOJ), Internal Revenue Service, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and energy and banking regulators. In addition to defending corporate entities and their officers and directors, Steve conducts internal investigations and advises corporate counsel in regard to shareholder litigation and disclosure issues and represents broker-dealers and investment advisers in connection with SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority examinations and actions.

Prior to his selection as an SEC associate director, Steve served as the chief trial lawyer in the SEC’s Texas regional office and as assistant chief litigation counsel in Washington, DC, where he litigated and supervised many significant cases involving Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations, accounting fraud, and insider trading, among others. Steve has significant experience handling matters that involve Texas-based energy companies. His criminal prosecution experience includes first-chaired jury trials for offenses such as securities fraud, healthcare fraud, bank fraud, tax fraud, and those related to the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.

Additionally, Steve served as the congressional liaison for US Attorneys and was an ex-officio member of the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee and its political corruption subcommittee. During his time at DOJ, he also served as chief of the Criminal Division for the General Counsel of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (now US Citizenship and Immigration Services).

The founding co-chair of the University of Texas’s Government Enforcement Institute, Steve was recently, again, voted by his peers as a “Best Attorney in Dallas.” Steve is a frequent speaker on securities enforcement and white collar crime issues at industry, legal, and media-sponsored events.

Selected Representations

Note: This list includes engagements completed prior to joining Morgan Lewis.

Defended a Fortune 500 company in an SEC accounting fraud investigation
Defended the CEO of a publicly traded financial service firm in connection with SEC insider trading investigation
Defended the former Chairman/CEO of a publicly traded exploration company in parallel SEC/DOJ FCPA investigation
Defended a manufacturing firm and its president in DOJ False Claims Act investigation
Defended a CEO of a financial service firm in connection with parallel investigations by the SEC and Justice Department
Defended a publicly-traded manufacturing firm in SEC whistleblower-initiated investigation
Defended the CFO of a publicly traded environmental service firm in a trade secrets investigation by the Department of Justice
Defended the CEO of an energy trading company in a corruption investigation by the Department of Justice
Defended a publicly traded financial service firm in connection with an enforcement investigation by the CFPB
Defended a financial officer of a publicly traded firm in connection with FINRA insider trading investigation
Defended a publicly-traded financial service company in SEC investigation relating to financial disclosures
Defended the chief compliance officer of a national broker-dealer in SEC investigation of supervisory failures
Defended a private equity firm in SEC investigation of its valuation and disclosure practices
Defended a publicly traded financial service firm in connection with SEC accounting fraud investigation
Defended a national broker-dealer and its chief compliance officer in parallel investigations by the SEC and FINRA
Defended a national broker-dealer in SEC investigation involving systemic compliance failures
Defended a registered investment adviser in an SEC investigation of the firm’s asset valuation practices
Defended a corporate officer alleged to have participated in a stock manipulation scheme
Defended individual investors alleged to have received ill-gotten gains in connection with an investment scheme
Conducted an internal investigation for an energy services firm in connection with allegations of FCPA violations
Conducted an internal investigation for a publicly traded fund regarding compliance failures
Conducted an internal investigation for a national broker-dealer regarding technology risk exposure
Conducted an internal investigation for a real estate investment firm in connection with allegations of illegal political contributions

Education

Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M., Securities Regulation
Oklahoma City University School of Law, J.D.
Ripon College, B.A.

Admissions

Texas
US Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit
US District Courts for the Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Districts of Texas
US District Courts for the Northern and Western Districts of Oklahoma