Recent regulatory developments facing hedge fund managers


Biography: Christopher Pilkerton directs the firm’s litigation practice. Mr. Pilkerton has most recently served as Senior Counsel to the Enforcement Division of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. His responsibilities at the SEC included investigating corporate accounting fraud schemes, hedge fund and penny stock manipulation, international stock swaps, and insider trading among corporate boards and investment trusts. During this time, Mr. Pilkerton worked closely with the New York Stock Exchange, the National Association of Securities Dealers, and several of the securities agencies throughout Europe and South America.

Prior to working at the SEC, Mr. Pilkerton was a trial attorney in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. During his tenure he handled prosecution in an array of criminal matters from narcotics trafficking to white collar crimes, with a focus on money laundering, tax fraud and terrorism inquiries. In addition, he worked closely with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York Police Department in conducting wiretap investigations and jury trials. Mr. Pilkerton has also conducted international financial investigations while working for a private firm under the direction of the former Director of Worldwide Operations for the Central Intelligence Agency.

Mr. Pilkerton’s unique background and industry knowledge enables us to provide comprehensive litigation representation to both private individuals and corporate entities. A Member of the New York State Bar, his legal work in the District of Columbia is limited to proceedings before federal courts and matters concerning federal agencies.

Mr. Pilkerton is a Washington, D.C. native and an active supporter of community involvement. He holds a Masters of Public Affairs from Columbia University in addition to a JD and a Certificate in Public Policy, as awarded by the Catholic University of America. While in law school, he was Executive Editor of the Journal of Contemporary Health Law & Policy and clerked for several federal agencies including the U.S. Department of Justice Divisions of Organized Crime and Racketeering, Office of International Affairs, and the U.S. State Department’s Office of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement. He has authored several articles that have been cited by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the United Nations, and law journals published by Harvard University, among others. Mr. Pilkerton has lectured at universities on the topics of organized crime and international money laundering.

Mr. Pilkerton is active in several professional committees of the American Bar Association including the Young White Collar Crime Attorneys Group, as well as the Montgomery County, MD Committee on Hate and Violence.