Meechan, Richard James

William McLucas is the chair of the firm's Securities Department, a member of the Securities Litigation and Enforcement Practice Group and a member of the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Working Group. He joined the firm in 1998.

In 1977, Mr. McLucas joined the Securities and Exchange Commission's Division of Enforcement. He served under five successive Chairmen of the SEC while he rose through the Division, ultimately to serve as Director of Enforcement for eight years—longer than any other Enforcement Division Director in Commission history. Mr. McLucas led the Division's Staff in numerous high-profile investigations and landmark enforcement actions, including hundreds of insider trading cases and numerous inquiries and proceedings involving public companies, accounting firms, investment banks, and participation in the municipal securities markets.

Practice

Mr. McLucas is one of the most sought-after advisors to public companies, boards of directors, audit committees and special committees dealing with corporate crises and related issues. He represents public companies, investment banks, accounting firms and advisors to mutual funds facing a variety of corporate and market crises, as well as Securities and Exchange Commission investigations. He has led numerous audit committee and special committee inquiries, and has also represented numerous corporate executives and directors in connection with Securities and Exchange Commission investigations.

Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business describes Mr. McLucas as "the preeminent SEC enforcement lawyer in the country."

Recent Highlights

Mr. McLucas has represented the board committees in some of the most prominent corporate scandals that have arisen recently in the US markets, including the Special Committees of both Enron and WorldCom. He also advised the Special Committee of the Board of Nortel Networks in its review of certain accounting restatements and, more recently, the Special Committee of the Board of UnitedHealth Group in its review of options dating issues.

He also has represented numerous public companies and their executives, as well as public accounting firms and hedge funds in connection with securities enforcement and regulatory inquiries.

Professional Activities

Mr. McLucas is a frequent speaker on panels and programs on topics pertaining to securities laws, corporate governance and law enforcement.

Honors and Awards

• Listed as a "Leading Lawyer" in the area of litigation: white-collar criminal defense in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 editions of The Legal 500 United States
• Recognized in 2008 as a Visionary in the Legal Times' "Greatest Washington Lawyers in the Past 30 Years"
• Selected as one of only seven "Leading Lawyers" in Corporate Governance in the March 2008 issue of Legal Times. He was also named Washington, DC's "Leading Lawyer" in the area of securities and corporate governance by the Legal Times, December 2004.
• Nationally recognized for exceptional standing in the legal community in Chambers USA: America's Leading Lawyers for Business for his work in the securities regulation: enforcement area  (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011). Previously recognized in the 2003, 2004 and 2005 editions for general commercial litigation; cited as "an expert in litigation" in the 2003 edition.
• Selected by peers for inclusion in each edition of The Best Lawyers in America since 2005; in the 2011 and 2012 editions of Best Lawyers of America, he was recognized for his securities practice along with the areas of bet-the-company litigation, corporate governance and compliance law, and commercial litigation; named Washington DC Securities Lawyer of the Year in 2010
• Recognized as one of the world's preeminent corporate governance lawyers in multiple editions of Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Corporate Governance Lawyers; recognized in the 2011 edition of Who's Who Legal: The International Who's Who of Business Lawyers
• Selected as one of the "500 Leading Lawyers in America," by Lawdragon Magazine, which also declared him the "go-to guy for accounting fraud investigations."
• Listed in Washingtonian magazine's "Top 30 Lawyers in Washington," 2004, 2007, 2009 and 2011
• Named one of the National Law Journal’s One-Hundred Most Influential Attorneys in America, 1997
• Ranked as a "top litigation lawyer" in the 2003 edition of Euromoney’s Guide to the World’s Leading Litigation Lawyers
• William O. Douglas Award, 2010
• National Public Service Award
• Tom C. Clark Outstanding Lawyer Award
• President’s Award for Distinguished Executive Service