Howard Fischer has extensive experience in trying complex financial disputes. As a former Senior Trial Counsel at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), he was entrusted with some of the most sophisticated and noteworthy cases that the federal government prosecuted in the last decade. During his nine year tenure at the SEC, he earned multiple awards for exemplary service and served as first chair for numerous trials. This included acting as lead counsel in the litigation against Wing Chau and Harding Advisory LLC - relating to CDO asset selection in the run-up to the financial crisis - resulting in a major conviction against one of the characters lampooned in the film “The Big Short.” Howard was also the lead trial counsel in the prosecution of Kareem Serageldin, another figure referenced in “The Big Short”, involving the mismarking of certain mortgage-backed assets, by Credit Suisse, in the wake of the financial crisis.
Howard also led the SEC litigation involving the infamous London Whale, arising from JPMorgan Chase traders incurring multi-billion dollar losses in its credit derivatives book. This case involved many years of discovery on several continents, including several multi-week depositions.
Howard was lead trial counsel for the successful litigation against the former management of Dewey & Leboeuf arising from the firm’s collapse, an insider trading case against the assistant to one of Disney Corporation’s highest ranking executives, and numerous multi-million dollar litigations against asset managers and investment advisers. Before leaving the SEC for his return to private practice, Howard secured a $20 million judgment against the former manager of a private equity fund who concocted a scheme to divert millions of investors’ funds through a series of fake “due diligence” expenditures, as well as multi-million dollar judgments against participants in a long-term, multi-issuer fraudulent offering.
Howard has significant experience in the insurance and reinsurance spheres. Among other matters, he acted as lead co-ordinating counsel for a series of litigations involving insured and reinsured film financing, including as lead trial counsel. He represented the President and Chief Operating Officer of a major insurance company in a multi-billion dollar class action, winning a total dismissal of all counts. Howard also represented insurance executives in various SEC and DOJ investigations, and defended insurance companies in both sales practice and claims handling class actions. For several years, he served as co-chair of the Insurance/Reinsurance Committee of the International Section, NYSBA, and has made multiple presentations on insurance topics, both in the US and abroad at international conferences.
Howard’s legal expertise involving complex financial instruments and matters, including CDOs and other asset-backed instruments, credit derivatives and credit derivative indices, was developed and honed by handling a variety of sophisticated cases. This has included numerous types of accounting fraud, instances of compliance failures by market participants, and violations of securities laws and regulations involving banks, hedge funds, private equity funds, mutual funds, investment advisers and broker-dealers. Additionally, he has developed close relationships with a wide range of federal and state law enforcement and regulatory authorities, including the Department of Justice, various US Attorney’s Offices, state and local criminal enforcement authorities, as well as self-regulatory organizations like the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) and the New York Stock Exchange.
Howard has both published widely and been interviewed by various media outlets on a variety of topics, including Supreme Court decisions, securities rules and regulations, litigation trends, data security and other topics. He has lectured in the United States, Europe and Asia on subjects ranging from accounting fraud, securities enforcement actions, arbitration techniques and the lingering effects of the financial crisis.
Prior to working at the SEC, Howard served as a partner at Schindler, Cohen & Hochman LLP (“SC&H”), a securities and complex litigation boutique. During his time at SC&H, Howard first-chaired a number of litigations and arbitrations involving financial products, including disputes over the reinsurance of film finance products, hedge fund litigation and numerous securities arbitrations before FINRA and the NYSE for companies such as UBS, Goldman Sachs, Lazard Asset Management, General Reinsurance Corp. and others. Among other litigation victories, he won numerous arbitrations for several financial services firms.
In addition to his substantial experience in financial services, Previously, he was an associate in the litigation departments of Debevoise & Plimpton and Rosenman & Colin. He had also been a federal law clerk to Judge Constance Baker Motley, in the District Court for the Southern District of New York, and Judges Carmen Cerezo and Gilberto Gierbolini Ortiz in the District Court of Puerto Rico. He is a graduate of Columbia Law School (1992), where he was a member of the Columbia Law Review, and received his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Yale (1988), where he majored in philosophy.
Howard has written and lectured extensively on issues relating to litigation, arbitration, securities and government enforcement. He has spoken before national and international bar associations in the United States, Europe and Asia, as well as at law schools.
