Crowell & Moring LLP is pleased to announce that experienced broker-dealer attorneys Linda Lerner and Eden L. Rohrer have joined the firm’s New York office as members of the Corporate Group. Lerner and Rohrer bring more than 50 years of combined experience advising domestic and international broker-dealers, banks, asset management firms, and a variety of other alternative investment clients on a broad range of regulatory, compliance, and dispute issues. Lerner joins from Debevoise & Plimpton LLP and Rohrer joins from Haynes and Boone, LLP.
“Linda and Eden are tremendous assets to our New York Corporate Group and expand our capabilities with a unique set of skills in advising broker-dealers around the world,” said James R. Stuart, III, chair of the firm’s Corporate Group. “Their addition exemplifies our firm’s commitment to building our financial institutions team as our clients navigate an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.”
Lerner focuses her practice on compliance and regulatory issues under Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and other self-regulatory organizations that involve broker-dealer formation, operations and reporting requirements, public and private sales of securities, advertising and sales material, market making, Electronic Communications Network and Alternative Trading Systems formation and operation, municipal advisor registration, electronic trading, self-regulatory organization membership applications, and market structure issues. She currently serves as a member of Nasdaq’s National Review Council and Market Operations Review Committee, and as a member of the American Bar Association’s Task Force on Private Placement Broker Dealers, for which she drafted regulations submitted to the SEC. Lerner leads the Midtown Regulatory Group, a resource and monthly discussion group comprised of over 600 senior legal and compliance professionals from brokerage firms throughout the U.S. She was general counsel to Domestic Securities, Inc., a registered broker-dealer, for 11 years. Lerner holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Brooklyn Law School, an M.S. in Social Work from Columbia University, and a B.A. from Brandeis University.
“The economic downturn and its root causes have resulted in securities firms facing increased regulatory and risk management requirements as well as litigation with decreased compliance and legal resources. Crowell & Moring is building its practice to help a range of clients manage these challenges successfully,” said Lerner. “This is an entrepreneurial firm that is growing in New York and offers our clients a wealth of knowledge and international experience on which to draw.”
Rohrer’s experience has included advising broker-dealers in investigations and enforcement proceedings with the SEC, FINRA, and state and foreign regulatory authorities. Her work involves a wide range of issues including market manipulation, insider trading, anti-money laundering rules, distribution of unregistered securities, net capital requirements, market making, Rule 15c2-11, Regulation M, sales practices, supervisory systems, private placements in both privately held and publicly traded securities (PIPEs) and special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), credit default swaps, and other securities. Rohrer also advises clients on compliance issues, including the use of social media. Rohrer obtained a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School and a B.A. from Colgate University.
