NEW YORK, FEBRUARY 3, 2025: International law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP announced today that former Acting Director of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement Sanjay Wadhwa has joined the Firm as a partner in the Securities Litigation and White Collar Defense, Regulatory and Investigations practices, based in the New York office.

As Acting Director, the senior-most position in the SEC’s Enforcement Division, Sanjay oversaw a nationwide team of approximately 1,400 lawyers, accountants, investigators and industry specialists charged with investigating and prosecuting federal securities law violations to protect investors and maintain the integrity of the markets. During his time as Acting Director, the SEC filed 200 total enforcement actions in the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, which ran from October through December 2024, and more than 40 enforcement actions in the first part of January 2025, representing the most productive period for the Division of Enforcement since at least 2000. During his more than 20-year career at the SEC, Sanjay also served as the Division’s Deputy Director from August 2021 to October 2024. In that role, he oversaw the filing of more than 2,600 enforcement actions covering the entire waterfront of securities law issues, including various forms of investment adviser and broker-dealer-related misconduct; financial fraud; books and records, internal controls and registration violations; insider trading; market manipulation; bribery; and whistleblower protections, among others. Sanjay is also credited with inculcating a culture of corporate compliance, which led to an increase in the number of market participants that self-reported and remediated conduct.

“Sanjay will be a tremendous addition to our Securities Litigation team,” said Weil Executive Partner Barry Wolf. “He is a consummate public servant whose comprehensive knowledge of the enforcement landscape will be an invaluable asset to our global clients. We are thrilled to welcome him to the Firm.”

“Sanjay brings sterling credentials and capabilities to Weil and our clients,” said Jonathan Polkes, Co-Chair of Weil’s global Litigation Department. “He has personally led the federal government’s enforcement agenda and his first-hand insights will enhance our ability to provide critically important counseling to our clients.”

“We have worked both side-by-side and across the table from Sanjay on many occasions, and are very excited to welcome him to the Firm,” said John Neuwirth and Caroline Zalka, Co-Heads of Weil’s nationwide Securities Litigation practice. “His collegial nature and steadfast client advocacy make him an ideal fit for our team.”

Earlier in his SEC career, Sanjay served as the Senior Associate Director of the Division of Enforcement in the New York Regional Office (NYRO), Deputy Chief of the Market Abuse Unit, and Assistant Director in NYRO. He began his SEC career as a staff attorney in NYRO in 2003.

Sanjay’s move to Weil builds on the January 21, 2025 arrival of Andrew Dean, previously the Co-Chief of the SEC’s Enforcement Division’s Asset Management Unit (AMU). Andrew is now a partner in the nationwide Securities Litigation and White Collar Defense, Regulatory and Investigations practices, based in the New York office.

“In my time at the SEC, I have dealt with the leading law firms in the securities space, and I can say, unequivocally, that the lawyers from Weil set themselves apart by their strong and thoughtful advocacy on behalf of their clients, but without any gamesmanship. And this was consistently the case on the many occasions that I worked with them, leading me to develop a deep admiration for the Firm and its attorneys,” said Sanjay. “It was an honor to serve alongside my dedicated colleagues in the Enforcement Division for more than two decades, and I am very excited to bring my experience to bear on behalf of the Firm’s clients.

About Weil’s Securities Litigation Practice

Weil is trusted by corporations and financial institutions, and their boards, officers and directors, to litigate and try significant securities, derivative, M&A, and financial products litigation cases; oversee sensitive internal and governmental investigations; and counsel clients on the full spectrum of business and corporate governance matters. Weil offers our clients the resources of a dedicated, 60-lawyer practice.

About Weil

Founded in 1931, Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP has been a preeminent provider of legal services for more than 90 years. With approximately 1,200 lawyers in offices on three continents, Weil has been a pioneer in the marketplace and a first-mover in the establishment of many significant practice areas. The Firm’s four departments, Corporate, Litigation, Restructuring, and Tax, Executive Compensation & Benefits, and more than two dozen practice groups are consistently recognized as leaders in their respective fields.