Gregory Baker has joined Patterson Belknap Webb & Tyler as a Partner in the firm’s Litigation department. Baker will serve as Chair of the Firm’s Securities Litigation practice and will be a member of the White Collar Defense and Investigations group.
A former Senior Counsel for the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with extensive experience investigating and litigating securities laws violations, Baker provides strategic advice to individuals and businesses in financial services and other industries. He serves as a key advisor on investigations and litigation strategy and applies his firsthand knowledge of the SEC to help clients manage risk and achieve positive outcomes in matters led by financial regulators.
Baker served in the SEC’s Division of Enforcement from 2014–2019, most recently as a member of the Asset Management Unit, where he managed investigations and litigations concerning investment advisors, hedge funds, private equity funds, and mutual funds. His matters involved issues such as hedge fund valuations, private equity fee disclosures, compliance violations, market manipulation, performance advertising, insider trading, derivative arbitrage, and accounting. He received four Directors’ Awards from the Division of Enforcement in recognition of his outstanding achievements in investigative work.
Before joining the SEC, Baker spent seven years in private practice at two AmLaw 50 firms, where he focused on a broad range of matters for financial institutions and corporations. Prior to joining Patterson Belknap, he returned to private practice as a partner at a nationally recognised AmLaw 200 law firm where he focused on securities litigation and white collar criminal defense and investigations.
Patterson Belknap Co-Chair and Managing Partner Lisa E Cleary says: “Greg’s joinder presents an exciting opportunity for our Firm. His deep experiences, excellent judgment, and keen instincts in securities litigation and investigations position him to be a natural leader of our Securities Litigation group. We all look forward to seeing him make significant contributions to our practice.”
“Greg is a terrific addition to our Litigation department and we are thrilled to have him lead our Securities Litigation group,” says Patterson Belknap Co-Chair Peter W Tomlinson. “His experience investigating and litigating matters within the SEC’s Division of Enforcement will provide our clients with invaluable insights as they navigate complex securities laws and litigation as a result of regulatory enforcement or shareholder demands.”
Baker earned his JD in 2004 from Columbia Law School where he was a Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar. He received his BA in 2001 from Amherst College. Baker previously served as a law clerk to the Honourable William H Walls of the US District Court for the District of New Jersey.
