
Greg dedicates his practice to representing individuals and companies nationally and internationally in all phases of complex civil litigation, white-collar prosecutions, and regulatory matters. He has achieved many notable and landmark victories for clients. His success in regulatory defense includes a rare defeat of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in a high-profile securities fraud prosecution, which was widely reported in the press. His success in private securities litigation includes securing an $80.8 million consequential damages award for a corporate client in a FINRA arbitration, which is the largest such award in FINRA’s history and, at the time, the largest reported consequential damages award or verdict in the United States.
From 1999 through 2005, Greg spearheaded high-profile investigations and litigation as senior counsel in the Division of Enforcement at the SEC. Notably, he led the SEC’s landmark investigation of AOL Time Warner, which resulted in a $300 million civil penalty (which, at that time, was the second-largest penalty in history for financial reporting violations). The Los Angeles Times published a feature article about Greg in which defense lawyers in the AOL Time Warner matter described him as a “smart, fair, and intensely methodical lawyer” who is “well organized.”
In recognition of his achievements on behalf of clients, Greg has been designated a “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation and AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell. He regularly speaks at professional functions and roundtables concerning securities laws and complex litigation issues.
Greg also teaches securities regulations as an adjunct professor at the University of Baltimore School of Law. Further, he serves as Chair of the Business Law Section of the Maryland State Bar Association.
Representative Experience
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
Securities Litigation & Enforcement
- Represented senior U.S. investment banker in parallel SEC and DOJ investigations concerning potential FCPA violations arising out of Asian operations.
- Represented trader in an SEC administrative action concerning alleged naked short selling in violations of Reg SHO and Exchange Act Rule 10b-21.
- Represented hedge fund and hedge fund adviser in an SEC investigation concerning potential false performance reporting, insider trading, and market manipulation.
- Represented financial adviser in an SEC investigation concerning potential insider trading and market manipulation.
- Represented investment adviser in an investigation by the Securities Division of Maryland Attorney General’s office.
- Represented private equity fund advisers in an SEC investigation concerning fiduciary issues related to fund fee allocations.
- Represented financial services professionals and firms in multiple SEC and FINRA investigations relating to potential accounting fraud and insider trading.
- Represented attorney in parallel SEC, CFTC, and DOJ investigations, civil actions, and criminal prosecutions concerning a suspected Ponzi scheme.
- Represented multiple register representatives of broker-dealers in several investigations by FINRA concerning suspected improper sales practices.
- Represented CEO in SEC civil enforcement action brought in federal court alleging accounting fraud.
- Represented financial institution and several executives in an SEC investigation and enforcement action concerning alleged violations of MSRB rules.
- Represented cell phone company in an arbitration against its broker-dealer alleging fraud in connection with corporate cash management.
- Represented institutional consultants in federal court TRO proceeding concerning alleged violations of non-solicitation agreements and Protocol for Broker Recruiting and follow-on FINRA arbitration concerning same allegations.
- Represented financial services firm in FINRA arbitration alleging fraud, failure to supervise, and other sales practice abuses.
Government Enforcement
- Represented client in investigations by the Maryland Insurance Commission.
- Represented business in litigation brought by the U.S. Department of Energy concerning energy efficiency regulations.
Business Litigation
- Represented several executives of a public company in a shareholder derivative lawsuit.
- Represented independent board members of publicly listed bank in shareholder derivative lawsuit.
- Represented partner in partnership dispute.
- Represented businesses in disputes concerning business torts, including misappropriation of trade secrets, unfair competition, and patent infringement.
Professional & Civic Engagement
- University of Baltimore School of Law, Adjunct Professor
- Maryland State Bar Association, Business Law Section, Chair
- Maryland State Bar Association, Business Law Section, Committee on Securities Laws, Co-Chair
- Maryland Attorney Grievance Commission, Peer Review Committee, Member
- Northwest Hospital, A LifeBridge Health Center, Board of Directors, Member
- Association of Securities and Exchange Commission Alumni, Lifetime Member
- Serjeants Inn, Member and Past Master Serjeant
- Bar Association of Baltimore City, Member
Honors & Awards
- Recognized as a “Litigation Star” by Benchmark Litigation, 2013 – Present
- AV Preeminent® Peer Review Rated by Martindale-Hubbell
Thought Leadership
Publications & Presentations
- “Practitioners’ Insights on Eastland Food and Its Impact on Stockholder Derivative Actions,” Maryland State Bar Association Legal Summit (June 6, 2024)
- “Introduction to SEC v. Pariuwat: Understanding ‘Shadow’ Insider Trading,” Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance (April 29, 2024)
- “Naked But Not Afraid: Short Seller’s Unlikely Win in Unconstitutional SEC Proceedings,” Serjeants Inn (September 2020)
- "Securities Law Overview – Traps for the Unaware," Advanced Business Law Institute, Business Law Section, Maryland State Bar Association (November 2020)
- "State Court Receiverships," Annual Meeting of The American College of Business Court Judges (October 30, 2020)
- “Illegal Insider Trading: Advising Clients on the Law and Dealing with Government Investigations,” Advanced Business Law Institute, Business Law Section, Maryland State Bar Association (2017)
- “By Popular Demand: New Crowdfunding Rules and the Tantalizing Alternative of Regulation A+,” Advanced Business Law Institute, Business Law Section, Maryland State Bar Association (2016)
- “Front Seat in the Emotional Rollercoaster of a Bet-The-Business Case,” Serjeants Inn (March 7, 2012)
- “Using Technology that Won an $80.8 Million Arbitration Award to Build and Present Your Case,” Milton Talkin Lecture (April 4, 2012)
- “Maryland’s High Court Misconstrues CGL to Cover Economic Loss Caused by Negligent Misrepresentation,” 27 U.Balt. L. Rev. 189 (1997)
- “Law Survey: Court of Appeals of Maryland,” 1995-96, 26 U.Balt. L. Rev. 1 (1996) (co-author)
Media Mentions
- “In Rare Ruling, SEC Throws Out Own Short-Selling Fraud Case,” The Wall Street Journal (August 19, 2016)
- “SEC clears Pikesville man of fraud charges,” The Baltimore Sun (August 22, 2016)
- “SEC vacates securities fraud violations levied against Pikesville man,” The Daily Record (August 19, 2016)
- “Maryland Law Firm Leverages CaseMap® to Help Firm Win $80 Million Arbitration Award for Client,” CaseMap Suite Case Study
- “UBS to Pay $81 Million in Auction-Rate Case,” The Wall Street Journal (August 5, 2010)
- “Telos wins key ruling; shareholder derivative claims dismissed,” The Daily Record
- “SEC makes inroads against financial spam,” USA Today (October 4, 2007)
- “Indicted CFO sues U.S. Food,” Baltimore Business Journal (June 5, 2006)
- “ChoicePoint Signals Stepped-Up Probe,” The Los Angeles Times
- “AOL Probe a Test of Nerves,” The Los Angeles Times (July 3, 2003)