People
Joe Zales represents global financial institutions, public companies, investment managers, and senior executives in high-risk government and internal investigations and complex litigation. He was employed with Morgan Stanley before law school, and he routinely brings that experience to bear in assisting clients facing financial services-related investigations.
Joe defends clients in regulatory enforcement actions, white-collar criminal matters, and securities and shareholder litigation. He has experience counseling clients facing investigations before the U.S. Department of Justice, Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, Congress, the NYSE, the Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office, as well as other domestic and international authorities.
Joe is a Partner in King & Spalding’s Special Matters and Government Investigations Practice Group, which has been recognized by Law360 as “White-Collar Group of the Year” three times and has been described as “the premier firm in this practice area” by the U.S. News & World Report/Best Lawyers’ “Best Law Firms” survey.
Joe earned his J.D. (magna cum laude) from Notre Dame Law School in 2016, where he served as Notes Editor of the Notre Dame Journal of International and Comparative Law and as Selection Chair on the Notre Dame Moot Court Board. During law school, Joe briefed and argued a habeas petition before the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals and participated in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Summer Honors Program. Joe received his B.A. (cum laude) in Political Science from Villanova University in 2011. He is a board member of Notre Dame Lawyers of New York City.
J.D., Notre Dame Law School, Magna Cum Laude
B.A. Political Science, Villanova University, cum laude
New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York
December 10, 2024
King & Spalding Elects 37 New Partners and Five Counsel in Record Promotion Round
December 10, 2024
K&S elects 37 new partners and promotes five counsel across 14 cities
Digital asset and digital payment companies with respect to potential legislation.
Public-company chairman and CEO in SEC and DOJ investigations and a criminal trial into alleged insider trading in company stock, including the first-ever criminal charges for trades under a 10b5-1 plan.
Senior executives of a global financial institution in an investigation by SDNY and the SEC into allegations of insider trading.
See more
September 27, 2023
Recent Developments in Coburn: Walking the Tightrope of Cooperating with DOJ while Maintaining an Independent Investigation
February 14, 2023
New AML Whistleblower Law: Making it Worth It?
August 26, 2022
Mid-Year Report: FINRA Enforcement Builds Momentum After Historic Penalties
December 10, 2024
King & Spalding Elects 37 New Partners and Five Counsel in Record Promotion Round
December 10, 2024
K&S elects 37 new partners and promotes five counsel across 14 cities
Digital asset and digital payment companies with respect to potential legislation.
Public-company chairman and CEO in SEC and DOJ investigations and a criminal trial into alleged insider trading in company stock, including the first-ever criminal charges for trades under a 10b5-1 plan.
Senior executives of a global financial institution in an investigation by SDNY and the SEC into allegations of insider trading.
See more
September 27, 2023
Recent Developments in Coburn: Walking the Tightrope of Cooperating with DOJ while Maintaining an Independent Investigation
February 14, 2023
New AML Whistleblower Law: Making it Worth It?
August 26, 2022
Mid-Year Report: FINRA Enforcement Builds Momentum After Historic Penalties
December 10, 2024
King & Spalding Elects 37 New Partners and Five Counsel in Record Promotion Round
December 10, 2024
K&S elects 37 new partners and promotes five counsel across 14 cities
J.D., Notre Dame Law School, Magna Cum Laude
B.A. Political Science, Villanova University, cum laude
New York
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York