- New York State Bar Association
- Executive Committee of International Section - Chair, Corporate Counsel Committee of the International Section
- Past Co-Chair, Committee on Insurance and Reinsurance - Securities Regulation Committee, Business Law Section
- Committee on the Commercial Division
- The Cum-Ex Scandal: Will US Prosecutors Elbow In To Europe’s Greatest Tax Fraud?
- Implications of the Supreme Court’s Ruling in Lorenzo v. SEC, Interview by Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence broadcast, April 23, 2019.
- Navigating Corporate Scandals, 2016 Annual Conference of the International Bar Association, September 20, 2016.
- Master Class on Securities Practice, New York Law School Center on Business Law and Policy, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
- Impact of Dodd-Frank: Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead, 4th Annual New York Customer Summit, New York City, November 11, 2010.
- International Arbitration 101, New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting, New York City, January, 2010.
- Insurance and Reinsurance After the Credit Crisis. International Law and Practice Section Seasonal Meeting October 27, 2009. Singapore.
- Crisis in Banking and Financial Institutions. May 15, 2009 International Practice Institute: International Practice After the Great Credit Crisis of 2008-09, New York, NY (rescheduled).
- US And UK Perspectives On The Credit Crunch - Who Pays The Bill? Speaker and Moderator. Museum of American Finance, November 5, 2008, New York, NY.
- Where Rational Regulation Goes To Die. International Law and Practice Section Seasonal Meeting September 2008. Stockholm, Sweden.
- Representing Respondents in Securities Arbitrations. NYSBA CLE, Securities Arbitration and Mediation Fall 2007.
Howard Fischer has extensive experience in trying complex financial disputes. As a former Senior Trial Counsel at the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission (SEC), he was entrusted with some of the most sophisticated and noteworthy cases that the federal government prosecuted in the last decade. During his nine year tenure at the SEC, he earned multiple awards for exemplary service and served as first chair for numerous trials. This included acting as lead counsel in the litigation against Wing Chau and Harding Advisory LLC - relating to CDO asset selection in the run-up to the financial crisis - resulting in a major conviction against one of the characters lampooned in the film “The Big Short.” Howard was also the lead trial counsel in the prosecution of Kareem Serageldin, another figure referenced in “The Big Short”, involving the mismarking of certain mortgage-backed assets, by Credit Suisse, in the wake of the financial crisis.
Howard also led the SEC litigation involving the infamous London Whale, arising from JPMorgan Chase traders incurring multi-billion dollar losses in its credit derivatives book. This case involved many years of discovery on several continents, including several multi-week depositions.
Howard was lead trial counsel for the successful litigation against the former management of Dewey & Leboeuf arising from the firm’s collapse, an insider trading case against the assistant to one of Disney Corporation’s highest ranking executives, and numerous multi-million dollar litigations against asset managers and investment advisers. Before leaving the SEC for his return to private practice, Howard secured a $20 million judgment against the former manager of a private equity fund who concocted a scheme to divert millions of investors’ funds through a series of fake “due diligence” expenditures, as well as multi-million dollar judgments against participants in a long-term, multi-issuer fraudulent offering.
Howard has significant experience in the insurance and reinsurance spheres. Among other matters, he acted as lead co-ordinating counsel for a series of litigations involving insured and reinsured film financing, including as lead trial counsel. He represented the President and Chief Operating Officer of a major insurance company in a multi-billion dollar class action, winning a total dismissal of all counts. Howard also represented insurance executives in various SEC and DOJ investigations, and defended insurance companies in both sales practice and claims handling class actions. For several years, he served as co-chair of the Insurance/Reinsurance Committee of the International Section, NYSBA, and has made multiple presentations on insurance topics, both in the US and abroad at international conferences.
Howard’s legal expertise involving complex financial instruments and matters, including CDOs and other asset-backed instruments, credit derivatives and credit derivative indices, was developed and honed by handling a variety of sophisticated cases. This has included numerous types of accounting fraud, instances of compliance failures by market participants, and violations of securities laws and regulations involving banks, hedge funds, private equity funds, mutual funds, investment advisers and broker-dealers. Additionally, he has developed close relationships with a wide range of federal and state law enforcement and regulatory authorities, including the Department of Justice, various US Attorney’s Offices, state and local criminal enforcement authorities, as well as self-regulatory organizations like the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (FINRA) and the New York Stock Exchange.
