News

Sean Haran and Jim Walden have been named to the 2020 edition of The Best Lawyers in America®, the nation’s leading survey of lawyers.

Recognition by Best Lawyers is based on peer review, with a methodology designed to capture the consensus opinion of leading lawyers about the professional abilities of their colleagues within the same geographical area and legal practice area. Individual lawyers with the highest overall peer feedback for a specific area and geographic region are recognized with the title of “Lawyer of the Year” for each specialty and location.

Sean Haran represents individuals and companies that are under investigation by the government or that have been charged in criminal or regulatory proceedings. He also assists publicly traded and privately owned organizations in conducting internal investigations in response to government inquiries, adverse media reports and whistleblower allegations.

Sean has defended dozens of individuals in response to criminal and regulatory charges and in civil matters, including at trial in state and federal court and in SEC administrative proceedings. He has defended investment advisers, traders, senior corporate executives, lawyers and other business professionals in matters ranging from securities and accounting fraud, insider trading, tax fraud, market manipulation, pay-to-play, antitrust, commercial bribery and theft-of-honest services frauds, corruption, trade-secrets cases, index-rate manipulation, money laundering, sanctions and OFAC violations, and conflicts-of-interest matters.

Before reentering private practice in 2009, Sean served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York for eight years, where he helped lead the office’s Business & Securities Fraud Section as its Deputy Chief. Sean holds a J.D from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A from the University of Virginia.

Jim Walden is a veteran litigator who has served clients in numerous high-profile, complex matters throughout his career in both the public and private sector. This includes spearheading multifaceted internal investigations involving allegations of international cartel activity, fraud, and bribery. He has conducted investigations for global financial services firms, public entities, broker-dealers, retail banks, credit card companies, big box retailers, technology companies, and several industrial manufacturers as well as serving as global coordinating counsel for one of the world’s largest car companies.

From 1993 to 2002, Jim served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Eastern District of New York where he successfully tried numerous high-stakes felony cases including the first effective assault against the Bonanno crime family, one of the Five Families that dominated organized crime activities in New York City. During his time at the Department of Justice, Jim won numerous commendations, including the “Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an Assistant U.S. Attorney” and the Federal Law Enforcement Foundation’s “Prosecutor of the Year” award.

Earlier in his career Jim served as a law clerk for the Honorable Anthony J. Scirica, U.S. Judge, Court of Appeals, Third Circuit. Jim holds a J.D., magna cum laude, from Temple University School of Law, where he served as a law review editor and received the Israel Packel Memorial Award for the highest academic achievement in his graduating class. He holds a B.A., cum laude, from Hamilton College.