Michael Liftik is a partner in the Washington, D.C. Office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan LLP. His practice focuses on government and internal investigations, regulatory enforcement defense, securities litigation, and cyber security. Michael has extensive experience as a securities litigator, having worked on matters stemming from major securities regulatory crises, including market timing and late trading, stock options backdating, and the financial crisis. Michael spent nearly a decade at the Securities and Exchange Commission where he developed a unique depth of knowledge working on enforcement and regulatory matters at all levels of the Commission.
Prior to joining the firm, Michael was the Deputy Chief of Staff of the SEC, where he served as a senior legal advisor to Chair Mary Jo White on all aspects of the SEC’s operations, including enforcement, regulatory policy, compliance exams, agency strategy and direction, as well as the day-to-day management of the agency. Michael also served as one of Chair White’s deputies to the Financial Stability Oversight Council and was responsible for working with senior staff from other financial regulatory agencies on identifying risks and emerging threats to the financial stability of the United States. Michael has significant experience in crisis management and public affairs response to sensitive and high profile matters. He was also responsible for assisting the Chair in developing the agency’s policies on cybersecurity disclosure and data protection for registered entities and public companies. He led the SEC’s initial efforts to analyze areas where emerging financial technologies intersect with securities regulation, and directed the organization of the SEC’s Fintech Forum, which was held in November 2016.
Before serving as Deputy Chief of Staff, Michael was Chair White’s Senior Advisor on Enforcement, counseling the Chair on enforcement cases and policy matters. Prior to his service in the Chair’s office, Michael was Counsel to the Director of the Division of Enforcement. He began his career at the SEC in San Francisco as an Enforcement Division staff attorney where he investigated and litigated a wide range of securities law violations, including FCPA, insider trading, financial and accounting fraud, and complex offering frauds. He was a member of the Asset Management Unit, which is an enforcement group focused on cases involving investment advisers, private funds, and investment companies. From January to April 2017, Michael served as the Acting Chief of the Complex Financial Instruments Unit, where he oversaw 45 attorneys and industry experts in offices across the country that investigate potential misconduct related to complex financial products, such as structured notes, asset-backed securities, and derivatives, and practices involving sophisticated market participants, such as fixed income trading and valuations.
Before joining the SEC in 2007, Michael was in private practice focusing on securities litigation, white collar criminal defense, and internal investigations. He received a J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School and an A.B. magna cum laude from Harvard College.