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Stephen M. Cutler
 

Stephen M. Cutler

Of Counsel
 
425 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10017 

Steve Cutler, former Global Head of the Firm’s Government and Internal Investigations Practice, has advised companies, boards and senior executives on government and internal investigations, as well as corporate governance and regulatory matters. Prior to joining the Firm, Steve was Vice Chairman of JPMorgan Chase & Co., after serving as General Counsel of the company for nine years, including during the financial crisis.  Earlier in his career, Steve was the Director of Enforcement at the Securities and Exchange Commission, where he led the agency’s investigations of numerous high-profile financial reporting, broker-dealer and investment advisor 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 he is “one of the finest lawyers out there in terms of legal skills.” 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 “has the highest level of integrity possible.”

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Work Highlights
  • Entertainment company in SEC investigation and settlement relating to financial statement disclosures
  • Board Audit Committee of industrial company in an internal investigation and parallel SEC investigation of accounting issues
  • Global financial institution in ongoing SEC and DOJ investigations and settlements relating to financial statement disclosures
  • Global financial institution in connection with whistleblower complaint asserting failure to comply with bank regulatory requirements
  • Pharmaceutical company in SEC investigation relating to accounting issues
  • Board Compliance Committee of public company in connection with ongoing monitorship
  • Board Demand Committee of public company in response to shareholder demand to investigate and take action relating to alleged misconduct
Accolades
  • Chambers USA
  • The Legal 500
  • Euromoney’s Benchmark Litigation, National “Litigation Star” in Securities and White Collar Crime and New York “Litigation Star”
Education
  • Yale Law School, 1985 J.D.
    Editor, Yale Law Journal
  • Yale University, 1982
    summa cum laude; Phi Beta Kappa
Associations
  • Board of Trustees, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Clerkships
  • Hon. Dorothy Nelson, U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit
Admissions
  • New York 

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.

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