Image

John Nathanson

Partner

Email

john.nathanson@aoshearman.com

Phone

+1 212 848 8611

Offices

New York

V-CARD
John is Global Co-Head of Investigations & White Collar and focuses on United States Department of Justice (DOJ) inquiries, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and other regulatory matters, internal investigations and financial litigation.

John maintains an active trial practice in both criminal and civil financial misconduct cases.

Prior to joining the firm in 2009, John served for five years as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of New York, where he was assigned to the Business and Securities Fraud Unit for four years and served as Deputy Chief of the General Crimes Unit. During his time at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, John investigated and prosecuted numerous securities fraud matters, including cases involving CDOs (Bear Stearns asset managers), options backdating, private investment in public equity (“PIPE”), insider trading and other complex accounting and securities frauds.

Before the U.S. Attorney’s Office, from 2001 to 2004, John served as an Assistant District Attorney (ADA) in the Frauds Bureau of the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office. While an ADA, John investigated and prosecuted securities and other business fraud cases, including the successful prosecution of brokerage D.H. Blair & Co., Inc. and several of its executives. Prior to becoming an ADA, John worked as an associate at global law firm primarily on complex securities litigation and investigation matters.

Experience

Representative matters

Citigroup in 2022 trial relating to alleged negligent misrepresentations in connection with foreign exchange hedging contracts.

Deutsche Bank in litigation involving its role as arranger of $725 million loan to SunEdison through 2023 eve-of-trial settlement. 

The independent directors of Wells Fargo in connection with internal and DOJ, SEC and other agencies’ multi-year sales practices investigations.

Todd Newman, formerly of Diamondback Capital Management, at trial and on appeal and achieved complete victory when the US Supreme Court declined to rehear the government’s case after the Second Circuit’s landmark decision to overturn Mr. Newman’s conviction for insider trading and subsequent denial of the government’s petition for rehearing.

Pro bono

Conduct regular trial advocacy training programs for prosecutors at the International Criminal Court in the Hague, the Netherland.

Represent class of current and former inmates in litigation with Suffolk County New York alleging inhumane conditions in Suffolk County jails.

Represent class of impacted individuals in litigation over New York City’s “stop and frisk” policing methods.

Published Work

  • Nathanson, John, Co-author, (2023) “Witness Interviews in Internal Investigations: The US Perspective”, Global Investigations Review
  • Nathanson, John, Co-author, (2022) “Latest Ripple Development Highlights SEC’s Crypto Approach”, Law360
  • Nathanson, John, Co-author, (2014) “Trends and Strategies in Today’s White Collar Law Cases”, Inside the Minds: Managing White Collar Legal Issues
  • Nathanson, John, Co-author, (2013) “Strange Bedfellows: Insider Trading and Political Intelligence”, Bloomberg BNA

Awards

  • Recognized for his work in “Corporate Investigations & White-Collar Criminal Defense” by The Legal 500 United States in 2021 and 2023.
  • Named a “Litigation Star” and “National Practice Area Star” by Benchmark Litigation in 2022.

Qualifications

Admissions

New York, 1994

Courts

United States Supreme Court

United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, 1999

United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, 1999

United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, 2005

Academic

B.A., Williams College, 1989

J.D., University of Pennsylvania Law School, 1993, Journal of International Business Law

Disclaimer
A&O Shearman was formed on May 1, 2024 by the combination of Shearman & Sterling LLP and Allen & Overy LLP and their respective affiliates (the legacy firms). Any matters referred to above may include matters undertaken by one or more of the legacy firms rather than A&O Shearman.