Steve is a former Assistant United States Attorney who has tried seventeen federal jury trials to verdict, several of which lasted multiple months, and Steve has argued twelve appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Steve represents companies, their executives, and others confronted with regulatory investigations, fraud litigation, and state and local prosecutions including matters before the U.S. Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and the Federal Trade Commission.  Steve also conducts internal investigations relating to allegations of securities and regulatory compliance violations and allegations of misconduct by whistleblowers.

Steve leverages his extensive experience to guide clients through civil and criminal regulatory matters from early investigation stages through litigation, trial, and appeal.  He is among a select group of defense attorneys nationwide with experience as a federal prosecutor with the DOJ and with the Division of Enforcement at the SEC, as well as trial experience as both a prosecutor and defense attorney.

Steve’s recent clients include leading roles representing:

* Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, former President of Theranos, Inc., against the DOJ and the SEC, including role as one of three lead defense counsel in a four-month criminal jury trial in the Northern District of California

* CEO of electric vehicle company Canoo, Inc. related to allegations of securities fraud by the SEC in connection with a SPAC combination and de- SPAC IPO

* Registered investment adviser with $3+ billion AUM in an investigation by the DOJ (E.D.N.Y.)

* Global financial services provider with $2+ trillion AUM related to internal surveillance and compliance matters

* Artificial intelligence lab with an $18+ billion valuation in an investigation by the DOJ related to the collapse of digital currency exchange FTX

* Commercial real estate lender and registered investment adviser in an investigation by the DOJ (W.D. TX) related to Texas real estate developer Natin “Nate” Paul

* Nationwide publicly traded media company in an internal investigation related to whistleblower allegations of misconduct in connection with a merger transaction

BACKGROUND

Partner and Of Counsel at AMLAW 100 law firms Davis Wright Tremaine LLP and Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP from 2019 to 2024

Assistant United States Attorney, Central District of California, from 2004 to 2019

* Deputy Chief of the Major Frauds Section from 2011 to 2019

* Member of the Attorney General’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force

* Supervised the DOJ Healthcare Fraud Task Force in the C.D. CA

Securities and Exchange Commission, Division of Enforcement, from 1998 to 2004

* Founding member of the Office of Internet Enforcement

UCLA School of Law, J.D., 1998

* Managing Editor of the UCLA Law Review

University of California Berkeley, 1994

* B.A. Political Science.