K&L Gates : Professionals : Stephen G. Topetzes

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Stephen G. Topetzes	Partner
Washington DC +1.202.778.9328	Fax +1.202.778.9100
stephen.topetzes@klgates.com	Add to Outlook Contacts

Areas of Practice • Representative Experience • Court Admissions • Bar Admissions • Education

Areas of Practice

Mr. Topetzes is a partner in the firm's Washington, D.C. office. His practice is focused on securities enforcement, securities litigation and corporate internal investigations. He regularly represents public companies, boards of directors, broker-dealers, investment advisers, investment companies and individuals in a wide range of matters, including investigations by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the United States Department of Justice (DOJ), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and state securities regulators or attorneys general. He also has extensive experience handling complex securities litigation, including regulatory or disciplinary proceedings, class action lawsuits and arbitrations.

Mr. Topetzes routinely advises clients with respect to government enforcement matters, related private litigation and internal investigations involving:

Corporate disclosure issues
Broker-dealer regulation
Securities sales practice issues
Investment adviser practices and procedures
Accounting irregularities and other financial reporting issues affecting public companies
Alleged insider trading or market manipulation
Conflicts of interest
Claims against corporate officers or directors for breach of duty or other alleged misconduct
Compliance or supervisory issues involving securities firms and issuers

His practice includes frequent representation of accountants and lawyers with respect to regulatory investigations or proceedings and related shareholder claims.

Representative Experience

Defended large, national broker-dealer with respect to claims asserted in multi district litigation proceeding related to mutual fund market timing; motion to dismiss granted and all claims against client were dismissed
Defended clearing broker-dealer and its President in SEC administrative proceeding related to alleged role in improper pricing, alteration of trade tickets and fraud by correspondent securities firm; all claims asserted against clients were dismissed by administrative law judge; an appeal filed by the SEC staff was later rejected by the SEC
Defended senior accounting officer at Fortune 100 company with respect to investigations by the SEC and DOJ regarding revenue recognition and financial disclosures
Defended broker-dealers and investment advisers with respect to multiple investigations by the SEC and FINRA regarding revenue sharing and so-called "shelf space" arrangements involving mutual funds or other products
Played significant role as one of the lawyers representing the bankruptcy examiners appointed with respect to WorldCom and New Century Financial Corporation; participated in key aspects of large investigations of reported accounting irregularities
Represented investment companies in civil litigation involving claims related to impermissible portfolio investments; summary judgment granted in favor of clients by federal district court; ruling in favor of clients was later affirmed by U.S. Court of Appeals
Represented investment adviser to large mutual fund complex and affiliated broker-dealer in shareholder lawsuit alleging excessive fees and improper relationships with securities firms that sold mutual fund shares; obtained dismissal of all claims against clients
Represented corporate CEO with respect to SEC and DOJ investigations regarding propriety of transactions with vendor and distribution of stock to officers of vendor company
Defended numerous broker-dealers and associated persons with respect to "sweeps" by FINRA regarding mutual fund sales practices, sales or exchanges of variable annuities, Form U-4 and Form U-5 reporting, municipal bond trading practices, sales of auction rates securities, and related supervisory issues
Represented large broker-dealer with respect SEC and multiple, coordinated state regulatory investigations or proceedings related to sales of junk bond mutual funds; helped negotiate "global" settlement of regulatory and investor claims

Court Admissions

U.S. Courts of Appeals for the Second, Fourth, Eighth, District of Columbia and Federal Circuits
U.S. District Courts for the District of Colorado, the District of Columbia , and the District of Maryland
District of Columbia Court of Appeals
Supreme Court of Wisconsin

Bar Admissions

Bar of District of Columbia
Bar of Wisconsin

Education

J.D., Georgetown University Law Center (1988)
B.A., University of Minnesota (1985) (summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa)