King & Spalding announced that Richard H. Walker, former Director of Enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission who for 14 years served as Global General Counsel of Deutsche Bank, has joined the firm as a partner in the Special Matters & Government Investigations group, resident in the New York office.
Walker, who specializes in crisis management, domestic and cross-border government and internal investigations, corporate governance counseling, and complex financial litigation matters, spent a decade at the SEC (1991-2001), holding three of the agency’s most important positions: Director of the Division of Enforcement, General Counsel, and Regional Director of the Northeast Regional Office, which includes New York. While at the SEC, Walker was awarded the Presidential Rank Distinguished Service Award, the SEC’s Distinguished Service Award, and the Chairman’s Award for Excellence. He left the SEC in 2001 to join Deutsche Bank, and was Global General Counsel and subsequently, Vice-Chairman. He retired from that role last year.
“Dick Walker brings a distinguished record as both a top government enforcement official and a global GC for one of the world’s leading financial institutions. His skills and expertise align perfectly with our Financial Institutions, Government Investigations and Global Disputes areas of focus,” said Robert D. Hays, Jr., chairman of King & Spalding, “and we’re extremely pleased to welcome him to the firm.”
“As the only person to have served the SEC as both Enforcement Director and General Counsel, Dick has vast and invaluable experience in securities regulation and compliance,” said Carmen Lawrence, co-head of King & Spalding’s Securities Enforcement and Regulation practice, and Walker’s former colleague at the SEC. “His solid judgment, exceptional legal skills and integrity further strengthen our ability to advise clients in sophisticated and complex securities law matters, and on a personal note, I am thrilled to be working with him again.”
King & Spalding’s Special Matters & Government Investigations group continues to attract high-profile members following the recent departure of former partner Christopher Wray to become Director of the FBI. In addition to Richard Walker in New York, the group last month added former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois Zachary Fardon, who launched the firm’s Chicago office. Also arriving last month was Los Angeles partner Brian Michael, who led numerous noteworthy prosecutions and trials as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for both the Southern District of New York and the Central District of California. Joining the group in November in London is Gareth Rees QC who was until recently Executive Director of Enforcement and the Executive Counsel at the Financial Reporting Council, the UK’s audit regulator and corporate governance authority.
Edward Kehoe, managing partner of the firm’s New York office, commented on his newest partner. “Dick Walker has a deservedly outsized reputation following his successful tenures at the SEC and Deutsche Bank, along with a former career in private practice. His arrival adds luster to the King & Spalding name in the New York market, where we continue to gain visibility for our corporate and litigation work.” This past spring the New York office welcomed former co-director of J.P. Morgan’s M&A unit James Woolery as head of the firm’s M&A and corporate governance groups.
“I have worked with King & Spalding as a client and am delighted to be joining this wonderful firm. The firm, which has outstanding practice depth, is in the midst of an impressive growth spurt with the addition of new partners to the New York office and firm-wide Special Matters team making this an exciting time to join,” said Walker. “I am looking forward to practicing law again and serving clients with my K&S colleagues in New York, Washington and around the world.”
The team’s chair Wick Sollers said, “We are proud to welcome Dick Walker to our group, our New York office and our firm. He will be a huge asset for our clients, and we all look forward to working with him.”
Walker received his undergraduate degree from Trinity College and his J.D., cum laude, from Temple Law School, and he clerked for the Honorable Collins J. Seitz, former Chief Judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. Prior to joining the SEC, Walker was a litigation partner at a top New York-based law firm.
About King & Spalding
Celebrating more than 130 years of service, King & Spalding is an international law firm that represents a broad array of clients, including half of the Fortune Global 100, with 1,000 lawyers in 20 offices in the United States, Europe, the Middle East and Asia. The firm has handled matters in over 160 countries on six continents and is consistently recognized for the results it obtains, uncompromising commitment to quality, and dedication to understanding the business and culture of its clients. More information is available at www.kslaw.com.
