Richard Spinogatti

Photo of Richard Spinogatti

Richard Spinogatti is a senior counsel in the Litigation Department. Rich has more than 40 years of experience in federal and state courts in New York and other jurisdictions across the nation. In addition to litigating, trying cases, and arguing appeals at all levels, he has advised national and international clients in connection with internal investigations and represented them in civil and criminal investigations, in administrative proceedings before federal, state and local government agencies, and before industry regulatory organizations.

Through his extensive representation of international, national, regional and local accounting firms, Rich has developed a broad knowledge of accounting, auditing and related professional services, and the complex regulatory structure governing the accounting profession. Rich is frequently called upon to consult with accountants and other professionals in pre-litigation contexts to avoid or minimize exposure risks. He has lectured and taught seminars for partners and employees of accounting firms on subjects ranging from accountants' liability to litigation support.

Firm/Organization: Proskauer Rose LLP
Blogs: Corporate Defense and Disputes

Latest Articles

May defendants charged in SEC administrative proceedings challenge the constitutionality of those proceedings in federal district court? The determination of whether district courts have subject matter jurisdiction over such challenges has become the critical prelude in the ongoing controversy over the SEC’s seemingly arbitrary use of its “home court” alternative to pursue claims and remedies against violators of the federal securities laws. Dodd Frank gives the SEC the power to impose civil penalties in cease-and-desist…
The Delaware Supreme Court will address the standard for pleading that an independent director has breached fiduciary duties in connection with a controlling shareholder buyout. The issue was certified for interlocutory appeal in a pair of recent Delaware Chancery Court cases. In re Cornerstone Therapeutics Stockholder Litigation, No. CIV.A. 8922-VCG (Del. Ch. Sept. 10, 2014) (Glasscock, V.C.); In re Zhongpin Stockholders Litigation, No. CV 7393-VCN (Del. Ch. Nov. 26, 2014) (Noble, V.C.). In Cornerstone and…
Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Andrew L. Carter, Jr. rejected the argument by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York to limit the Second Circuit’s decision in United States v. Newman to classical insider-trading cases.  Judge Carter’s order, vacating four insider-trading guilty pleas in United States v. Conradt, represents another setback for U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in the wake of the Second Circuit’s landmark decision in Newman—a case that we’ve written about here and …
With several billions of dollars ultimately at stake, the Second Circuit has affirmed that Section 546(e) of the Bankruptcy Code, a safe-harbor protecting certain securities-related payments from bankruptcy “claw backs,” barred Irving Picard, Trustee of Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, LLC (“BLMIS”), from asserting all but a limited category of avoidance and recovery claims. In re Bernard L. Madoff Inv. Sec. LLC, No. 12-2557 (L) (2d Cir. Dec. 8, 2014). The affected claims are premised…
On December 10, 2014, the Second Circuit reversed insider trading convictions of two former hedge fund managers, holding that, to sustain a conviction for insider trading, the government must prove a tippee who trades on the basis of material non-public information had knowledge that the tipper not only disclosed confidential inside information, but also that he did so in exchange for a personal benefit.  United States v. Newman, Index Nos. 13‐1837‐cr (L), 13‐1917‐cr …
Introduction written by Tanya Dmitronow and Julia Pizzi. Full analysis written by Sarah Gold and Richard Spinogatti. Although they often involve overlapping issues, shareholder derivative lawsuits are fundamentally different from securities class actions. While the object of a securities class action is to hold the company (and, perhaps, its directors and officers) liable for harming investors and obtain money from the company (or others) as a result, a derivative action seeks relief for the company by asserting the company’s own claim against its…
The attorney-client privilege is the oldest privilege recognized by Anglo-American jurisprudence, and its origins can be traced to ancient Rome. It is critical to encouraging frank and full communications between clients and their attorneys, thereby promoting the public interest in legal compliance and the proper administration of justice. The attorney-client privilege is, however, an exception to the fundamental principle that the public has a right to every person’s evidence and the fundamental responsibility of every…