Stephan J. Schlegelmilch

Counsel

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Washington, D.C.

Tel: +1 202 383 8154

Overview

Stephan Schlegelmilch is a litigation counsel based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s White Collar & Regulatory ... Read Full Biography

Experience

- An audit partner in an SEC enforcement proceeding that resulted in the SEC’s voluntary dismissal of all charges.
- Multiple audit professionals in SEC investigations that resulted in declinations from the government.
- A multinational accounting firm in a Public Company Accounting Oversight Board inquiry.
- A web3 marketplace in an investigation by the SEC regarding the legal and regulatory status of the marketplace.
- A layer one blockchain developer in an investigation by the SEC regarding the legal and regulatory status of a native digital asset.
- A prominent broker-dealer in FINRA and SEC AML and cybersecurity investigations.
- A multinational financial services company in an assessment of its off-channel communications policies.
- A prominent broker-dealer in a fee dispute involving a major trading venue in which we achieved a complete resolution for our client.
- The head of Retail Capital Markets of a specialty finance company in an SEC investigation concerning sales of bonds to retail investors.
- Tether and Bitfinex in the successful dismissal of a class action related to alleged misrepresentations regarding the sufficiency of reserves for Tether tokens.
- Tether, Bitfinex and related entities in a putative class action asserting Commodities Exchange Act, antitrust and fraud claims based on alleged manipulation of the price of cryptocommodities.

Education

Case Western Reserve University, 1997, B.A.
Case Western Reserve University School of Law, 2000, J.D.

Stephan Schlegelmilch is a litigation counsel based in the firm’s Washington, D.C. office and a member of the firm’s White Collar & Regulatory Defense Group. His practice focuses on securities enforcement and government investigations, internal investigations, and complex commercial litigation.Mr. Schlegelmilch brings to the firm extensive experience in investigations and litigation involving securities laws violations, including those related to digital assets and cryptocurrencies. Prior to joining Debevoise, Mr. Schlegelmilch was at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Enforcement as a Supervisory Trial Counsel in the Division’s Home Office Trial Unit, where he managed a team of trial attorneys while overseeing numerous matters related to market structure, insider trading, market manipulation, and antifraud violations involving issuers, broker dealers, and investment advisers. In his role, he first-chaired trials and administrative proceedings for the SEC, and he regularly handled all aspects of litigation brought by the Commission, including civil discovery, experts, evidentiary hearings, and dispositive motions. He also led and advised many of the SEC’s recent enforcement actions involving cryptocurrencies and other digital assets. Mr. Schlegelmilch received the Arthur F. Mathews Award and the Chair’s Award for Excellence for his accomplishments in litigation for the SEC.He is a current member of the William B. Bryant Inn of Court.Prior to joining the SEC, Mr. Schlegelmilch was a partner at a major law firm where he defended clients in diverse white collar and securities litigation matters. Following law school, he also served as a law clerk to Judge John M. Manos in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio.Mr. Schlegelmilch is the author of the chapter “Litigating with the SEC” in Practicing Law Institute’s SEC Compliance and Enforcement Answer Book (2023). He is a co-author of “The Most-Read Securities Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023,” Law360 (December, 2023); “2nd Circ. Holding Could Disrupt SEC Disgorgement Methods,” Law360 (November, 2023); “The SEC's first NFT enforcement action or just another ICO case?,” Westlaw (September, 2023) and “D.C. Circ. Ruling Could Mean FINRA Hearings Are On Thin Ice,” Law360 (July, 2023).Mr. Schlegelmilch received his J.D. from Case Western Reserve University School of Law in 2000, and his B.A. from Case Western Reserve University in 1997.