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Ira Lee Sorkin is a Member of the firm in Lowenstein Sandler's White Collar Defense group. Mr. Sorkin focuses his practice on white collar criminal defense, Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) enforcement and other regulatory investigations and proceedings, internal investigations, corporate governance, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) defense, and criminal and civil litigation.
He has represented individuals and entities being investigated and prosecuted for, among other things, insider trading, market manipulation, Regulation M, Regulation SHO, securities fraud, bribery, Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, Ponzi schemes, perjury, conspiracy, derivatives, valuations of securities, false filings and obstruction of justice, and accounting fraud.
Mr. Sorkin's practice includes representing individuals, hedge funds, public and private corporations, and registered entities such as broker/dealers and audit committees of public corporations, among other parties. He has testified as an expert witness for major law firms, corporations, and registered entities.
Prior to joining Lowenstein Sandler, Mr. Sorkin served as co-leader of the Securities: Litigation, Regulatory, and Compliance, and White Collar Criminal Defense & Investigations practices at Dickstein Shapiro.
Mr. Sorkin served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney (1971 to 1976), and then Deputy Chief, of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. While an Assistant U.S. Attorney, he prosecuted numerous cases involving conspiracy, narcotics, organized crime, mail fraud, wire fraud, and securities fraud, among other federal violations. Many of the prosecutions occurred while he was a member of Securities Frauds Unit, where he prosecuted violations of the federal securities laws. As Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Mr. Sorkin was responsible for approving indictments, authorizing search and arrest warrants and helping formulate policy relating to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Mr. Sorkin was the Director of the SEC's New York Office (1984 to 1986), where he supervised approximately 195 staff members, including lawyers, investigators, examiners, accountants, and clerical personnel. During his tenure, Mr. Sorkin and his staff investigated and prosecuted numerous violations of the federal securities laws, including stock manipulation, insider trading, books and records, mutual funds fraud, sales of unregistered securities, fraud by investment advisors, and other violations of the statutes, rules, and regulations under the Securities Act of 1933, the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Investment Company Act of 1940, and the Investment Advisor Act of 1940. Mr. Sorkin was a trial attorney at the SEC (1968-1971).
From 1995 to 1997, he served as the Chief Legal Officer and a Member of the Board of Directors for Nomura Holding America, Inc. and Nomura Securities International, Inc., a member firm of the New York Stock Exchange.
Mr. Sorkin has lectured for the National Institute of Trial Advocacy (NITA) since 1981, the American Bar Association, the Practising Law Institute, the Securities Industry Association, FINRA, the North American State Securities Administrators, and the Department of Justice training seminar for Federal Prosecutors. He has also been a speaker and lecturer on numerous domestic and international panels and seminars relating to white collar crime, regulatory defense, internal investigations and corporate governance.
Mr. Sorkin has been listed in publications including Super Lawyers and The Best Lawyers in America in three categories – "Bet-the Company Litigation," "Criminal Defense-White Collar," and "Commercial Litigation." On June 6, 2010, Mr. Sorkin was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Philosophy from The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and was designated a Benefactor of the University.
Mr. Sorkin is the Emeritus Chairman of the Board of the American Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, former President of the American Friends of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a member of the University's Board of Governors, and a member of the University’s Executive Committee. He also volunteers as a tutor for underprivileged high school students.
Publications
- Author, "Insider Trading Under Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act," Securities Law Techniques, ed. A.A. Sommer, Jr., Chapter 28, 1985 (updated annually)
- Co-author, "An Overview of SEC Investigations," Practising Law Institute
- Author, "Disciplinary Actions Before Self-Regulatory Organizations," Practising Law Institute
- Author, "SEC Investigations," Report of Securities Regulations
- Co-author, Thompson, Holder and Seaboard – Do They Frustrate the Prevention, Discovery and Punishment of Crime? April 2003.
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In a New York Times article, Ike Sorkin comments on defendants crying in court.,
New York Times, December 22, 2011
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Lowenstein Sandler's expansion of its White Collar Defense group, with the addition of Members Ike Sorkin and Donald Corbett, is highlighted.,
Infovest21 News, November 12, 2010
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Lowenstein Sandler's addition of Ike Sorkin as Member of the Firm in the White Collar Defense group is highlighted.,
HedgeFund.net, Metropolitan Corporate Counsel, November 12, 2010
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George Washington University Law School
(J.D., 1968)
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Tulane University
(B.A., 1965)
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New York
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New York State Supreme Court, Appellate Division, First Department
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U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York
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U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
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U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
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U.S. Supreme Court
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- Member, Association of the Bar of the City of New York
- Member, New York County Lawyers Association
- Member, New York Council of Defense Lawyers
- Member, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
- Member, Association of SEC Alumni, and the American Bar Association
- Member, Dean’s Advisory Board, The George Washington University Law School
- Member, Advisory Board, the Center for Law, Economics and Finance at The George Washington University Law School
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