About Paul McCurdy

Paul McCurdy is known for the long-standing relationships he has with his financial services industry clients. He provides creative and efficient counsel to retail, clearing and direct access broker-dealers, investment banking, advisory firms and family offices. Paul focuses on strategically navigating both opportunities and challenges his clients face, particularly when it comes to regulatory compliance, enforcement, corporate and litigation matters.

A trusted business collaborator with his clients

Steeped in decades of experience, Paul listens to and understands the unique needs of his clients. His responsiveness and client-first approach fuels his ability to help them achieve their business goals.

Paul has particular experience advising broker-dealer clients with a variety of matters, including business strategy, investigations, examinations, enforcement proceedings, and state and federal registration. The depth and breadth of his regulatory knowledge includes anti-money laundering, trading, customer complaints, insider trading, clearing agreements, supervision, regulatory capital, short-selling and finder arrangements. Throughout his career, Paul has counseled and defended witnesses in regulatory matters before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the US Department of Justice, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and other government agencies. He also regularly represents senior securities industry executives in employment agreement negotiations.

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Practice Focus

  • Broker-dealer regulation and compliance
  • Formation and registration issues
  • Regulatory investigations, arbitrations and enforcement actions
  • Anti-money laundering rules
  • Market abuse and trade disputes
  • Applications, compliance process development and business agreements for broker-dealer start-ups

Representative Experience

  • Represented domestic and international broker-dealers in complex AML investigations. *
  • Represented a fully disclosed clearing firm in an arbitration resulting in the recovery of 100 percent of claims plus attorneys’ fees. *
  • Represented clients in dozens of NYSE hearing panel decisions and FINRA letters of acceptance, waiver and consent. *
  • Represented an international broker-dealer in a mutual fund B-share investigation. *
  • Represented former NYSE directors in litigation with the New York Attorney General. *
  • Represented numerous broker-dealers in 15c3-1, 15c3-3 and supervisory investigations. *
  • Represented retail firms in dozens of regulatory investigations and arbitrations. *
  • Represented NYSE specialist in highly politicized, acrimonious 5-week SEC trial. *
  • Represented electronic platform broker-dealer in cutting-edge, high-profile SEC Reg SHO investigation. *
  • Represented electronic platform broker-dealers in bet-the-company TRO litigation and arbitration. *
* Experience prior to Katten

News

Publications

Presentations and Events

  • May 6, 2021
    Banding Together: Reddit, Robinhood and Regulatory Response to Market Populism
    Panelist
  • October 15, 2020
    Katten's Annual Financial Markets Litigation and Enforcement Symposium Series
    Panelist | Hot Topics in Securities Regulatory Enforcement.
  • January 24, 2019
    Legal Executive Institute's 26th Annual Marketing Partner Forum
    Moderator | The Halycon Days of Financial Services
  • January 25, 2017
    Legal Executive Institute's 24th Annual Marketing Partner Forum
    Moderator | The Perfect Pitch: From Coaching to Collaboration and Commitment
  • January 22, 2015
    Legal Executive Institute's 22nd Annual Marketing Partner Forum
    Presenter | From Origination to Collaboration: Establishing the Right Business Development Culture in Your Firm
  • January 24, 2014
    Legal Executive Institute's 21st Annual Marketing Partner Forum
    Panelist | Strategies for Taking Business Development to the Next Level
  • March 16, 2013
    NPAC Annual International Conference on Arbitration Matters
    Panelist | U.S. Arbitration Case Trends
Practices
Industries
Education
  • Albany Law School, JD
  • Lafayette College, AB
Bar Admissions
  • New York
  • Connecticut
Court Admissions
  • US Supreme Court
  • US Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
  • US District Court, Southern District of New York
  • US District Court, Eastern District of New York
  • US District Court, District of Connecticut
  • US District Court, Northern District of Illinois
Community Involvements
  • Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Arbitrator Chairperson
  • Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Legal & Compliance committee
  • Connecticut Bar Association
  • New York State Bar Association
  • Lawyers For Children America, pro bono volunteer
  • Cristo Rey New York High School, Trustee
Recognitions
Recognized or listed in the following:
  • AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating by LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell
  • Chambers USA
    Financial Services Regulation: Broker Dealer (Compliance), 2008–2012, 2014–2016
  • Super Lawyers
    New York, 2015–2019
  • The Legal 500 United States
    Recommended Attorney, 2021
Award Methodologies