Ira Lee Sorkin is the co-leader of the Firm’s Securities—Litigation, Regulatory, and Compliance and White Collar Criminal Defense & Investigations Practices. Mr. Sorkin focuses his practice on white-collar criminal defense, arbitrations, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement and other regulatory investigations and proceedings, New York Stock Exchange and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA, formerly known as the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD)) defense, and criminal and civil litigation.

PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

From 1984 to 1986, Mr. Sorkin was the Director of the SEC’s New York Office, where he supervised approximately 195 staff members, including lawyers, investigators, examiners, accountants, and clerical personnel. While he was the Director, his staff investigated and prosecuted numerous violations of the federal securities laws, including stock manipulation, insider trading, books and records, mutual funds fraud, sales of unregistered securities, fraud by investment advisors, and other violations of the statutes, rules, and regulations under the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the Investment Advisor Act of 1940.  From 1968 to 1971, he was a trial attorney at the SEC. 

From 1971 to 1976, Mr. Sorkin served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and then Deputy Chief, of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. While an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he prosecuted numerous cases involving conspiracy, narcotics, organized crime, mail fraud, wire fraud, and securities fraud, among other federal violations. Many of the prosecutions occurred while he was a member of Securities Frauds Unit, where he prosecuted violations of the federal securities laws. As Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Mr. Sorkin was responsible for, among other things, approving indictments, authorizing search and arrest warrants and helping formulate policy relating to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.  From 1995 to 1997, he served as the Chief Legal Officer and a Member of the Board of Directors for Nomura Holding America, Inc. and Nomura Securities International, Inc., a member firm of the New York Stock Exchange. 

Mr. Sorkin practiced for many years at Squadron Ellenoff Plesent & Sheinfeld LLP in New York. In 2002, he joined the Wall Street law firm Carter, Ledyard & Milburn LLP as a partner in the litigation practice, focusing on the areas of securities and white-collar defense. 

Mr. Sorkin’s practice includes representing individuals, hedge funds, public and private corporations, registered entities such as broker/dealers and audit committees of public corporations, among other parties, as well as conducting internal investigations. He has testified as an expert witness for major law firms, corporations, and registered entities.

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

Mr. Sorkin is admitted to practice in the state of New York (1970). He is a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, New York County Lawyers Association, The New York Council of Defense Lawyers, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and Association of SEC Alumni. 

Mr. Sorkin is the Chairman of the Board of the American Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a member of the University’s Board of Governors, and a member of the University’s Executive Committee. He also volunteers as a tutor for underprivileged high school students.

PUBLICATIONS

• Co-author, “A Practical Guide to Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002,” Client Advisory, July 2003;
• Author, “Insider Trading Under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act,” Securities Law Techniques, ed. A.A. Sommer, Jr., Chapter 28, 1985 (updated annually);
• Co-author, “An Overview of SEC Investigations,” Practising Law Institute;
• Author, “Disciplinary Actions Before Self-Regulatory Organizations,” Practising Law Institute;
• Author, “Civil RICO in Mail, Wire, Securities, and Commodities Fraud Cases,” Law Journal Seminars-Press;
• Author, “SEC Investigations,” Report of Securities Regulations; and
• Co-author, “Thompson, Holder and Seaboard – Do They Frustrate the Prevention, Discovery and Punishment of Crime?” April 2003. 

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

Mr. Sorkin has lectured for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) since 1981, the American Bar Association, the Practising Law Institute, the Securities Industry Association, the FINRA, the North American State Securities Administrators, and the Department of Justice training seminar for Federal Prosecutors. Most recently he has been invited to become a member of the Delaware State Bar Association Distinguished Speakers Panel, through which he will address bar associations and other non-for-profit legal organizations throughout the country by means of videoconferencing. Over the years, most recently in January 2006, Mr. Sorkin has presented topics such as “Coordinating a Response to Allegations of Financial Fraud” to many audiences, including the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, and the Association of Corporate Counsel. Additionally, he has been a speaker and lecturer on numerous domestic and international panels and seminars relating to white-collar and regulatory defense.

EDUCATION

Mr. Sorkin received his B.A. from Tulane University (1965), and his J.D. from George Washington University (1968).