Stephen M. Cutler is Of Counsel in the Firm’s Litigation Department and previously served as Global Head of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice. Steve has advised companies, boards and senior executives on government and internal investigations, as well as corporate governance and regulatory matters. Steve is recognized by Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation as a National “Litigation Star” in Securities and White Collar Crime and a New York “Litigation Star.” He is recognized as a leading lawyer by Chambers USA (Band 1), where sources say “[t]here may be no one who can bring to the table the depth and diversity of experience he has" and call him “a legend” in his field, further noting that “[e]verybody in the country would pick up his call, and his judgment is exceptional,” and “he has great intuition and experience with the SEC, and gives sound, honest counsel in difficult situations.” Steve has also been recognized by The Legal 500 in several categories, where sources have noted that his “background is unparalleled,” his “experience and leadership is unmatched,” and he “cares deeply about his clients, and has the highest level of integrity possible.”
Prior to joining the Firm, Steve was Vice Chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co., after serving as the company’s General Counsel for nine years, including during the financial crisis.
Steve was Director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement during some of the most active years in the agency’s history. While at the SEC, he oversaw 1,100 employees and led the agency’s investigations of numerous high-profile financial reporting, broker-dealer and investment advisor matters.
Both before and immediately following his tenure at the SEC, Steve was a partner at an international law firm in Washington, D.C., where his practice focused on government and internal investigations and market regulation.
Steve received his B.A., summa cum laude, from Yale University where he was elected Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D. from Yale Law School, where he was an editor of the Yale Law Journal. He served as a Law Clerk to Judge Dorothy Nelson of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Steve is admitted to practice in New York.
Steve currently serves on the board of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. He previously served on the boards of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and the National Women’s Law Center and, early in his career, was a Visiting Fellow at the Center for Law in the Public Interest in Los Angeles. He has also been a Visiting Lecturer in Law at Yale Law School and Columbia Law School.