David Kornblau

Clients turn to David Kornblau, chair of the firm’s Securities Enforcement practice group, to represent them in sensitive and complex investigations, securities litigation, and internal investigations.

Chambers USA has ranked him for many years as one of the nation’s leading practitioners in securities enforcement, noting that he is "particularly adept at analyzing the weakness of a case through the prism of litigation and casting his clients' interests in the best possible light." His most recent ranking included a comment from a client who praised his "excellent judgment and perfect diplomatic touch with regulators."

Mr. Kornblau’s clients include investment banks, public companies, stock exchanges, asset management firms, senior executives, portfolio managers, and traders. As a former senior SEC Enforcement official and SEC trial lawyer, Mr. Kornblau uses his in-depth knowledge of the agency’s internal workings and personnel to help clients successfully navigate potentially damaging investigations. And as a former senior member of a sophisticated in-house legal department, he knows the importance of handling matters cost-effectively, communicating clearly and concisely, and keeping a keen eye on the client’s key strategic objectives.

A ten-year veteran of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, he served as an SEC trial attorney and Chief Litigation Counsel during the “Enron Era” of large-scale corporate investigations and heightened enforcement activity. He also served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in a criminal securities fraud prosecution. Before joining Covington in 2009, Mr. Kornblau was a Managing Director and the Head of Global Regulatory Affairs at Merrill Lynch, where he oversaw the firm’s responses to all regulatory and law-enforcement investigations.