Dietrich (Dieter) A. King—formerly an assistant director at the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) with more than a decade of experience overseeing the review and analysis of filings for companies in a range of industries—has joined Ballard Spahr as a partner in the firm's Securities and Capital Markets Group, firm Chair Mark Stewart announced today.
Mr. King will be based in the firm's Philadelphia office. Most recently, he served as Assistant Director in the Office of Financial Services in the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance. In that role, he supervised a team of approximately 30 lawyers and accountants who were responsible for reviewing filings for many of the largest issuers of securities in the United States.
Mr. King has extensive experience in securities matters, both in and out of government. He is the former Legal Branch Chief for the SEC’s Office of Consumer Products and has served as an attorney advisor at the Office of Beverage, Apparel and Mining and the Office of Manufacturing and Construction. Previously, Mr. King worked in private practice, handling securities, M&A, private equity, and corporate governance matters.
"We know from experience that high-level SEC experience is a rare and valuable asset for our clients," Mr. Stewart said. "With Dieter as a resource, clients engaged in host of important dealings with the Commission will have the benefit of fresh insight and information to guide their decision-making. He is an exceptional and immensely likable person and we are fortunate to have him as our partner."
As Assistant Director in the Office of Financial Services, Mr. King supervised the review of SEC filings for thousands of national and international banks, non-bank lenders, investment advisors, and other financial services companies. He was a leader within the SEC on fintech matters, with a primary focus on marketplace lending.
"I’ve known Dieter for years. He is a superb attorney who brings current, high-level SEC experience and a detailed knowledge of how the Commission approaches issues," said Justin P. Klein, a Ballard Spahr partner who also served as assistant director at the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance. "Dieter's background and his relationships at all levels of the SEC will be invaluable to clients trying to navigate the review process and deal with securities disclosure issues."
Mr. King regularly reviewed complex securities offerings involving novel instruments and transaction structures, and has handled some of the most challenging technical legal issues that arise under the federal securities laws. Mr. King played a lead role in the SEC review of the $25 billion Alibaba IPO—the largest in history. He also has particular experience in the compliance aspects of bank mergers and the use of Regulation A as a capital-raising tool for middle-market businesses.
"I look forward to bringing my experience to Ballard's excellent and growing securities and M&A practices, both for clients submitting filings or registration statements as well as those who are preparing offering statements and disclosure materials," Mr. King said. "Regulatory developments have made the SEC process more complex, but have also created vast new opportunities. I'm excited to help our clients navigate the changes."
Over the past several years, Ballard Spahr has significantly expanded its capabilities in the private equity and strategic M&A space. Earlier this month, the firm finalized its merger with Lindquist & Vennum, a leader in middle-market deal making. The combination added more than 60 M&A and private equity transactional lawyers to Ballard Spahr's Business and Finance department and gave the firm new offices in Minneapolis and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and an expanded presence in Denver.
About Ballard Spahr
Ballard Spahr LLP, an Am Law 100 law firm with more than 650 lawyers in 15 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, media clients, 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.
