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    Home /  Lawyers /  Steven R. Peikin

    Steven R. Peikin

    Partner

    Steven R. Peikin Headshot Photo Portrait backdrop

    New York

    +1-212-558-4636

    |

    peikins@sullcrom.com

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    Steven Peikin leads Sullivan & Cromwell’s Securities & Commodities Investigations Practice. Mr. Peikin brings decades of experience at the most senior levels of government and in private practice to his representation of clients in a wide range of regulatory enforcement investigations, white-collar criminal matters, and internal investigations. He has particular expertise in matters involving the federal securities and commodities laws.

    Mr. Peikin is the only practicing lawyer to have held what are widely considered to be the country’s two most important government positions in securities enforcement: Director of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement (2017-2020), and Chief of the Securities Unit in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York (2003-2004). At the SEC, he supervised over 1400 people and had overall responsibility for all of the agency’s investigations and litigations across its 12 offices. At the U.S. Attorney’s Office, he oversaw 40 prosecutors, investigators, and staff responsible for some of the nation’s highest-profile financial statement fraud, insider trading, and obstruction of justice cases. As a prosecutor, Mr. Peikin also investigated and prosecuted a wide variety of securities, commodities, and other investment fraud schemes; and cases involving racketeering, murder, and other violent crimes.

    Mr. Peikin has tried more than 20 criminal jury cases in federal court and argued numerous appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

    At Sullivan & Cromwell, Mr. Peikin has had a significant role representing institutions and/or their senior executives in virtually every major enforcement initiative of the past two decades, including those relating to the global financial crisis, benchmark interest rates, treasury auction manipulation, foreign bribery, insider trading, SPACs, and digital assets. Many of the world’s most sophisticated institutions have called on him to assist with their most important matters. His notable matters include:

    • Coinbase, in investigations and litigation against the SEC, resulting in the SEC’s complete dismissal with prejudice of its entire case.
    • Morgan Stanley in resolving a DOJ investigation of its block trading practices through a non-prosecution agreement on highly favorable terms, including a non-prosecution agreement.
    • An international commodities trading firm in criminal and CFTC investigations of compliance with economic sanctions, resulting in a complete declination.
    • One of the world’s largest alternative asset managers in a multi-year SEC investigation of its conflict of interest disclosures, resulting in a complete declination.
    • One of the country’s largest banks in an SEC investigation of its cyber-security practices and disclosures, resulting in a complete declination.
    • Goldman Sachs, in one of the world’s largest and most complex multi-country investigations arising from its dealings with Malaysian sovereign wealth fund 1MDB.
    • Multiple individuals in various DOJ and SEC insider trading investigations, every one of which has resulted in declinations or dismissals.
    • JP Morgan in resolving a DOJ investigation relating to its interactions with Bernard L. Madoff securities.
    • Barclays Bank in resolving various multi-agency investigations relating to compliance with economic sanctions, LIBOR, and ISDAFIX.
    • A crypto lending platform in resolving investigations by the SEC and more than 50 state and territorial securities regulators.
    • A Silicon Valley “Unicorn” in resolving an SEC investigation of its historic accounting disclosures on highly favorable terms.
    • In a criminal jury trial, the first defendant ever charged with “spoofing”
    • Goldman Sachs, its board, and various members of senior management in criminal and SEC investigations and litigation arising from insider trading by its former director, Rajat Gupta.
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    Spotlight

    Sharon Nelles, Cathy Clarkin, Steve Peikin, Dalia Blass, Jamie McDonald and Colin Lloyd to Speak at SIFMA’s C&L Seminar

    Read More

    Steven Peikin Authors Article on Importance of Punishment and Deterrence for Sophisticated Fraud in Brazil for Consultor Jurídico

    Read More

    Steve Peikin recognized as a “Litigation Star” by Benchmark

    Read More
    • Rankings and Recognitions
    • News
    • Publications, Videos and Podcasts
    • Credentials
    • Related Practices
    Rankings and Recognitions