Howard has both published widely and been interviewed by various media outlets on a variety of topics, including Supreme Court decisions, securities rules and regulations, litigation trends, data security and other topics. He has lectured in the United States, Europe and Asia on subjects ranging from accounting fraud, securities enforcement actions, arbitration techniques and the lingering effects of the financial crisis.
Prior to working at the SEC, Howard served as a partner at Schindler, Cohen & Hochman LLP (“SC&H”), a securities and complex litigation boutique. During his time at SC&H, Howard first-chaired a number of litigations and arbitrations involving financial products, including disputes over the reinsurance of film finance products, hedge fund litigation and numerous securities arbitrations before FINRA and the NYSE for companies such as UBS, Goldman Sachs, Lazard Asset Management, General Reinsurance Corp. and others. Among other litigation victories, he won numerous arbitrations for several financial services firms.
In addition to his substantial experience in financial services, Previously, he was an associate in the litigation departments of Debevoise & Plimpton and Rosenman & Colin. He had also been a federal law clerk to Judge Constance Baker Motley, in the District Court for the Southern District of New York, and Judges Carmen Cerezo and Gilberto Gierbolini Ortiz in the District Court of Puerto Rico. He is a graduate of Columbia Law School (1992), where he was a member of the Columbia Law Review, and received his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from Yale (1988), where he majored in philosophy.
Howard has written and lectured extensively on issues relating to litigation, arbitration, securities and government enforcement. He has spoken before national and international bar associations in the United States, Europe and Asia, as well as at law schools.
- New York State Bar Association
- Executive Committee of International Section - Chair, Corporate Counsel Committee of the International Section
- Past Co-Chair, Committee on Insurance and Reinsurance - Securities Regulation Committee, Business Law Section
- Committee on the Commercial Division
- The Cum-Ex Scandal: Will US Prosecutors Elbow In To Europe’s Greatest Tax Fraud?
- Implications of the Supreme Court’s Ruling in Lorenzo v. SEC, Interview by Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence broadcast, April 23, 2019.
- Navigating Corporate Scandals, 2016 Annual Conference of the International Bar Association, September 20, 2016.
- Master Class on Securities Practice, New York Law School Center on Business Law and Policy, 2011, 2012, and 2013.
- Impact of Dodd-Frank: Lessons Learned and the Road Ahead, 4th Annual New York Customer Summit, New York City, November 11, 2010.
- International Arbitration 101, New York State Bar Association Annual Meeting, New York City, January, 2010.
- Insurance and Reinsurance After the Credit Crisis. International Law and Practice Section Seasonal Meeting October 27, 2009. Singapore.
- Crisis in Banking and Financial Institutions. May 15, 2009 International Practice Institute: International Practice After the Great Credit Crisis of 2008-09, New York, NY (rescheduled).
- US And UK Perspectives On The Credit Crunch - Who Pays The Bill? Speaker and Moderator. Museum of American Finance, November 5, 2008, New York, NY.
- Where Rational Regulation Goes To Die. International Law and Practice Section Seasonal Meeting September 2008. Stockholm, Sweden.
- Representing Respondents in Securities Arbitrations. NYSBA CLE, Securities Arbitration and Mediation Fall 2007.
- Columbia Law School (J.D.)
