Practice Expertise

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Areas of Practice

  • Complex Commercial Actions
  • Litigation
  • Media, Entertainment and Sports
  • Securities Enforcement & Litigation
  • Securities Litigation
  • State Attorneys General
  • White Collar Defense and Investigations
  • View More

WSG Practice Industries

WSG Leadership

  • Dispute Resolution Group - Member
  • White Collar Crime Group - Member

Profile

H. Gregory Baker is a Partner in Patterson Belknap’s Litigation department and White Collar Defense and Investigations group, and serves as Chair of its Securities Enforcement & Litigation practice. Drawing on 20 years of experience, Greg’s practice includes representing individuals and companies in high stakes SEC enforcement investigations and litigation, as well as representing clients in a broad range of commercial litigation disputes throughout the United States, involving subject matters such as securities, breach of contract, business torts, intellectual property, bankruptcy and antitrust. Greg also represents companies, boards of directors, and special committees in conducting internal investigations.

Greg previously served as a Senior Counsel with the U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission’s (SEC) Division of Enforcement, where he was a member of the Asset Management Unit. In that role, Greg oversaw investigations and litigations concerning investment advisors, hedge funds, private equity funds, and mutual funds. His matters involved issues such as hedge fund valuations, private equity fee disclosures, compliance violations, market manipulation, performance advertising, insider trading, derivative arbitrage, and accounting. He worked extensively with the DOJ, FBI, FINRA, IRS, and other federal agencies in his investigations, and received four Directors’ Awards from the SEC’s Division of Enforcement in recognition of his outstanding achievements in investigative work. Greg applies his firsthand knowledge of the SEC to help clients manage risk and achieve positive outcomes in matters led by financial regulators.

Greg is a frequent speaker on securities enforcement and litigation, having appeared on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, and is regularly quoted in publications on securities-related developments. He also serves as the editor of Patterson Belknap’s Securities Enforcement & Litigation Insider Blog. In 2024, Mr. Baker was recognized by JD Supra's Readers' Choice Awards as one of the top ten authors in the Securities category.

At Patterson, Greg serves as co-chair of the firm’s hiring committee, and is an active supporter of the firm’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiative. Greg is also actively involved in the firm’s pro bono work.

Greg previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable William H. Walls of the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. He received his B.A. from Amherst College and his J.D. from Columbia Law School.

Representative Matters

Successfully advocated for non-prosecution of client, a former marketing executive, in SEC investigation based on disclosure and accounting-related issues.

Secured favorable settlements on behalf of multiple investment adviser clients following SEC investigations.

Represent coalition of public interest groups in suing Florida Secretary of State based on 2022 congressional redistricting.

Represent hedge fund and its executives against SEC enforcement action in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois concerning issues of alleged mismarking of fund assets and GAAP compliance.

Successfully advocated for non-prosecution of client in SEC investigation, who was investigated for acting as unregistered broker dealer.

Represent companies and individuals in investigations conducted by the DOJ, SEC, and FINRA.

Represented multiple relief defendants in federal district court actions filed by the SEC.

Represented audit committee of publicly traded pharmaceutical company in investigation of whistleblower complaints.

Represented private equity firm in defending lawsuit filed by former employees concerning the alleged misvaluation of their employee profits interests.

Represented families who were the victims of forced separation at the U.S. border in pursuing federal tort claims against the U.S. government (pro bono).

Successfully defended foreign private issuer in securities class action dispute in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York; prevailed on motion to dismiss in Southern District and secured affirmation of dismissal by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit.

Successfully defended private equity firm in adversary proceeding filed by Chapter 7 Trustee in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Delaware against claims of breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duties, and avoidable preferences, among other claims.

Represented board of publicly traded insurance company in investigating alleged violations of securities laws and ERISA regulations by officers of the company.

Represented reinsurance company in pursuing action in New York state court against various issuers of collateralized debt obligations (CDOs).

Represented major investment bank in emergency action in New York State Supreme Court to enjoin mezzanine lender from foreclosing on a large hotel and casino based in Las Vegas, Nevada, for which the client was the senior lender.

