Gregory S. Bruch

Gregory S. Bruch represents public companies, audit committees and special committees, broker-dealers, hedge funds and asset managers, accountants and lawyers, and other institutions and individuals in connection with civil and criminal securities law enforcement, compliance and litigation.

Mr. Bruch is recognized as a leading attorney in the area of securities law regulation and white collar defense in the 2007-23 editions of The Best Lawyers in America®; in securities regulation and litigation in the 2006-22 editions of Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business; and is recognized as one of Washingtonian magazine’s “Top Lawyers: Securities” (2011-22). Additionally, he was named by Ethisphere magazine as one of the “2009 Attorneys Who Matter” and was ranked as a “Litigation Star” in Benchmark Litigation (2012-23).

Mr. Bruch has been lead counsel for securities enforcement and related matters for a number of leading companies and financial services firms, including Time Warner Inc., Adelphia Communications Corp., Cablevision Systems Corp., Hain-Celestial Corp., E*Trade Capital Markets, and Van Wagoner Capital Management. Mr. Bruch also maintains an active FCPA practice representing institutions and individuals in counseling and investigations, and served as an independent compliance consultant, corporate monitor, or counsel to the corporate monitor on six major matters.  Mr. Bruch has an active litigation practice, including the representation of the former CFO of Indymac Bancorp and a former senior big 4 accounting partner in civil and criminal proceedings.  In 2010, he led a trial team in obtaining a rare dismissal, following an administrative trial, of charges brought by the SEC Division of Enforcement against a former partner at a Big Four accounting firm.  He has served as lead counsel in connection with securities litigation, including shareholder class actions, derivative actions, and ERISA class actions, against individuals and entities involved in the Delphi Corp., Zale Corp., The Mills Corp., Monster Corp., Biomet Corp., Indymac Bancorp, Capital One Financial, and Agfeed securities litigation proceedings.  Mr. Bruch has served as lead counsel to numerous clients in resolving securities-related charges with the SEC or DOJ, including clients for whom further prosecution has been declined. He frequently counsels investment advisers and broker-dealers during inspections and examinations by securities industry regulators, and is regularly retained by boards and independent directors for special projects involving shareholder demands or other sensitive matters.

Mr. Bruch frequently speaks at conferences, symposia and seminars on securities regulation, financial reporting and disclosure, insider trading and securities offerings, internal investigations, and the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. From 1999 through 2005, Mr. Bruch was an adjunct professor at Georgetown University Law Center, where he taught courses in federal securities law enforcement. Additionally, he has served as a consultant to foreign securities regulators and market participants, including the Russian Federal Securities Commission.

Mr. Bruch served 12 years with the Securities and Exchange Commission Division of Enforcement in Washington, D.C. At the SEC, Mr. Bruch was Staff Attorney, Senior Counsel, Branch Chief and, from 1995 through 2001, Assistant Director.  As Assistant Director, he supervised attorneys who investigated and prosecuted some of the SEC’s most significant financial fraud and broker-dealer cases, as well as cases involving the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, insider trading, market manipulation and public securities offerings.  Mr. Bruch also supervised the Division of Enforcement’s delinquent reporting program, which enforced the periodic reporting obligations of public companies and the beneficial ownership reporting obligations of corporate officers, directors and major shareholders.  In 2000, he received the SEC’s Stanley Sporkin Award in recognition of his contributions to the SEC’s enforcement program.  Prior to co-founding the firm, Mr. Bruch was a partner at Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP, where he served on the Washington Management Committee, and at Foley & Lardner LLP, where he chaired the Securities Litigation, Enforcement & Regulation Practice.

Mr. Bruch is a frequent speaker and panelist, whose speaking engagements include appearances at the Practising Law Institute, The Ray Garrett Institute, the American Conference Institute, Glasser Legalworks, the DC Bar Association, the International Bar Association, the American Bar Association, and the New York City Bar.  He has been quoted in numerous media publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, New York Times, Financial Times, Los Angeles Times, Bloomberg, Reuters, Dow Jones, National Public Radio, CBS Evening News, and Nightly Business Report.

Mr. Bruch was born and raised in Independence, Missouri.  He graduated from Stanford University (AB History, 1982), and from the University of Iowa College of Law (JD with High Distinction, 1985), where he served as the Editor in Chief of the Iowa Law Review and received the Legal Scholarship Award from the law faculty.  Following graduation, Mr. Bruch was a law clerk to the Hon. George E. MacKinnon of the United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit.

Selected Publications

  • “Accounting and Auditing Law” in Elgar Concise Encyclopedia of Corruption Law (forthcoming) (co-author with Diona Howard-Nicolas).
  • “Offering Fraud Investigations,” in SEC Compliance and Enforcement Answer Book (PLI 2016, 2018, 2019) (co-author).
  • “Strict and Stricter: The SEC’s Pursuit of Clawbacks and Control Persons Could Have Serious Consequences for Officers and Directors,” ABA Securities Fraud Institute materials (October 2010) (co-author)
  • “SEC Announces Measures To Encourage Cooperation And Names Specialized Unit Chiefs,” Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (March 2010) (co-author)
  • “SEC Examinations and Enforcement in the Post-Madoff Era,” Securities Litigation Report (October 2009) (co-author with Julie A. Smith)
  • “Special Committees Must Be Fully Independent and Demonstrate a Vigorous Commitment to Protecting the Interests of the Corporation,” Metropolitan Corporate Counsel (Dec. 2008) (co-author).
  • “FCPA Compliance Monitors — A Buyer’s Guide” The Review of Securities and Commodities Regulation (May 2008)
  • “Accounting,” in The OECD Convention on Bribery: A Commentary (Pieth, Low, Cullen, Cambridge University Press 2007) (co-author)
  • “Securities Laws Preclude Application Of Antitrust Laws,” Securities Law360 (June 27, 2007)
  • “Enforcement Practice Before the PCAOB,” The Review of Securities and Commodities Regulation (July 1, 2006)
  • “Protecting the Privilege with Independent Auditors,” Best Practices (June 16, 2005)
  • “The SEC Standards of Professional Conduct: Practicing Law Under the New Regime,” BNA Securities Regulation and Law (March 10, 2003)
  • “SEC Enforcement Investigations: What You Need to Know,” ACC Docket (November/December 2003)