People
Aaron Stephens is an English and US qualified partner in the Special Matters and Government Investigations practice, twice named by Law360 as “White Collar Practice Group of the Year.” He specializes in representing financial institutions, corporate clients and senior individuals in highly sensitive litigation and investigations.
Aaron has advised clients on diverse matters across Europe, North America, Asia, the Middle East and Africa in the banking/financial services, energy, defence, construction & engineering and retail industries. He has a particular focus on anti-corruption, anti-money laundering, market abuse and fraud, and has been described as “creative, thoughtful, very strategic and very tactically aware…he doesn’t only take the purely legal issues, but understands the human aspect too” (Chambers UK 2017), and "energetic, bright and very experienced" (Chambers UK 2019).
Aaron has carried out regulatory and white collar investigations and/or defended clients in relation to the UK’s Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), Serious Fraud Office (SFO), National Crime Agency (NCA), Takeover Panel and Lloyd’s of London, as well as in matters involving the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). He also engages in civil litigation in the English courts, and advises a wide range of corporate clients on risk management and compliance issues.
Aaron is ranked in Chambers UK 2019 in Financial Crime: Corporates and recognized in Legal 500 2019 for his work on corporate and financial services investigations. Chambers UK notes that sources observe that "he is an incredible professional," adding that "he's a very steady hand and very comforting to clients; he's unflappable." In addition, Global Investigations Review has described him as an “excellent lawyer who is credited by sources for his work developing [his] practice into a formidable offering.”
Prior to joining King & Spalding, Aaron was the Head of Corporate Crime and Investigations at the London headquarters of an international law firm.
J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law
B.A., Indiana University
California
England and Wales
American Bar Association
Law Society of England & Wales (Admitted 5/15/2003; Reg. # 382567)
Member of the Council of JUSTICE
Member of the Financial Services Consultation Board for Practical Law/Thomson Reuters
Vice Chair of the Business Crime Committee of the International Bar Association
French
October 23, 2020
GIR Names King & Spalding to List of Top 30 Global Investigations Firms for Sixth Year
Advising various senior individuals in the context of on-going Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and cross-border (DOJ, SEC) investigations into alleged bribery & corruption, market manipulation and "spoofing", and other financial crime.
Part of cross-office team advising a global financial institution in federal antitrust class actions and other litigation alleging that foreign currency dealers conspired to manipulate the benchmark WM/Reuters currency exchange rate and FX spreads.
Carrying out an internal investigation for a global commodities house into allegations of fraud and corruption.
See more
January 22, 2021
General Counsel Internal Investigations Decision Tree for the Energy Industry
January 22, 2021
General Counsel Internal Investigations Decision Tree for the Technology Industry
January 21, 2021
General Counsel Internal Investigations Decision Tree for the Financial Services Industry
October 23, 2020
GIR Names King & Spalding to List of Top 30 Global Investigations Firms for Sixth Year
Advising various senior individuals in the context of on-going Serious Fraud Office (SFO), Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and cross-border (DOJ, SEC) investigations into alleged bribery & corruption, market manipulation and "spoofing", and other financial crime.
Part of cross-office team advising a global financial institution in federal antitrust class actions and other litigation alleging that foreign currency dealers conspired to manipulate the benchmark WM/Reuters currency exchange rate and FX spreads.
Carrying out an internal investigation for a global commodities house into allegations of fraud and corruption.
See more
January 22, 2021
General Counsel Internal Investigations Decision Tree for the Energy Industry
January 22, 2021
General Counsel Internal Investigations Decision Tree for the Technology Industry
January 21, 2021
General Counsel Internal Investigations Decision Tree for the Financial Services Industry
October 23, 2020
GIR Names King & Spalding to List of Top 30 Global Investigations Firms for Sixth Year
J.D., Case Western Reserve University School of Law
B.A., Indiana University
California
England and Wales
American Bar Association
Law Society of England & Wales (Admitted 5/15/2003; Reg. # 382567)
Member of the Council of JUSTICE
Member of the Financial Services Consultation Board for Practical Law/Thomson Reuters
Vice Chair of the Business Crime Committee of the International Bar Association
French