Education
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Georgetown University Law Center, LL.M., 1967
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New York University School of Law, LL.B., 1964
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City College of New York, B.A., 1961
Bar Admissions
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District of Columbia
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New York
Awards and Honors
- ALM’s “Baltimore and Washington DC’s Best Lawyers,” Commercial Litigation; Bet-the-Company Litigation; Securities/Capital Markets Litigation (2012)
- Who’s Who in America
- The Best Lawyers in America
- Super Lawyers, in Securities Litigation
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Ted Sonde, former Associate Director of the Division of Enforcement at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), is a leading attorney in the firm’s SEC enforcement practice. He counsels corporate entities and audit committees, as well as individuals involved in government investigations and related litigation, while also handling matters requiring complex litigation. Notably, Mr. Sonde has represented a number of the largest U.S. corporations and their CEOs, CFOs and other senior officers in a variety of government and internal investigations. His practice also includes representing inside and outside counsel as well as lawyers and law firms and accounting firms involved in government investigations.
Before entering the private sector, Mr. Sonde held several senior positions in government, among them Associate Director of the Division of Enforcement at the SEC, in which he held supervisory responsibility for substantially all of the SEC’s civil enforcement litigation and tried some of its most prominent cases. He was also Director of Enforcement for the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). His 25 years of work in private practice includes experience at some of the nation’s most prominent law firms.
Mr. Sonde has acted as defense counsel in many government investigations involving options questions, insider trading, market manipulation, revenue recognition and other accounting issues, as well as issues of compliance and supervision in the mutual fund and brokerage industry.
Mr. Sonde speaks frequently on SEC enforcement and compliance issues and taught for many years at Georgetown University School of Law and George Washington University National Law Center, primarily on the subject of professional responsibility in a corporate setting. He is also an avid writer and speaker on various securities laws topics and on professional ethics for lawyers and accountants. In addition, Mr. Sonde is adept at helping clients comply with the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and has taught at ALI-ABA programs in China and India.
Representative Matters:
Law Firm Matters
- Successfully represented a number of CEOs of large public companies where the SEC investigated the companies’ options granting practices and where the investigations were closed without any enforcement action being brought. Also successfully represented inside general counsel and outside counsel on matters where no enforcement action was taken.
- Successfully settled other SEC enforcement matters, including SEC v. Steele and Cannataro LR-19897 (Nov. 2, 2006).
- Representation of the audit committee of Gemstar-TV Guide in issues relating to Securities and Exchange Commission v. Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc., U.S.D.C., C.D. Cal, SEC Lit Release 2004-86 (August 2004).
- Representation of Franklin in connection with In the Matter of Franklin Advisers, Inc, Investment Advisors Act, Release 2271 (August 2004).
- Representation of AGCO Corporation in connection with SEC inquiry, where no proceeding was brought but the inquiry was publicly announced and represented AGCO’s Audit Committee in connection with internal investigation relating to the SEC’s proceeding involving the FCPA and an “Oil for Food Program,” SEC v. AGCO Corp., SEC Release No. 2009-212, (September 30, 2009).
- Representation of numerous senior executives in various government investigations, including the CFO of Raytheon Corporation (See, In the Matter of Raytheon Company and Franklyn A. Caine, Administrative Proceeding File No. 3-10950 (November 2002); See also, SEC vs Spiegel, Inc., U.S.D.C. N.D. Ill, March 2003).
- Extensive experience in dealing with investigations and problems under the federal securities laws, including the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Acted as lead counsel for many years in the silver litigation against the Hunt brothers and others for manipulating the silver market that resulted in recovery of more than $100 million for the client and bankruptcy of the Hunts (See e.g., Minpeco, S.A. v. ContiCommodity Services, Inc., 552 F. Supp. 327 (S.D.N.Y. 1982); Minpeco, S.A. v. ContiCommodity Services, Inc., 552 F. Supp. 332 (S.D.N.Y. 1982); Minpeco, S.A. v. ContiCommodity Services, Inc., 549 F. Supp. 857 (S.D.N.Y. 1982)).
SEC Matters
- Cases involving tender offers – Securities and Exchange Commission v. Sun Company, Inc., sub nom. Wellman v. Dickinson , 475 F. Supp. 783 (S.D.N.Y. 1979)
- Suits against lawyers and accountants – Securities and Exchange Commission v. National Student Marketing Corp., 360 F. Supp. 284 (D.D.C. 1973); 402 F. Supp. 641 (D.D.C. 1975); 457 F. Supp. 682 (D.D.C. 1978); SEC v. Spectrum, Ltd., 489 F.2d 535 (2d Cir. 1973)
- Corporate management self-dealing – Securities and Exchange Commission v. Fifth Avenue Coach Lines, Inc., 289 F. Supp. 3 (S.D.N.Y 1968), aff’d, 435 F.2d 510 (2d Cir. 1970)
- Various Investment Company Act-related matters – SEC v. Sun Company, supra; SEC v. Fifth Avenue Coach Lines, Inc., supra.
- Negotiation of settlements of a complex nature, including an approximately $300 million divestiture order against Sun Co. (Wellman v. Dickinson, 497 F. Supp. 824 [S.D.N.Y. 1980]), and settlements with accounting firms and law firms.
Professional Affiliations:
American Bar Association
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