People
Michael Watling represents financial institutions and executives in regulatory enforcement and white-collar matters. Michael is an experienced trial lawyer, having served as both a federal prosecutor in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Tax Division and as Senior Litigation Counsel in the Enforcement Department of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). In private practice Michael represents clients in both civil and criminal matters and in internal investigations involving a wide range of accounting, tax, and securities issues. Michael has had significant success representing clients in litigation and during investigations, often resolving matters for clients without any enforcement action and achieving favorable verdicts and settlements once in litigation. Michael also provides compliance advice to a variety of financial services and fintech companies, particularly in areas concerning financial crimes and anti-money laundering compliance.
For over fifteen years Michael served as a prosecutor and financial regulator where he led dozens of complex white-collar investigations and served as lead trial counsel in many of his organizations’ most complex and programmatically important matters. During that time, Michael developed broad subject matter expertise in both securities and tax law, having handled diverse cases involving securities fraud, market manipulation, pump-and-dump schemes, tax evasion, tax shelter promoters, mortgage fraud, money laundering, programmatic supervision and AML failures, and a wide range of broker-dealer sales practice violations.
Michael also served as a Deputy Associate Counsel in the Office of the White House Counsel during the administration of President Barack Obama. While at the White House, Michael vetted presidential appointees and counseled the president and vice president on tax-related matters. Michael started his legal career as an Assistant District Attorney in Queens County, New York.
J.D., Hofstra University School of Law
B.A., University of Washington-Seattle Campus
New York
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. Tax Court
December 21, 2020
Michael Watling discusses the SEC warning brokerages to expect tougher examinations for compliance with the new broker investment advice standard
May 22, 2020
King & Spalding Wins Dismissal of Fraud Charges Against Clients Shopoff Securities and its Principals
Negotiated a ninety percent reduction of multi-million dollar pre-trial settlement offer for broker-dealer in regulatory litigation involving FINRA's corporate finance rules.
Successfully defended Shopoff Securities, Inc. and its principals in a FINRA disciplinary proceeding, securing complete exoneration for entity and principals and complete dismissal of Complaint.
Successfully defended registered representative in FINRA cause examination involving expense reporting concerns, resulting in termination of examination with no enforcement action.
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October 21, 2021
SPAC Sweeps: FINRA Releases Guidance After Announcing Its Latest Series of Targeted Exams
April 8, 2021
SEC and FINRA Emphasize Cybersecurity, AML, and Reg BI as Key Areas of Focus for Broker-Dealer Examinations in 2021
January 21, 2021
General Counsel Internal Investigations Decision Tree for the Financial Services Industry
December 21, 2020
Michael Watling discusses the SEC warning brokerages to expect tougher examinations for compliance with the new broker investment advice standard
May 22, 2020
King & Spalding Wins Dismissal of Fraud Charges Against Clients Shopoff Securities and its Principals
Negotiated a ninety percent reduction of multi-million dollar pre-trial settlement offer for broker-dealer in regulatory litigation involving FINRA's corporate finance rules.
Successfully defended Shopoff Securities, Inc. and its principals in a FINRA disciplinary proceeding, securing complete exoneration for entity and principals and complete dismissal of Complaint.
Successfully defended registered representative in FINRA cause examination involving expense reporting concerns, resulting in termination of examination with no enforcement action.
See more
October 21, 2021
SPAC Sweeps: FINRA Releases Guidance After Announcing Its Latest Series of Targeted Exams
April 8, 2021
SEC and FINRA Emphasize Cybersecurity, AML, and Reg BI as Key Areas of Focus for Broker-Dealer Examinations in 2021
January 21, 2021
General Counsel Internal Investigations Decision Tree for the Financial Services Industry
December 21, 2020
Michael Watling discusses the SEC warning brokerages to expect tougher examinations for compliance with the new broker investment advice standard
May 22, 2020
King & Spalding Wins Dismissal of Fraud Charges Against Clients Shopoff Securities and its Principals
J.D., Hofstra University School of Law
B.A., University of Washington-Seattle Campus
New York
U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York
U.S. Tax Court