Jim Kopecky

Jim brings a wealth of litigation and regulatory experience to the firm. Early in his career, Jim represented defendants in commercial disputes, including complex, federal court multi-district litigation matters. Jim joined the United States Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") in 1999, rising to the level of Branch Chief in the Division of Enforcement. At the SEC, Jim led a team of attorneys and staff that investigated and prosecuted securities fraud, including insider trading, accounting fraud, complicated market manipulation actions, ponzi schemes, offering frauds and sales practice actions.

Jim heads the firm's regulatory services practice, and frequently litigates matters on behalf of public companies, broker-dealers, hedge fund managers and individuals in both state and federal courts across the country, as well as arbitrations before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority ("FINRA"), the National Futures Association, and the American Arbitration Association. Jim regularly defends securities firms and financial professionals being investigated or sued by regulatory and self-regulatory agencies such as the SEC, The New York Stock Exchange, Inc., and FINRA. Jim also acts as an independent investigator for investigations under Sarbanes Oxley and as an independent expert consultant to companies disciplined by Self Regulatory Organizations.

Jim has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, and other nationally syndicated newspapers. He has practiced in courts around the country, including California, Texas, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Colorado.

Jim graduated from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign with a degree in Economics. He went on to obtain a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Loyola University of Chicago School of Law where Jim was a Senior Member of the Loyola Law Journal, winner of two American Jurisprudence Awards for Highest Grades in Legal Writing and Moot Court, and a recipient of a 1994 Leadership and Service Award.