Bar Admissions

  • New York
  • New Jersey
  • U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit
  • U.S. District Court, Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; District of New Jersey

Education

  • Columbia Law School (J.D., 2004)
    • Harlan Fiske Stone Scholar
    • Senior Student Editor, The American Review of International Arbitration
  • Amherst College (B.A., 2001)

Areas of Practice

  • Complex Commercial Actions
  • Litigation
  • Media, Entertainment and Sports
  • Securities Enforcement & Litigation
  • Securities Litigation
  • State Attorneys General
  • White Collar Defense and Investigations

Professional Career


Professional Activities and Experience

MEMBERSHIPS: New York City Bar Association (Member, Judiciary Committee) (Member, White Collar Committee); New York State Bar Association (Member, Securities Litigation Committee); American Bar Association (Member, Securities Litigation Committee); National Bar Association (Treasurer, Minority Partners in Majority Firms Committee); Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (Fellow, 2020)




Articles

  • "Preparing For A Greater AI Presence In The Securities Industry," Law360 (June 29, 2023)
  • "What Lawyers Need To Know About Non-Fungible Tokens: Part 1," New York Law Journal (March 28, 2022)
  • Exclusive: SEC subpoenas employees in books-and-records sweep, Regulatory Compliance Watch (February 4, 2022)
  • A Brief Overview of the SEC’s Guidance on Cryptocurrencies in the Context of the Commission’s Enforcement Action Against Ripple Labs, Securities Litigation Insider Blog (February 3, 2022)
  • Delaware Court Holds that SPAC Sponsor’s Founder Shares Created a Conflict of Interest with Public Stockholders, Securities Litigation Insider Blog (February 1, 2022)
  • Takeaways from the SEC Division of Enforcement’s FY 2021 Report and Predictions for FY 2022, Securities Litigation Insider Blog (January 25, 2022)
  • Global Infrastructure Settlement Reflects SEC’s Tougher Approach on Penalties, Securities Litigation Insider Blog (January 5, 2022)
  • SEC Continues Pursuit of Cybersecurity Enforcement, Securities Litigation Insider Blog (September 9, 2021)
  • SEC Signals Renewed Interest in Cybersecurity Disclosure Enforcement, Securities Litigation Insider Blog (August 9, 2021)
  • “Novel Securities Liabilities From the Coronavirus and Utilizing Insurance to Manage the Risk,” The Review of Securities & Commodities Regulation (May 5, 2021)
  • “Translating SEC Exam Priorities Into Compliance Action Items,” Law360 (March 12, 2021)
  • “Takeaway From One of the 'Biggest Blunders in Banking History': Get Payment Notices in Order,” Practical Guidance (February 22, 2021)
  • “Anti-Money Laundering Act Requires Fresh Look at Compliance,” Bloomberg Law (January 26, 2021)
  • “A Bankruptcy Probe Primer For White Collar Attorneys,” Law360 (May 28, 2020)
  • “PPP Loan Scrutiny Requires Immediate Borrower Attention,” Law360 (May 6, 2020)
  • “How To Avoid Federal Criminal and Civil Penalties in Connection With Applications for PPP Loans,” New York Law Journal (April 27, 2020)
  • “What DOJ Memo Means For Defense Attys Tackling Wiretaps,” Law360 (April 9, 2020)
  • Best Practices for Responding to Subpoenas That Conflict With Foreign Data Privacy Laws, New York Law Journal (March 27, 2020)
  • “A New Court Approach To DOJ And SEC Parallel Proceedings,” Law360 (June 27, 2019)

Blogs

Antitrust Update

Antitrust Update Blog is a source of insights, information and analysis on criminal and civil antitrust and competition-related issues. Patterson Belknap’s antitrust lawyers represent clients in antitrust litigation and counseling matters, including those related to pricing, marketing, distribution, franchising, and joint ventures and other strategic alliances. We have significant experience with government civil and criminal/cartel investigations, providing the unique perspectives of former...

Data Security Law Blog

DataSecurityLaw.com is the firm’s resource for the latest news, analysis, and thought leadership in the critical area of privacy and cybersecurity law. Patterson Belknap’s Privacy and Data Security practice provides public and private enterprises, their leadership teams and boards with comprehensive services in this critical area. Our team of experienced litigators, corporate advisors and former federal and state prosecutors advises on a broad range of privacy and data protection matters...

Misbranded

Misbranded is Patterson Belknap’s blog covering false advertising litigation—both consumer class actions and competitor suits—with a particular focus on FDA-regulated products (foods/beverages, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and dietary supplements).

New York Commercial Division Decisions

The blog is a source for insights and developments related to practice in the Commercial Division of the New York State Supreme Court. This blog reviews key developments in the Commercial Division, including important decisions handed down by the Commercial Division and appellate court decisions reviewing Commercial Division decisions. The blog also covers changes and proposed changes to Commercial Division rules and practice, including revisions to the rules since January 2015. The...

Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog

The Second Circuit Criminal Law Blog is your place to follow the criminal law decisions rendered by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. With a rich 225-year history of legendary judges like Learned Hand and Henry Friendly, the Second Circuit has long been known for writing important and thoughtful opinions on many subjects, including the criminal law. We review every published criminal law opinion handed down by the Second Circuit in order to provide you with a summary of the...

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