John Reed Stark, the former Chief of the SEC's Office of Internet Enforcement, has been named Managing Director and head of international digital forensics firm Stroz Friedberg LLC.
As Securites Docket recently noted, Stark played a central role in bringing the SEC into the digital age: Stark was among the first at the SEC to identify the imminent, newfangled threat of online securities fraud. He was instrumental in establishing the SEC's first informal "office" of people interested in Internet-related investigations and litigation, and became the first Chief of the SEC Office of Internet Enforcement when it was created in July 1998. The OIE evolved over time to handle cases running the gamut from conventional manipulation and insider trading to sophisticated account intrusions, hedge fund short sale violations, major offering disclosure violations, and violations of anti-money-laundering rules.
Mr. Stark successfully oversaw scores of investigations and dozens of major Internet and online-related securities prosecutions at the SEC. "We pioneered the Internet Sweep and cracked some of the online world's most challenging cases," he notes, "including groundbreaking matters involving network hacking, identity theft, unauthorized intrusions into brokerage accounts, and money laundering matters, while also handling an array of traditional SEC cases such as those involving insider trading, hedge fund fraud, violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, and market manipulations." Additionally, Mr. Stark is a preeminent commentator on securities, cyberspace, and other technology issues pertaining to white-collar crime and to regulation and cyber law.
Stroz Friedberg is the leading global consulting firm for managing digital risk and uncovering digital evidence. The company specializes in digital and mobile device forensics, electronic discovery, data breach and cybercrime response, anti-money laundering, and cyber and traditional investigations. Working at the cutting edge of law, policy, and technology, we provide technical assistance and strategic advice to help clients effectively manage electronic information: its sources, its trails, and its implications.