- Yale University (B.A., cum laude)
- New Jersey
- U.S. District Court, District of New Jersey
- New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals, First Circuit
- U. S. District Court, Southern District of New York
- U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York
- U.S. Court of Appeals, Second Circuit
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Reuters Article On The Likelihood On Greater Regulations Of Crypto Lending
- Howard A. Fischer Interviewed On CoinDesk TV Regarding The Investigation Into Celsius Following Withdrawal Freeze
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted In CityWire Article Regarding Securities and Exchange Commission's Recent Proposals
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Reuters Article Regarding Twitter’s Liability for Misstating Number of Bots
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Grid Article On How Elon Musk's Twitter Buy Could Negatively Affect Tesla
- Howard Fischer Interviewed by Dan Murphy for “Capital Connection”
- Howard Fischer Mentioned In Commetric Article Discussing Spokespeople In The Twitter Takeover Debate And Their Influence Score
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Grid Article On Elon Musk's Recent Bid For Twitter
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Reuters Article On Elon Musk Twitter $43 Billion Cash Offer
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Reuters Article On Elon Musk's Recent Purchase of 9% of Twitter
- Howard Fischer Quoted In CNBC Article On What Elon Musk's Recent Twitter Board Seat Means For The Company
- Howard Fischer Quoted In RollCall.com Article On SEC Climate Rule
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Forbes Article On Impact Of Proposed SEC Climate Disclosure Rules
- Howard Fischer interviewed on CNBC’s Power Lunch
- Howard Fischer Quoted In The Financial Times Sustainable Views Regulatory round-up
- Howard Fischer Named Vice Chair for Consular Affairs for the New York State Bar Association’s International Section
- Howard Fischer Quoted In CNBC Article Discussing Elon Musk And Kimbal Musk Insider-Trading Investigation
- Howard A. Fischer Interviewed on "In Practice" By Rose Ors, CEO of ClientSmart
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Reuters Article Discussing GameStop champion Roaring Kitty
- Howard A. Fischer Interviewed On CGTN Europe Regarding U.S. Trading Investigation
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Reuters Article Discussing The Recent Scrutiny Of Commission-Free Brokers
- Howard Fischer Quoted In "The Lancet" Article Re: Elizabeth Holmes, Founder Of Theranos
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Reuters Article Discussing Elon Musk Possibly Becoming An Influencer
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Agenda Week Article "New No-Action Rules to ‘Embolden’ Investors on ESG Proposals"
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Reuters Article Discussing Elon Musk's Recent Twitter Post
- Howard Fischer Quoted In Financial Post Article Re: Tesla's Recent Stock Bounce
- Howard Fischer Quoted In New York Times Article Re: Facebook's Latest Woes
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in an Article in the Journal Protocol About Frances Haugen’s Recent SEC Complaint
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in a Law360 Article About The SEC's Recent SEC Insider Trading Suit
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in a Reuters Article About The Implications of Robinhood Markets Inc. Anticipated Public Listing
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in a Wall Street Journal Article on Struggling Companies Launching Stock Sale Efforts
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Reuters Article on Meme Stocks Surge as Major Indexes Edge Higher
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in SHRM Article on SEC's Rule On Human Capital Reporting
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Reuters Article on U.S. SEC Scrutiny Of Blank-Check Deals
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Law360 on Recent Lawsuits Filed Against Robinhood
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in InvestmentNews Article on Anticipated SEC Probe of GameStop Trading Fluctuations
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Law360 Article on Gary Gensler Atop List To Lead SEC
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Law360 on The Next Wave Of COVID-19 Securities Litigation
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Investor's Business Daily on The Effect A New SEC Chair Might Have On Investment Advisors
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in InvestmentNews on the Potential SEC Changes Due To the Recent Presidential Election
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted In WSJ Article About The Stepping Down Of SEC Chairman
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Law360 on SEC Chairman Jay Clayton Stepping Down at End of Year
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Compliance Week on SEC Chairman Stepping Down and the Targeting of Financial Institutions
