CORPORATE SECURITIES LAWYER WALTER VAN DORN JOINS BAKERHOSTETLER

Former SEC special counsel brings more than 25 years of  experience to New York practice

BakerHostetler is pleased to announce that Partner Walter Van Dorn, a former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official, has joined the firm resident in the New York office. He comes to BakerHostetler from Dentons, where he led that firm’s U.S. securities and public companies practice.

Van Dorn, with over 25 years of experience, also has practiced in London, Hong Kong and Washington, D.C. He focuses his practice on corporate securities law and advises issuers, underwriters, broker-dealers, and other financial institutions and intermediaries on all facets of securities and capital market transactions, including IPOs, public and private offerings of equity, debt and asset-backed securities, and exchange offers, tender offers and rights offerings. With seven years of experience at the SEC, his keen understanding of U.S. securities laws and regulations helps him guide clients around the world through complex compliance matters and transactions involving all aspects of the U.S. securities laws, including the Securities Act, Exchange Act, Investment Company Act, Investment Advisers Act, Sarbanes-Oxley Act, Dodd-Frank Act and JOBS Act.

Prior to entering private practice, Van Dorn was special counsel in the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance. His areas of responsibility there included offerings of equity securities and ADRs, offerings of debt securities (including sovereign debt), securities offerings under the multijurisdictional disclosure system with Canada (MJDS), and mergers and acquisitions, tender offers and “going private” transactions. He also participated in SEC rule-making initiatives such as those amending Regulation S as well as those exempting certain cross-border tender and exchange offers and rights offerings from Securities Act registration requirements and from Exchange Act tender offer rules.

“Walter has a great deal of experience in the capital markets arena, particularly representing foreign issuers, and his working knowledge of the SEC gives him unique insights into U.S. securities laws and regulations,” said John Gherlein, Chair of the Business Group. “His highly specialized experience will serve as a valuable resource for our clients seeking this type of counsel.”

“I couldn’t be more pleased that Walter decided to join our firm,” said George Stamboulidis, Managing Partner of the New York office. “Our global corporate clients will benefit from his skills and familiarity with the SEC as they look to finance their growth.”

“BakerHostetler has a stellar reputation for its work in securities offerings and compliance matters. I’m excited to join the New York office as the firm builds out this particular practice area,” said Van Dorn.

Van Dorn is a frequent presenter and writer on various subjects related to U.S. securities laws and capital markets and has spoken at events around the world. He received his J.D. from Boston University School of Law, cum laude, in 1987 and his B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1984.