William K. Dodds

William K. (“Ned”) Dodds has served as lead counsel in the representation of major institutional clients, officers, directors and professionals in serious litigation, arbitration and government enforcement matters for over 30 years. Mr. Dodds served as global co-chair and chair of the firm’s white collar, securities and commercial litigation group for over a decade. In 2013, he relocated from New York to Hong Kong to assume responsibility for managing and expanding the firm’s growing Asian practice.

In recent years his practice has centered on defense of public and private companies, financial institutions, officers and directors, and professionals in securities fraud class actions, derivative and corporate governance litigation, commercial litigation, proceedings and investigations by securities and other enforcement matters pursued by authorities across the U.S. and in Europe. 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. and international laws and regulations.

In the 2012 edition of Benchmark Litigation, Mr. Dodds was featured as a New York Litigation Star in white-collar crime.

Significant Representations

Mr. Dodds’ work as lead counsel in recent class action, complex commercial litigation and government enforcement 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 and large institutional investors, 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 hedge fund in investigations commenced by several European securities regulators relating to shareholder activist activities involving a major European securities exchange
• conduct of an internal investigation on behalf of a large hedge fund into issues regarding securities trading in the context of corporate takeover activities; 
• 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.

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. He has also handled numerous commercial arbitration matters in various U.S. forums and in The Hague.

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
Mr. Dodds is not admitted to practice and does not practice in the courts of Hong Kong or the People's Republic of China.

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 on behalf of U.S. veterans through the Veteran’s Consortium.

Publications and Lectures