< Directory Paul J. Devlin

Paul J. Devlin is a member of the firm’s litigation department. Mr. Devlin advises clients in civil litigations and regulatory matters involving complicated corporate and financial transactions, including criminal, civil and internal investigations. 

Mr. Devlin's distinctive background includes government service and extensive practice as a transactional attorney, both of which inform his litigation practice. His broad-ranging corporate experience includes practice in private equity and mergers & acquisitions at Richards Kibbe & Orbe LLP, as well as work in structured finance and derivatives transactions while an associate at Linklaters LLP. He has also completed a secondment on the trading desk of an international investment bank. Mr. Devlin's experience with complex transactions and in-depth familiarity with financial institutions make him uniquely qualified to advise in litigations and investigations involving sophisticated financial transactions and products.

Most recently, Mr. Devlin has acted as counsel for a federal equity receiver in an SEC civil enforcement action against a hedge fund that operated as a Ponzi scheme. He is widely versed in all aspects of receivership law and practice and is well-versed in the law of fraudulent conveyance, especially as it applies to claw backs of “false profits.”

Mr. Devlin was ranked first in his class in law school and was awarded the H.C.F. Keall prize, given to the member of the graduating class who earns the highest grade point average in the final year of law school. Earlier in his career, Mr. Devlin clerked for the Solicitor General for Western Australia for two years and participated in over 20 appellate cases before Australia’s highest court, the High Court of Australia and advised on governmental investigations, legislative drafting and constitutional matters. In 2006, Mr. Devlin was a visiting researcher at Harvard Law School.

Mr. Devlin’s recent representations include:

• Representing the federal equity receiver appointed, at the request of the SEC, by the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in SEC v. Nicholson et al., 09 Civ. 1748 (RMB);
• Representing a hedge fund in connection with an SEC investigation relating to alleged market manipulation;
• Representing a hedge fund in connection with a federal criminal investigation regarding alleged insider trading;
• Representing individuals and firms in connection with regulatory investigations and commercial disputes arising out of the recent financial crisis;
• Appearing as co-counsel in a successful appeal in a matter involving a confession of judgment before the New York Appellate Division – Second Department; and
• Incorporating and providing regular advice to a not-for-profit corporation dedicated to preserving and researching ancient Roman archeological sites, including application for tax exemption under Section 501(c)(3) of the federal tax code.

Professional & Community Affiliations

• Volunteer Arbitrator, Civil Court of the City of New York Commercial Claims and Small Claims Parts.
• Long time board member of a New York not-for-profit corporation with 501(c)(3) status.