(WASHINGTON, DC) Katten announced today that Danette R. Edwards, former Senior Counsel in the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's (SEC) Enforcement Division, has joined the firm's Securities Ligation practice as a partner in Washington, DC.

For more than a decade, Edwards spearheaded many of the SEC's enforcement efforts, investigating and litigating complex cases involving violations of antifraud and other securities laws, and was recognized for her work with multiple awards from the Director of the SEC's Enforcement Division. During her tenure, she leveraged her proficiency in examining witnesses and analyzing complicated and massive data sets to help the agency obtain judgements for more than $595 million. A trio of cases that she recently prosecuted were included in a select group of matters highlighted in the SEC Enforcement Division's 2020 Annual Report to Congress.

"Danette is a strong addition to our Securities Litigation team because she offers our clients exceptional experience on all types of SEC-related matters," said Bruce G. Vanyo, chair of Katten's Securities Litigation practice. "Her impressive skill set and extraordinary background strengthens Katten's already widely recognized reputation for defending high-stakes securities matters for some of the country's most prestigious companies."

Edwards advises clients involved in SEC Enforcement Division investigations and litigation, with a related focus on internal, special committee and non-SEC government and regulatory investigations; securities class action defense; and complex economic litigation. She counsels clients on SEC-related matters of all types, including suspected financial and disclosure fraud and alleged misconduct by auditors, broker-dealers, and investment advisors.

Edwards also advises on records and information management (RIM) best practices; cybersecurity; and environmental, social and governance (ESG) questions concerning environmentally sustainable finance, and diversity and inclusion as components of social governance.

Prior to joining the SEC, Edwards was a white-collar and commercial litigator at a national law firm, where she defended market participants and other players in public and private actions, and helped to establish the firm's records management practice. She frequently writes and presents on topics such as enforcement risks related to SEC rulemaking, significant SEC enforcement actions and other cases involving challenges to core aspects of the SEC’s enforcement program.