David Essek's practice focuses on criminal, civil, and regulatory securities litigation and anti-corruption investigations. Previously, David was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Chief of that office's Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. In that role, he oversaw a staff of 20 prosecutors and coordinated fraud investigations with the Securities and Exchange Commission, Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and FINRA. In 2007, David received the Attorney General's John Marshall Award for Asset Forfeiture, in recognition of his work in helping to forfeit more than US$1 billion in fraud proceeds to be returned to crime victims.
Since joining Allen & Overy, David's representations have included banks and foreign and domestic corporations in connection with US regulatory and criminal investigations concerning the CDO market, insider trading, and violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and the US antitrust laws, as well as individual officers and employees in similar investigations.
Mr. Esseks graduated cum laude from Williams College with a B.A. in 1987 and magna cum laude from University of Michigan Law School with a J.D. in 1990 where he was an Articles Editor of the Law Review.
Career History
- Partner, Allen & Overy LLP, New York, 2007
- Chief, Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force, 2003-2007
- Assistant, U.S. Attorney, U.S. Attorney's Office, Southern District, New York, 1994-2007
- Associate, Lankler, Siffert & Wohl, 1991-1994
- Law Clerk, Honorable Amalya L. Kearse, United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1990-1991
Legal Qualifications
- Admitted: Bar of the State of New York 1990