WASHINGTON, February 27, 2006— LAWFUEL – The Law News Network – Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP announced today that Russell Duncan, a litigator from the Securities and Exchange Commission, has joined the firm’s Washington, D.C., office as Orrick continues to expand its securities litigation and enforcement practice.
Duncan is the second high-profile litigator in seven months to join the firm’s D.C. office and the second Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel in 16 months to join from the elite Trial Unit of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement. Underscoring the firm’s commitment to growing its East Coast securities litigation practice, Orrick partner Reece Bader, a leading lawyer in the field, has transferred to the firm’s D.C. office.
“Russell is a highly talented litigator who deepens our SEC practice in D.C.,” said Michael Torpey, who chairs Orrick’s securities litigation practice. “His insight into the Commission’s and staff’s current views on emerging issues is invaluable to our clients and provides us with an important competitive advantage.”
“Over the past couple years, Orrick has sent strong signals in the industry that it is serious about building a preeminent national securities litigation practice,” said Duncan. “The firm’s progress to date is impressive, and I am excited to contribute to its continued success.”
During his three-year tenure at the SEC, Duncan has handled a number of cases involving accounting fraud, insider trading, broker-dealer violations and other issues. Most recently, he was the first-chair trial attorney in SEC v. Johnson, a hard-fought, two-week jury trial in the Southern District of New York, resulting in a verdict for the SEC against a former Robertson Stephens research analyst who was found to have published research contrary to his privately held beliefs. Duncan also worked on a securities fraud case filed by the SEC against anti-virus software maker McAfee, Inc., which agreed to pay $50 million to settle the claims.
Prior to joining the SEC, Duncan was in private practice, except for the years 1985-1994, when he served as Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia, and 1982-1983, when he was a clerk for the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court. Duncan earned an A.B., magna cum laude, from Harvard College in 1978. He received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School in 1982.
Growth of Orrick’s Securities Litigation Practice
Orrick has been aggressively growing a national securities litigation practice over the past 18 months, both organically and through high-profile lateral hires. Earlier this month, the firm announced the promotion of securities litigator Penelope Graboys Blair to partner in the firm’s San Francisco office. In October, the D.C. office welcomed James Meyers, who previously had been Assistant Chief Litigation Counsel in the Division of Enforcement at the SEC. In early 2005, Susan Resley joined the firm’s Silicon Valley office from DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary. The securities litigation team experienced its biggest growth in the summer of 2004 when a 24-lawyer team—most of them securities litigators—joined Orrick on the West Coast from Clifford Chance. Integrated with the firm’s securities litigation practice, is a highly respected white collar group that includes four former Assistant U.S. Attorneys in San Francisco, New York and Washington, D.C.
About Orrick
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP is an international law firm with approximately 800 lawyers in North America, Europe, and Asia. The firm focuses on litigation, complex and novel finance, and innovative corporate transactions. Orrick clients include Fortune 100 companies, major industrial and financial corporations, commercial and investment banks, high-growth companies, governmental entities, start-ups, and individuals. The firm’s 16 offices are located in New York, Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Orange County, Pacific Northwest, Hong Kong, London, Milan, Moscow, Paris, Rome, Taipei, and Tokyo.
