Ballard Spahr is pleased to announce that it has further expanded its litigation capabilities in the firm’s New York City office with the addition of noted litigator Eugene R. Licker.

Mr. Licker is well-known in New York and nationally for his work on consumer finance cases, securities litigation and enforcement, and white collar criminal defense. He joins the firm as of counsel in the Litigation Department.

Mr. Licker has practiced litigation in New York City for more than 35 years, and has handled a variety of complex, high-profile cases in civil, criminal, and administrative forums nationwide. His arrival marks the continued expansion of Ballard Spahr's New York office, which is home base to an accomplished group of litigators who represent Fortune 500 corporations, financial services firms, executives, and prominent individuals in high-stakes cases. New York office attorneys also advise many of the nation’s largest companies on commercial real estate transactions, business and corporate issues, and consumer finance and mortgage banking regulatory issues.

Mr. Licker’s experience in a broad range of civil litigation includes successfully defending mortgage lenders and other consumer credit companies in virtually all forms of litigation, including government civil and criminal investigations and actions, class actions, and individual borrower suits in state and federal court and administrative proceedings. He has represented both large and small lenders—including loan originators, servicers, purchasers, and securitizers—as well as professionals involved in the lending process, in dealing with criminal and civil litigation arising from state and federal regulation.

Mr. Licker also represents individuals and entities in federal and state grand jury investigations and other criminal proceedings. He has represented clients in numerous investigations and actions by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), encompassing a broad range of securities law issues, as well as other agency investigations and actions. In addition, Mr. Licker counsels clients on design, implementation, and review of corporate compliance programs. He has conducted numerous internal and independent investigations and has counseled clients that were the subjects of independent investigations.

Mr. Licker has handled numerous securities class action litigation matters on behalf of issuers and their officers and directors, as well as change-of-control cases and derivative actions. He has served as lead attorney in defending against RICO claims and claims of breach of fiduciary duty, as well as defamation and other contract and tort claims.

His clients have included China-based U.S. public companies that he has represented in formal and informal SEC investigations and in defending class actions, derivative actions, and other related suits.

At Ballard Spahr, Mr. Licker is a member of the Consumer Financial ServicesSecurities Enforcement and Corporate Governance Litigation, and White Collar Defense/Internal Investigations Practice Groups.

Ballard Spahr LLP, an Am Law 100 law firm with more than 500 lawyers in 14 offices in the United States, provides a range of services in litigation, business and finance, real estate, intellectual property, and public finance. Our clients include Fortune 500 companies, financial institutions, life sciences and technology companies, health systems, investors and developers, government agencies and sponsored enterprises, educational institutions, and nonprofit organizations. The firm combines a national scope of practice with strong regional market knowledge. For more information, please visit www.ballardspahr.com.