Philip Khinda Joins Steptoe's DC Office

For more information, contact Jamie Moss, newsPRos, 201-493-1027

(October 6, 2008, Washington, D.C.) – Steptoe & Johnson LLP, a leading international law firm, today announced the addition of Philip S. Khinda as a partner in its Securities Enforcement and Litigation Practice in the firm’s Washington, DC office, effective immediately.

Mr. Khinda was formerly a partner in the Washington office of Ropes & Gray, where he helped lead its securities enforcement practice, with a focus on complex litigation and enforcement matters as well as corporate governance and regulatory counseling.

“Phil is an exceptional securities enforcement lawyer with a wealth of government experience who has handled high-profile investigations on behalf of individuals, companies and board committees,” said Roger Warin, Steptoe’s Chairman. “Clearly, the current turmoil in the US economy puts an even greater premium on the need to manage securities litigation and enforcement exposures, and adding Phil’s strengths to our strong white- collar, FCPA, crisis management and securities practices at this critical time will be a tremendous plus for our clients.”

Steptoe trial lawyers have represented many of the nation’s best known senior executives, corporations, and boards committees in some of the most high-profile securities fraud and accounting fraud criminal trials, civil trials, administrative proceedings and investigations in the country.   Mr. Khinda will work closely with former Assistant US Attorney Mark Hulkower, who heads Steptoe’s white-collar criminal defense group, and Reid Weingarten, widely recognized as one of the nation’s top white-collar criminal defense lawyers. Mr. Hulkower, Mr. Weingarten, and their fellow trial lawyers have represented such high-profile individuals as Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown; Secretary of Agriculture Michael Espy; former Teamsters president Ron Carey; former General Counsel of Tyco, Mark Belnick; former WorldCom CEO Bernard Ebbers; former Enron Chief Accounting Officer Rick Causey; and clients involved in the ADM, Drexel, Salomon Brothers, HealthSouth, and Columbia HCA investigations, among many others.

Mr. Khinda’s practice is also aligned with Steptoe’s worldwide FCPA practice, headed by Lucinda A. Low and Ed Krauland, which represents US and foreign companies and individuals, and includes work on internal compliance programs, best practices development and implementation for multinational companies, due diligence in mergers and acquisitions, risk-mitigation strategies, and conducting related internal investigations, audits and risk assessments.  Steptoe attorneys also represent clients in FCPA matters before enforcement agencies including the SEC and DOJ as well as in proceedings involving the U. S. Congress, World Bank and other overseas regulatory bodies.

On Friday, Steptoe announced the formation of its Troubled Asset Task Force to advise financial institutions, sellers and purchasers of these assets, asset managers, and program managers on the impacts and implications of the federal bailout legislation just signed into law.  Mr. Khinda will have an important role on this Task Force.

Mr. Khinda brings to Steptoe a depth of expertise in securities regulation and corporate governance matters. He was formerly a staff attorney and senior counsel with the US Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement, where he led many high-profile investigations, including financial fraud, investment management, market manipulation and insider trading matters. Prior to joining the SEC, Mr. Khinda was an analyst and associate at Morgan Stanley in New York City.

“I am thrilled to be joining a premier Washington firm with world-class practices that dovetail perfectly with my experience and skills,” said Mr. Khinda.  “My practice bridges all of Steptoe’s existing strengths in white-collar defense, FCPA, crisis management, government affairs and regulatory counseling, and I can’t think of a time when the full menu of these capabilities could be more in demand than in today’s challenging economic environment.”

A 1992 graduate of Columbia Law School, Mr. Khinda has been an adjunct professor of law at Georgetown University since 1999.  He publishes and presents to professional audiences on topics related to financial reporting and accounting, corporate governance, crisis management, securities regulation and SEC enforcement.  Mr. Khinda will assume leadership of an ABA corporate governance subcommittee this fall.

About Steptoe & Johnson LLP
With more than 500 attorneys, Steptoe & Johnson LLP provides counsel and representation in a wide range of legal fields.  In more than 60 years of practice, the firm has gained a national and international reputation for vigorous representation of clients before governmental agencies, successful advocacy in litigation and arbitration, and creative and practical advice in guiding business transactions.  The firm has offices in Washington, New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Century City, London, and Brussels.