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Biography Press Room

Ronald E. Wood is a Partner in the Securities Litigation Group, whose practice focuses on securities litigation, regulation and enforcement issues. Ron has tried nearly 50 cases in federal and state courts and in private arbitration forums.

Prior to joining Proskauer, Ron spent a decade with the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, conducting and directing investigations and follow-up proceedings in matters involving insider trading, market manipulation, fraudulent stock offerings, false financial reporting and FCPA and disclosure violations. He then spent six years at Morgan Stanley, where he was an Executive Director in the Law Division, managing Morgan’s Southern California legal staff in litigation and regulatory matters during the turbulent years following the bursting of the technology and telecom stock market bubble.  

Representative matters for Ron include:

Recent Trials:

  • AAA Arbitration (theft of trade secrets)
  • U.S. District Court, New Jersey (patent infringement)
  • Delaware Chancery Court (books and records inspection rights)
  • Los Angeles Superior Court (breach of contract; theft of confidential information)

Recent SEC Matters:

  • Currently defending NYSE listed Chinese company in SEC and NYSE investigations concerning financial reporting and listing qualifications

  • Successfully defended private investment adviser in SEC investigation and post-investigation Wells process, concerning competing claims to a predecessor’s performance track record and related advertising issues (see related article: SEC Rule 206(4)-8; Steadman Revisited, 45 SRLR 68 (2013)) 

  • Defended Chinese reverse merger company in SEC, DOJ, NASDAQ and FINRA investigations and listing reviews concerning financial reporting, related-party transaction and internal control issues

Placement Agents/Pay-to-Play

  • Counseled and defended several asset management clients in federal and state investigations concerning political contributions and use of placement agents in soliciting asset management business from public pension funds
  • Counseled and defended commodities firm partner in parallel CFTC, SEC and NFA investigations concerning placement agent pay-to-play issues and improper use of introducing brokers
  • Counseled and defended Bulge Bracket investment bank in SEC investigation concerning allocation of “hot” IPO shares to Big City mayor while firm was simultaneously bidding on two City bond offerings

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

  • Defended SEC investigation of China-based U.S. listed company for possible FCPA violations and related party transactions
  • Led internal investigation into U.S. public company’s tax and payroll reporting practices in China, and suspected kickback payments to Chinese officials
  • Investigated suspected receipt of kickback payments from Mexican suppliers/manufacturers to U.S. representative of private European company
  • Investigated questionable payments to Chinese officials to obtain favorable zoning law variance

Options Backdating

  • Led 15-month investigation into U.S. public company’s historical option granting practices (dating back 15 years) and financial accounting for several foreign acquisitions and related bonus and profit-sharing arrangements
  • Defended former public company board member in federal and state derivative actions related to alleged option backdating

Insider Trading

  • Defended private equity client in SEC and FINRA investigations into suspected insider trading
  • Defended former public company executive in SEC investigation and settlement of insider trading matter

Stock Manipulation

  • Defended Canadian hedge fund trader in SEC investigation of suspected stock manipulation by European hedge fund
  • Represented major broker-dealer in SEC investigation of broker suspected of conspiring with several others to manipulate the stock of a U.S. public company, in which the broker and his clients held a substantial position

Commercial Disputes:

Intellectual Property

  • Church & Dwight v. Abbott Laboratories, Inc. Co-lead trial counsel in patent infringement case (Feb. 2008), successful jury verdict achieved for client

Trade Secrets

  • AAA arbitration victory in case involving conversion and breach of fiduciary duty by former member of LLC/investment bank in downloading and transferring former employer’s proprietary and trade secret data; Injunctive relief and money damages awarded
  • Represent private equity client in several litigation matters relating to improper competition, misappropriation of trade secrets and company contract disputes.

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