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Compliance Week on SEC Chairman Stepping Down and the Targeting of Financial Institutions
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted In Law360 Article About What Biden's Win Means For SEC Enforcement, Leadership
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted In Law360 Article About The Effects On Capital Markets Due To Uncertain Election
- Howard A. Fischer Speaker At A Webinar On The Cum-Ex Scandal
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Law360
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Thomson Reuters Tax & Accounting
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Bloomberg Law
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Courthouse News Service
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Compliance Week
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Financial Advisor
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Thomson Reuters
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Reuters
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Investment News
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Investment News
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Reuters Article Regarding Private Debt
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in Law.com
- Howard A. Fischer Quoted in LegalTech News
- Howard Fischer Interviewed by Thomson Reuters Regulatory Intelligence
- Howard Fischer Mentioned in Crain’s New York Special Promotions Section
- SEC Senior Trial Attorney Howard Fischer Joins Moses & Singer: Prosecutor Of “The London Whale” And “The Big Short”
- Howard A. Fischer To Speak At ESG Forum
- Howard Fischer To Chair Ukraine Plenary Session at The 2022 New York State Bar Association NYC Summer Conference
- Howard A. Fischer To Speak At FIRE Starters Global Summit: Dublin
- Howard A. Fischer To Speak At ABA "New Legal and Regulatory Issues Related to Climate Change" Webinar
- Howard A. Fischer To Co-Chair NYSBA's "The Habits Of Highly Effective Dispute Resolvers"
- Moses & Singer Attorneys Howard Fischer, Linda Malek and Jason Johnson To Speak At HitLab Innovators Summit 2021
- Moses & Singer LLP Co-Sponsoring ESG Regulation, Policy, and Practices to Combat Climate Change Webcast
- Howard A. Fischer To Be Part Of A Sustainability Panel At The MSI International Conference
- Howard A. Fisher To Present At 'The Cum-Ex Scandal: Will US Prosecutors Elbow Into Europe’s Greatest Tax Fraud?' Webinar
- Howard A. Fischer To Moderate Securities Disputes Committee All-Star Panel
- Howard A. Fischer To Chair New York State Bar Association Panel On Arbitration
- Howard A. Fischer To Speak On ESG Issues and Potential Enforcement Risk In Alternative Asset Sector
- Howard A. Fischer To Speak On “Criminal investigations – Do They Help Or Hinder Recovery In Civil Fraud Disputes?"
- Howard A. Fischer To Moderate “Financial Services in Ireland post-Brexit” Webinar
- Howard A. Fischer Moderated Webinar On “Financial Services in Ireland post-Brexit”
- The Legal Consequences of Supply Chain Decisions: Slavery, Trafficking, and the Changing Legal and Regulatory Obligations Affecting Corporations Operating Internationally
- Howard A. Fischer Will Lead A Discussion At The NYSBA Meeting On Meme Stocks
- ESG Investing Panel Discussion
- Howard A. Fischer To Speak At The Cum-Ex Files: Europe’s Biggest-Ever Tax Investigation Under The Spotlight Webinar
- Howard A. Fischer To Speak At The Financial Institutions Conference sponsored by the PICPA
- Howard A. Fischer To Speak At Asset Recovery International
- Howard A. Fischer To Present At MSI Global International Conference
- Howard A. Fischer to Speak at Global Regulatory Outlook 2019 Luncheon
- Forum: ESG & law enforcement — What risks companies face today
- SEC’s Focus on Enforcement Actions for Record-Keeping Violations Ensnares JP Morgan: Who Else Will Be Swamped?
- Does Securities Fraud Matter Anymore?
- Facebook Whistleblower Claims May Not Amount to Securities Fraud
- SEC Aggressiveness Casts A Shadow Over Corporate Insiders
- Human Capital Resource Disclosure: Risks & Best Practices
- The Divisions on Display in a New SEC Decision Will Have Lasting Consequences
- Europe’s Cum-Ex Scandal: What To Expect When U.S. Authorities Join the Party
- SEC Targets Insider Trading in Health Care Sector
- The Real Risks of the Archegos Saga
- Did GameStop Traders Pave the Way for a New Era of Securities Fraud?
- Deep in the Agencies, Trump Officials Targeted ESG Investors. A Rollback Won’t Be Easy.
- Are SEC Enforcement Actions Relating to COVID-Related Disclosures the Next Epidemic?
- A Fireside Chat About Securities Regulation: Recent Updates on the Definition of Accredited Investor
- INSIGHT: Books and Records Obligations During a Pandemic
- North Carolina Insiders Risk Criminal Probe After Exposure to Sen. Burr
- The War of Auditor Independence
- A Discussion Concerning The SEC’s Proposed Changes To The Accredited Investor Definitions
- INSIGHT: Fact and Fantasy in SEC Rules—The Battle Over Proxy Contests Relies on Imaginary Soldiers
- INSIGHT: Jumping the Tracks—Is an SEC Liability Crash on its Way?
- ‘Lorenzo’: What Happens Next and What To Do About It?
- Former SEC Senior Trial Counsel Arrives at Moses & Singer