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With more than 20 years of experience in securities, regulatory and criminal investigations, and civil litigation, James Q. Walker is the firmwide co-lead of Fintech Compliance and Enforcement. He offers counsel to clients who own—or are in the process of developing—blockchain-based businesses.
James has extensive experience guiding companies and their senior executives through complex investigations of fraud and other misconduct that can pose criminal, regulatory, and civil litigation risks to their organization. He has guided audit committees through internal investigations of corporate crimes, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), and the implementation of remedial measures to address shortcomings in corporate controls. Additionally, James has advised both public and private companies on corporate governance. He has a background in counseling clients on the implementation of appropriate oversight by company boards and management based on each company’s specific risk profile.
James is the co-chair of the New York State Bar Association (NYSBA) Committee on Standards of Attorney Conduct. He serves as chair of the editorial board of the American Bar Association/Bloomberg Law Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct. He is also a member of the Legal Ethics Editorial Advisory Board for Law360.
James received his B.S. in applied mathematics from Yale College. He then worked in management consulting at Booz Allen Hamilton before earning his J.D. from Yale Law School.
Professional Recognition
- Named a New York Trailblazer by New York Law Journal, 2019
- Recognized by The Best Lawyers in America: Criminal Defense: White-Collar, 2013 – 2023
- Recommended by The Legal 500 United States in the area of White Collar Criminal Defense, 2016, 2020
- Selected by Super Lawyers Magazine as a New York Super Lawyer in White Collar Criminal Defense, Professional Liability Defense, Corporate Governance, and Compliance, 2009 – 2023
- Named a New York Local Litigation Star by Benchmark Litigation, 2018, 2019
- Named a Future National Star by Benchmark Litigation, 2016, 2017
- Named a fellow of the American Bar Foundation
Professional Leadership
- New York State Bar Association, Committee on Standards of Attorney Conduct, Vice-Chair
- New York County Lawyers' Association, Chair of Committee on Professional Ethics, Board Member
- The ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct, Editorial Board Chair
- Law360 Legal Ethics Editorial Advisory Board, Member
- American Bar Association, Standing Committee on Lawyers' Professional Liability, Member
- New York City Bar, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, Member
Related Employment
- Richards Kibbe & Orbe LLP, New York, NY, Partner and General Counsel, 1999 – 2020
- Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP, New York, NY, Associate, 1991 – 1995
Clerkships
- Hon. Earl B. Gillam, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California
