Stephen H. Meyer is special counsel in the Firm’s Financial Services Group. He joined the Firm in April 2012 with 34 years of experience working on complex, precedent-setting regulatory investigations, enforcement and litigation in three U.S. government agencies.
From 2005 to 2012, Mr. Meyer served as assistant general counsel (enforcement) in the Legal Division of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. He was responsible for enforcement investigations and litigation against institutions and individuals, as well as major actions involving safety and soundness, the Bank Holding Company Act, the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, the Change in Bank Control Act, the Bank Secrecy Act and other statutes administered by the Federal Reserve.
As assistant general counsel, Mr. Meyer played a leading role in virtually every major enforcement action undertaken by the Federal Reserve affecting the financial services industry.
His significant accomplishments included major enforcement actions resulting in civil money penalties, cease and desist orders or consumer restitution for:
- subprime mortgage sales practices and mortgage foreclosure violations;
- violations of the Office of Foreign Assets Control regulations and deficiencies in anti-money laundering programs; and
- illegal control under the Bank Holding Company Act and Change in Bank Control Act.
During the financial crisis, Mr. Meyer handled legal issues concerning the Federal Reserve’s Supervisory Capital Assessment Program (or bank “stress test”) process for the 19 largest bank holding companies and the AIG Credit Facility Trust, which held approximately 80 percent of AIG’s voting equity.
He provided legal support for applications filed under the Bank Holding Company Act and Change in Bank Control Act, provided advice and initiated enforcement proceedings concerning cybersecurity, and served as the Federal Reserve’s liaison with the law enforcement community, including as a member of the DOJ’s Bank Fraud Working Group and the Securities & Commodities Fraud Working Group.
Mr. Meyer joined the Federal Reserve in 1992 as a senior attorney. He then became managing senior counsel in 1999, and assistant general counsel in 2005. In 2003, he received a Special Achievement Award in recognition of his distinguished service.
From 1986 to 1992, Mr. Meyer was an assistant director of the Enforcement Division of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, where he was responsible for investigations and enforcement litigation involving commodity futures manipulation and violations of trade practice rules.
Prior to that, Mr. Meyer was an attorney in the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the Federal Trade Commission from 1977 to 1986.
Mr. Meyer is admitted to the bar in New York and the District of Columbia, as well as the Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
