Burton, Joseph J.

Jim Burns is a counsel in the Securities Department at WilmerHale, where he concentrates on investment management regulation and enforcement matters. 

Practice

Mr. Burns advises investment companies, investment advisers, private funds, broker-dealers and other financial services clients on matters arising under the federal securities laws, including such areas as counseling investment companies and their independent directors, registration of mutual funds, hedge funds, and investment advisers, advising clients on compliance policies and procedures and advising clients as they respond to regulator inspections and enforcement actions.  

Recent Highlights

• Assisted several hedge fund advisers in registering with the SEC and in preparing and implementing written compliance procedures.
• Assisted in providing regular counseling to open and closed end investment companies and their directors.
• Assisted in preparing registration statements and launching new share classes for investment company clients.
• Advised clients on the establishment of information barriers in support of their compliance efforts.
• Assisted investment advisers in conducting reviews of their compliance procedures. Assisted investment adviser clients in responding to deficiency letters arising from examinations by the SEC and other regulators.
• Assisted broker-dealer and investment advisory clients in responding to Wells notifications from the SEC and other regulators. 
• Involved in the firm’s representation of clients in matters arising from the mutual fund market timing and late trading investigations.
  

Professional Activities

From 1998 to 2002, Mr. Burns was assistant to the president, and a member of the international and government relations departments of the American Council on Education.  From 1994 to 1997, Mr. Burns served as Dean of Oriel College, Oxford.  Mr. Burns is a member of the American Bar Association.