Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, a national law firm with offices in New York, Los Angeles and Miami, today announced the opening of its Washington, DC office and welcomed two new partners: Christopher Griner, one of the country’s top lawyers counseling clients on national security issues and matters before the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS”); and Robert E. Plaze, a 30-year veteran of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Division of Investment Management, where most recently he was Deputy Director of the Division of Investment Management and notably responsible for money market, investment adviser and many of the Dodd Frank regulations affecting asset managers.
“Stroock’s Washington DC office is a logical expansion of the firm,” said Stroock’s co-Managing Partners Stuart Coleman and Alan Klinger. “Chris Griner is both an exceptional lawyer and a skilled manager, and his renown in national security/CFIUS compliance presented an opportunity to add a market-leading practice area that complements Stroock’s strengths in areas such as private M&A, government relations, energy, project finance and financial services regulation.”
“Bob Plaze is widely regarded as a key architect of many of the rules governing regulated investment advisers, investment companies and private fund advisers,” said Stuart Coleman, who also heads Stroock’s Investment Management group. “His work has shaped the modern regulation of the asset management industry in so many different ways. We are delighted that he is joining the practice.” Stroock’s Investment Management practice is recognized as one of the leading practices in the nation, and its clients represent nearly $1 trillion in assets under management (approximately 7% of all U.S. investment company assets).
Chris Griner, who will be Managing Partner of Stroock’s Washington office, is a seasoned leader with a proven track record of establishing and growing law offices in Washington, DC, most recently at Kaye Scholer, where he was chair of their National Security/CFIUS practice for 22 years and a former managing partner of that office. He is internationally recognized for his work in the area of national security law and counseling foreign and domestic clients on cross-border transactions that require U.S. governmental approvals, including by the CFIUS.
“I am excited to join the Stroock family and look forward to developing its Washington presence,” Griner said. “Stroock’s corporate and regulatory platform is a perfect fit for my practice, and Washington, DC offers a wealth of complementary talent to Stroock’s recognized practices focused on areas such as bank regulation, commodities & derivatives, energy and investment management.”
Said Plaze: “I am pleased to have the opportunity to join Stroock’s investment management practice as part of their Washington, DC office. Stroock is well-known both at the SEC and throughout the industry for providing wise counsel to funds, both public and private, and their boards and advisers, and we expect my experience will be very useful to existing and new clients.”
“Our physical presence here will further broaden our capabilities and provide our clients with inside-the-Beltway counsel, analysis and support across all of our practice areas,” noted Klinger. “We are excited to establish this office, and look forward to executing our long-term growth plan for its future.”
Stroock’s Washington, DC office is located at 1875 K Street, NW. For more information, please visit Stroock’s website at www.stroock.com.
