RUSSELL KOONIN

Russell-Koonin

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Russell Koonin represents corporate and individual clients in securities litigation matters; a wide-array of complex commercial litigation disputes; white-collar criminal defense including internal investigations; and government regulatory enforcement matters.  Mr. Koonin has tried more than 20 federal jury trials and has argued before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit and the Florida Third District Court of Appeal.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Koonin served as Senior Trial Counsel for the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Enforcement and also previously served as a federal prosecutor at the Department of Justice.  Mr. Koonin also was previously in private practice, where he practiced complex commercial litigation, defending both public and privately-held corporations and their officers, and also individuals in white-collar criminal defense matters.

During his tenure at the Miami Regional Office of the SEC, Mr. Koonin investigated and litigated cases involving violations of the anti-fraud, registration, books and records and investment adviser provisions of the securities laws, amongst others.  These matters ranged from large-scale Ponzi schemes, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, stock price manipulation schemes, accounting violations under Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, hedge-fund fee misappropriation, registration disclosure violations, violations under the Bank Secrecy Act, including Anti-Money Laundering provisions, Regulation FD violations, and failures to supervise, amongst others.

As an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of Florida, Mr. Koonin prosecuted matters related to violent crimes, firearms offenses, narcotics, sex-trafficking, matters of national security, identity theft, and credit card fraud.  Mr. Koonin also defended the United States and its employees, including federal law enforcement officers from the FBI, DEA, ATF, DHS and BOP in employment discrimination matters, torts, and allegations of excessive force.

PUBLISHED ARTICLES

 

  • Daily Business Review, Companies and Executives Must be Extra Vigilant of Disclosures During Pandemic, June 2, 2020, co-authored with Adam Schwartz.

  • Law 360, High Court’s Pass on 1 SEC Case Offers Insight Into Another, Nov. 18, 2019, co-authored with Adam Schwartz.

  • Daily Business Review, ‘Carvelli v. Ocwen Financial’: A Securities Fraud Heightened Pleading Primer, Oct. 14, 2019, co-authored with Adam Schwartz.

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    FEDERAL CLERKSHIP

  • Law clerk to the Honorable Peter T. Fay, Senior Judge, United States Court of Appeals, Eleventh Circuit, 2000-2001

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    COMMUNITY MEMBERSHIP

     

    • Florida Bar, Federal Courts Practice Committee, 2020 – 2021

    • Federal Bar Association, South Florida Chapter

    – President, 2017-2018
    – Executive Board Member, 2011 – present
    – Previous Chair: Director of IT & Social Media
    – Previous Chair: Hyatt Luncheon Committee
    – Member: 2021 Annual Convention Committee
    – Member:  CLE Committee

    • Greater Miami Jewish Federation

    – Co-Chair of the Network Attorneys’ Division, 2013-2015
    – Board Member, Attorneys’ Division, 2013-2017
    – Organization for Leadership and Advancement in Miami (“OLAM”)
    – Selected as a participant in Leadership Development Program, 2015
    – Leadership Development Institute (“LDI”),  Graduate, 2011

    ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

     

    • Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Commercial Litigation, 2021

    • Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Government/Non-Profit, 2013-2019 

    • SEC Director’s Award, November 2018: SEC v. Woodbridge Group of Companies, et al., Case No. 17-cv-24624-Cooke (S.D. Fla. 2017)

    • SEC Exceptional Service Award, June 2018, Mortgage Investment Funds Team

    • SEC Director’s Award, April 2018: SEC v. Teva Pharmaceutical Industries, Ltd., 16-cv-25298-Moore (S.D. Fla. 2016)

    • SEC Director’s Award, July 2016: In re UBS Financial Services Inc. of Puerto Rico, Exchange Act Rel. No. 76013, (September 29, 2015)

    • SEC Director’s Award, August 2015: SEC v. JCS Enterprises, et al., 14-cv-80468-Middlebrooks, (S.D. Fla. 2014)

    • National SEC Staff Excellence Award, June 2015: SEC v. BankAtlantic Bancorp. Inc., et al., 12-cv-60082-Gayles (S.D. Fla. 2012)

    • Florida Trend’s Legal Elite, Litigation, “Up and Coming”, 2012

    • Cystic Fibrosis Foundation “40 Under 40” Outstanding Young Lawyers of Miami-Dade, 2011

     

    SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS

    • : Shepard Broad College of Law at Nova Southeastern University

      • – Guest Lecturer, Securities Enforcement, June 10, 2020

    • FIU College of Law, Securities Enforcement Class:

      • – Guest Lecturer, 2014-2019

    • School District of West Palm Beach, Financial Literacy Boot Camp for Teachers,

      • – Guest Lecturer, June 12, 2019

    • National Active and Retired Federal Employees, Tips to Detect and Avoid Fraud

      • – Guest Speaker, October 19, 2018

    • Law Day, 2018, “Separation of Powers”

      • – Panel Moderator, “Paths and Challenges to Success,” May 11, 2018

    • Teen Discourse and Discussion with the Honorable Beth Bloom

      • – Speaker and student mock trial coach, December 1, 2017.

    • Federal Bureau of Investigation, Parallel Investigation Training

      • – Guest Lecturer, October 4, 2017

    • North Beach Elementary, Bill of Rights Birthday

      • – Guest Speaker, December 2017 & 2018

    • SEC Chief Executives Conference: BankAtlantic–Issues Confronted & Lessons learned

      • – Panelist, September 18, 2015

    • SEC Southeastern Securities Conference:

      • – Panelist, Litigation Issues and Strategies, August 20, 2015

    • Financial Crimes Training, US Attorney’s Office, District of Puerto Rico:

      • – Guest Lecturer, May 21, 2015

    • Law Day, 2015 –“Dialogues on Freedom” regarding the Fourth Amendment:

      • – Presenter to local area high school students, May 1, 2015

    • Securities Law CLE, Federal Bar Association, South Florida Chapter:

      • – Panelist, March 27, 2015

    • FIU, ALPFA (Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting) Student Chapter and Beta Alpha Psi, (Accounting & Business Honor Society):

      • – Panelist, Life at the SEC, February 6, 2015

    • University of Miami School of Law, Public Interest Luncheon:

      • – Panelist, September 29, 2014

    • Bilzin Sumberg, LLP, Internal Trial Advocacy Training:

      • – Co-Teacher with the Hon. Ret. David M. Gersten, 2012-2014

    BAR ADMISSIONS

    • Florida

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    COURT ADMISSIONS

    • U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida

    • U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida

    • U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida

    • U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico

    • U.S. Court of Appeals, 11th Circuit

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    EDUCATION

    • University of Florida Levin College of Law, Gainesville, FL – J.D., with High Honors, December 2000

    • Magna Cum Laude

    • Order of the Coif

    • Florida Law Review, Editor-in-Chief, Fall 2000

    • University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Ann Arbor, MI

    • B.A., English, May 1997