Gerald Russello's practice focuses on representation of financial institutions and other entities in connection with regulatory and enforcement inquiries by the SEC, FINRA and other SROs, and federal and state regulators.
Prior to joining the firm, Gerald was a managing director in the legal department of Bear, Stearns & Co. Inc., where he was responsible for a wide range of regulatory and enforcement matters across all business units of this international financial services firm and its affiliates. He regularly dealt with and represented Bear Stearns before federal and state agencies and self-regulatory organizations. In this position, he also managed significant litigations involving Bear Stearns and served on the firm's Suspicious Activity Report (SAR) committee.
Gerald spent over three years with the Enforcement Division of the Securities and Exchange Commission in New York. As a division branch chief, Gerald supervised lawyers and other professionals investigating potential misconduct involving broker-dealers, registered investment advisers, mutual fund companies, hedge funds and publicly held corporations. Prior to becoming a branch chief, Gerald investigated possible violations of the federal securities laws, including accounting fraud, improper mutual fund trading, market manipulation and other conduct. During his tenure on the commission staff, he worked closely with other federal and state agencies, including the United States Attorney's Office and the office of the New York Attorney General. Public matters with which he was involved include In re CIHC, Inc., et al., In re MBIA, Inc., SEC v. Cobalt Multifamily Investors I, LLC, et al. and Report of Investigation Pursuant to Section 21(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 Regarding The Nasdaq Stock Market, Inc., as Overseen By Its Parent, The National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc.
Gerald is also an adjunct professor at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, where he teaches a seminar on securities litigation and enforcement.