Kiran Somashekara

Kiran V. Somashekara represents financial services clients throughout the country in complex regulatory investigations and enforcement actions initiated by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and state securities regulators, and in securities litigation and arbitration.

Kiran has served as lead counsel on dozens of internal investigations and counsels firms and individuals on compliance with industry rules, supervision, best practices, enhancements to policies and procedures and regulatory reporting obligations.

Kiran’s experience includes serving as counsel for broker-dealers, banks and registered representatives in the areas of regulatory investigations and enforcement, customer arbitrations, internal investigations, employment counseling and litigation and expungement actions.

His general commercial litigation practice involves representation of business entities in various commercial disputes in federal and state courts. Kiran served as a law clerk to the Honorable Stephen Skillman, Presiding Judge of the Superior Court of New Jersey, Appellate Division.

EXPERIENCE :

• Representation of a bank and affiliated broker-dealer in an investigation of securities-based lending practices
• Representing a broker dealer in a regulatory investigation concerning the identification and escalation of customer complaints
• Representation of a bank and affiliated broker-dealer in parallel U.S. Department of Labor and FINRA investigations into an allegedly fraudulent investment scheme
• Representation of a broker-dealer in parallel FINRA and state investigations into unauthorized trading and investments made with the proceeds of non-purpose loans
• Representation of a broker-dealer in SEC and FINRA investigations into potential insider trading of low-priced securities
• Representation of a broker-dealer in regulatory investigation of billing practices and sales literature relating to fee-based account platforms
• Representation of broker-dealers in recruiting disputes, including applications for injunctive relief, arbitrations, related employment claims and promissory note disputes
• Consulting with and advising registered investment advisers on registration, sales and marketing materials and general regulatory and compliance issues.

Education :

• The George Washington University Law School, JD, with honors, 2003
• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, BA, with high honors, 1999

Admissions :

• New Jersey
• New York
• U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey
• U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

Affiliations :

• American Bar Association
• New Jersey State Bar Association
• New York State Bar Association
• Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Compliance & Legal Section