William K. Dodds

William K. (“Ned”) Dodds, who served as global co-chair of the firm’s white collar and securities litigation group for over a decade, focuses his securities practice on defense of public and private companies, financial institutions, officers and directors, and professionals in securities fraud class actions, derivative and corporate governance litigation, SEC proceedings, and enforcement proceedings commenced by FINRA, state attorneys general, and other regulators. In the 2012 edition of Benchmark Litigation, Mr. Dodds was recommended as a New York Litigation Star in white-collar crime.

Mr. Dodds has tried class actions and other securities matters in federal and state courts, before various arbitration panels and before professional disciplinary panels. He has also led internal investigations for public companies and investment entities relating to potential violations of both U.S. law and foreign regulations.

In recent years, Mr. Dodds has represented numerous investment advisors, fund boards, and professionals in the mutual fund and broker-dealer community in handling litigation, SEC and state enforcement matters, and internal investigations relating to valuation, excessive fees, disclosure, market timing, late trading, revenue sharing, and breakpoint discount issues, among others.

Significant Representations

Mr. Dodds’ work as lead defense counsel in current class action and complex commercial litigation matters have included:

• representation of a large mutual fund investment complex in a putative class and derivative actions relating to disclosure of risks relating to real estate securitized assets;
• defense of the parent corporation of a hedge fund manager that advised a number of the largest Madoff feeder funds in class actions and individual claims filed across the country alleging securities and common law fraud;
• defense of approximately 20 major mutual funds complexes, among others, in connection with two separate sets of fraudulent conveyance actions seeking, in each instance, the clawback of billions of dollars paid to investors in connection with LBO transactions preceding the bankruptcy of the acquired entity;
• representation of a major high technology company in putative securities fraud class actions involving accounting and internal control issues;
• representation of a major investment manager in connection with fee and disclosure issues relating to foreign currency exchange transactions;
• defense of an investment management company in putative ERISA class and individual actions arising out of losses allegedly incurred as a result of investment in offshore structured investment vehicles; and
• defense of a major mutual fund complex in MDL putative class actions relating to alleged failures to disclose risks associated with municipal bonds and associated derivatives.

Other recent representations include representation of hedge funds in connection with domestic and foreign disputes with regulators, defense of the chairman of the audit committee of a federally-charted mortgage lending entity in related matters arising out of a massive financial restatement, representation of a major international technology company, its board and senior management in class and derivative litigation arising from a Pulitzer-prize winning article regarding alleged backdating of stock options, and defense of directors against breach of fiduciary duty charges relating to the insolvency of a major insurance company.

In addition to experience in securities and corporate governance litigation, Mr. Dodds is frequently called upon to provide advice to senior management, boards and board committees on issues of corporate governance, litigation exposure and regulatory issues.

Education

University of Wisconsin - Madison, B.A., 1975, with honors
New York University School of Law, J.D., 1980

Bar Admissions/Qualifications

New York
Massachusetts

Memberships

Mr. Dodds has served on the Government Ethics, State Courts of Superior Jurisdiction, and Federal Courts Committees of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York and is currently a member of the Securities Litigation Committee of the American Bar Association Section of Litigation. He is also a court-appointed mediator for the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court of the State of New York for New York County. Since 2001, Mr. Dodds has served as pro bono outside litigation counsel for the Lower Manhattan Development Corporation, the entity formed to restore lower Manhattan following the events of 9/11. He also handles disability claims for the Veteran’s Consortium.

Publications and Lectures