WASHINGTON, DC—October 5, 2026—O’Melveny announced today that D. Mark Cave, a former senior enforcement lawyer at the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), has joined the firm’s Washington, DC office as a partner in the White Collar Defense & Corporate Investigations Practice. He will represent and advise corporations, financial institutions, investment advisers, broker-dealers, senior executives, and boards of directors in all phases of SEC enforcement proceedings and related regulatory matters.
Cave brings to O’Melveny more than two decades of high-level experience at the intersection of federal securities law, government enforcement, and private practice. In his most recent role as Chief Counsel of the SEC’s Division of Enforcement, Cave served as the division’s principal legal and policy adviser and was responsible for providing strategic guidance on all aspects of investigations and related litigation within its national program. Earlier in his Enforcement Division tenure, Cave held several other leadership positions, including Associate Director. He has led teams of federal attorneys and accountants in hundreds of SEC investigations and related litigation—including matters involving complex accounting and disclosure violations; auditor, investment adviser, and broker-dealer misconduct; insider trading; market manipulation; Ponzi schemes; and Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. He also led the SEC’s Cross-Border Task Force, which focuses on international-based conduct and the role of gatekeepers.
Before entering public service, Cave worked in private practice as a litigation associate at Paul Weiss, where he represented financial institutions and corporations in a broad range of complex commercial litigation, regulatory matters, commercial arbitration, and internal investigations—with a focus on securities litigation and regulatory defense.
“Adding practitioners with extensive SEC experience is a strategic priority for us, and we are delighted to welcome Mark to our firm,” said O’Melveny chair Bradley J. Butwin. “Mark brings a comprehensive command of federal securities laws, deep relationships throughout the enforcement and regulatory community, and a long record of managing the SEC’s most consequential matters. His versatile skillset, combined with his well-established reputation for integrity and tireless advocacy, will immediately benefit our clients. It is a pleasure to welcome him aboard.”
“I’m thrilled to join O’Melveny’s award-winning White Collar team, and I can think of no better firm to call ‘home’ as I reenter private practice,” said Cave. “The current SEC regulatory and enforcement environment presents many unique challenges, and I’m excited to bring all of my knowledge and experience to bear as I work alongside my new colleagues to help our clients resolve their most pressing matters.”
Cave is the 59th lateral partner to join O’Melveny since 2023. And his arrival follows the recent additions of lateral partners David Leviss, James R. Burns, Brant K. Brown, and Todd M. Beaton, Jr., who will work seamlessly together to help clients navigate evolving securities regulations and defend them in enforcement proceedings.
Cave earned his J.D. from New York University School of Law and his B.A. from Duke University.
