Paul Hastings Continues White Collar Expansion with Addition of SEC Enforcement Partners

July 11, 2016

Los Angeles —Paul Hastings LLP, a leading global law firm, announced today that Thomas Zaccaro and Nicolas Morgan have joined the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice as partners in the Los Angeles office. They and their team join from Zaccaro Morgan LLP, an SEC enforcement boutique that Mr. Zaccaro and Mr. Morgan co-founded in 2015 to focus on high-stakes complex civil litigation, SEC and other government investigations and defense, white collar criminal defense, and internal investigations.
“Tom spent many years here as a successful partner before starting his own firm with Nick. We’re very happy both that Tom is rejoining us and that Nick will be a partner here as well,” said Barry Sher, global chair of the firm’s Litigation practice. “They are real leaders in their field, and their addition highlights Paul Hastings’ continued investment in the Litigation practice and attraction of top partners with experience in key areas, including investigations and white collar defense,” he added.

“This preeminent SEC enforcement defense team adds even greater depth to our national and global white collar practice,” said Ken Breen, global chair of the Investigations and White Collar Defense practice. “With this West Coast white-collar expansion, along with our established leading practices in New York, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere, we are especially well-positioned to help clients in DOJ and SEC investigations and actions wherever they arise,” he added.

Thomas Zaccaro

Mr. Zaccaro focuses his practice on civil, commercial, and criminal litigation in state and federal courts with a special emphasis on defending corporations and executives in government investigations, and other criminal and regulatory proceedings. His representations also include general securities litigation, class actions, and shareholder derivative suits.

Mr. Zaccaro was a longtime partner at Paul Hastings. He had an extremely successful track record defending the interests of corporations; corporate officers and directors; business owners; and individuals in government investigations, and criminal and regulatory proceedings.

Earlier in his legal career, Mr. Zaccaro was the Chief Trial Counsel of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Pacific Regional Office, where he was responsible for the management and supervision of all enforcement litigation conducted within the Pacific Region. During his tenure with the SEC, Mr. Zaccaro often served as lead counsel in enforcement actions involving violations of the federal securities laws, including financial fraud, accounting fraud, insider trading, offering fraud, Ponzi schemes, and sales of unregistered securities. Mr. Zaccaro also served as an assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York and as a Trial Attorney at the Department of Justice, Organized Crime and Racketeering Section.

Nicolas Morgan

Mr. Morgan focuses his practice on complex securities litigation in state and federal courts and representations involving government investigations and white-collar crime allegations levied against individuals and businesses. In the course of his practice, he routinely represents securities issuers, company officers and directors, investment funds, analysts, and brokers in connection with SEC and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) investigations, litigation, and arbitration. Mr. Morgan also counsels public companies, funds, and broker-dealers on securities compliance and corporate governance; conducts internal investigations; and assists in regulatory examinations initiated by the SEC’s Division of Corporate Finance and Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations.

Mr. Morgan was a longtime partner at DLA Piper LLP where he was the West Coast Chair of the Securities Enforcement Group and managed a myriad of securities investigations, and related arbitrations and litigation. He was previously attorney senior trial counsel in the SEC’s Enforcement Division. During his time there, Mr. Morgan served as lead counsel on a wide variety of litigated matters including prosecution of insider trading, investment adviser fraud, revenue recognition fraud, broker/dealer fraud, mutual fund market timing, and market manipulation. Mr. Morgan also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of California.

Also joining Paul Hastings from Zaccaro Morgan are Of Counsel Sam Puathasnanon and associates Peter Brejcha, Jenifer Q. Doan and Kyle Jones. Before joining Zaccaro Morgan, Mr. Puathasnanon was a senior trial counsel with the SEC’s Los Angeles office.

The arrival of Mr. Zaccaro and Mr. Morgan follows the addition of a high-profile team in Washington, D.C. in 2015 from Squire Patton Boggs that included Robert Luskin, Kwame Manley, John S. (Jay) Darden, and Jamie Gardner.

At Paul Hastings, our purpose is clear — to help our clients and people navigate new paths to growth. With a strong presence throughout Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the U.S., Paul Hastings is recognized as one of the world’s most innovative global law firms.