    Rankings and Recognitions

    • Chambers USA: America’s Leading Lawyers for Business – Recognized as a leader in White-Collar Crime & Government Investigations (2007–2016, 2022–2024), Nationwide Securities Regulation: Enforcement (2022–2024) and FCPA (2014–2016)
    • Chambers Global: The World’s Leading Lawyers for Business – Recognized as a leader in FCPA (2015–2017)
    • Securities Docket “Enforcement Elite” (2024)
    • The Legal 500 United States, Volume 3: Litigation – Recommended Lawyer for White-Collar Criminal Defense (2007, 2009–2014)
    • The Best Lawyers in America – Recognized for Criminal Defense: White-Collar (2008–2017)

    • New York Super Lawyers – Recognized for Criminal Defense: White Collar (2007–2017)
    • Who’s Who Legal: Global Investigations Review – Recommended Lawyer for Criminal and Government Investigations; Thought Leader in Investigations
    • Lawdragon 500 – Named one of the top 500 leading litigators in America (2024, 2025)
    • Lawdragon 500: New Stars, New Worlds – Named one of the top 500 up-and-coming lawyers in America (June 2006)
    • The National Law Journal – Selected as one of 40 top lawyers under age 40 in the United States in the publication’s annual “40 Under 40” ranking (May 2005)
    • Recipient, Burton Award for Legal Achievement (2009)
    • Euromoney’s Benchmark: America’s Leading Litigation Firms and Attorneys (New York) – Cited as a Rising Star in Litigation (2009–2013), a Local Litigation Star (2014–2017, 2022–2025), a National Litigation Star in Appellate (2017), and a National Litigation Star in White Collar Crime (2016)
    • Expert Guides: White Collar Crime – Recommended Lawyer for White Collar Crime (2016)
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    News

    News

    • Sharon Nelles, Cathy Clarkin, Steve Peikin, Dalia Blass, Jamie McDonald and Colin Lloyd to Speak at SIFMA’s C&L Seminar

      March 17, 2025
    • Four S&C Partners to Speak at SIFMA’s C&L Seminar March 17 to 20

      March 17–20, 2024
    • Sharon Nelles, Karen Seymour, Steve Peikin, Sarah Payne and Colin Lloyd to Speak at SIFMA’s C&L Seminar

      March 12, 2023
    • Steve Peikin Discusses Enforcement Topics in “Masterclass: Managing a True Corporate Crisis/Major Internal Investigation”

      November 22, 2022
    • Sullivan & Cromwell’s Cryptocurrency Enforcement Practice Featured in The National Law Journal

      August 30, 2022
    • Insider Profiles S&C Team Representing BlockFi in Landmark SEC and State Settlements

      March 8, 2022
    Read More
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    Publications, Videos and Podcasts

    Publications, Videos and Podcasts

    • Steven Peikin Authors Article on Importance of Punishment and Deterrence for Sophisticated Fraud in Brazil for Consultor Jurídico

      Articles February 13, 2025
    • Recent Developments in Private Securities Litigation

      Podcasts January 9, 2023
    • Recent Developments in SEC Enforcement 

      Podcasts January 5, 2023
    • Securities Enforcement and Litigation Update – November 2022

      Emerging Issues November 23, 2022
    • SEC Enforcement and Private Securities Litigation

      Emerging Issues March 24, 2022
    • Private Securities Litigation: Trends and Emerging Issues

      Podcasts March 4, 2022
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    Credentials

    Credentials

    Education

    • Harvard Law School, J.D., 1991
    • Yale University, B.A., 1988

    Bar Admissions

    • District of Columbia
    • New York

    Clerkships

    • The Honorable J. Edward Lumbard, United States Court of Appeals, Second Circuit, 1992-1993
    • The Honorable Robert P. Patterson, Jr., United States District Court, Southern District of New York, 1991-1992
    Read More
    Related Practices

    Related Practices

    • Litigation
    • Artificial Intelligence
    • Criminal Defense & Investigations
    • Digital Assets
    • Economic Sanctions and Financial Crime
    • FCPA & Anti-Corruption
    • Financial Services Investigations & Litigation
    • National Security
    • Securities & Commodities Investigations
    • Supreme Court and Appellate
    • Workplace Investigations
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