Andrews Kurth Announces Arrival of New Partner as Leader of its Corporate Compliance, Investigations and Defense Practice

HOUSTON – Andrews Kurth LLP announces the arrival of a new partner as leader of its Corporate Compliance, Investigations and Defense (CCID) practice. The CCID group links corporate and securities compliance with securities litigation and defense. Spencer C. Barasch, a former SEC Associate Director, brings to the firm valuable experience and insight into SEC enforcement since the passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

Barasch says, “More and more, corporate conduct and disclosure attract the attention of the SEC’s enforcement division. Many public companies increasingly consider their own corporate practices with a view to potential shareholder litigation or SEC enforcement action. Andrews Kurth is well equipped to provide the knowledge and counsel to help clients comply with recent rules and regulations.”

As Associate Director at the SEC, Barasch led the Agency’s enforcement activities in the Southwest. Barasch supervised approximately 50 attorneys and accountants in the investigation of federal securities law violations and the litigation of civil and administrative proceedings involving (among other areas) financial fraud, corporate reporting irregularities, and insider trading. He worked closely with senior officials in the SEC’s various Divisions and Offices in Washington, and also served as a liaison with the Department of Justice, multiple U.S. Attorney offices, self-regulatory organizations, other federal agencies, international securities agencies, and state regulators and prosecutors.

More than 30 Andrews Kurth partners are directly involved in the CCID practice, which can call on the firm’s 90 corporate and securities lawyers, 110 litigation lawyers, and additional practice areas in providing advice to clients in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley context. The lawyers within the CCID team bring years of experience working with public companies, board committees, and corporate executives on disclosure and compliance under the securities laws, NYSE and NASDAQ regulations, and SEC positions under Sarbanes-Oxley.

Arthur Felsenfeld, securities litigation partner in the firm’s New York office, welcomes Barasch’s arrival, describing his experience as an excellent fit with the firm’s existing strengths in securities compliance and litigation.

For more than a century, Andrews Kurth LLP has built its practice on the belief that “straight talk is good business.” Real answers, clear vision, and mutual respect define the firm’s relationships with clients, colleagues, communities, and employees. With more than 400 lawyers and offices in Austin, Dallas, Houston, London, Los Angeles, New York, The Woodlands, and Washington, DC, Andrews Kurth represents a wide array of international clients in all areas of business law.