Morrison & Foerster announced today that Scott Lesmes has joined the firm’s Corporate Finance practice as a partner in Washington, D.C. Mr. Lesmes formerly served as chief legal officer for Allied Capital Corporation and as deputy general counsel for Fannie Mae. He follows the recent arrival of SEC veteran and highly respected securities lawyer Martin Dunn, who formerly served as deputy director and acting director of the SEC’s Division of Corporation Finance and joined the firm earlier this month. Both lawyers joined Morrison & Foerster from the Washington, D.C. office of O’Melveny & Myers where they worked closely together.
“Scott is a seasoned securities practitioner with both law firm and in-house experience that brings valuable depth to our expanding corporate finance practice,” said Brandon Parris, co-chair of the firm’s Global Corporate Department. “Scott’s addition, coupled with Marty’s arrival, significantly bolsters the firm’s overall corporate presence in the Washington region and raises our national profile as a firm with exceptional securities lawyers.”
Mr. Lesmes’ practice focuses principally on corporate and securities matters for public companies. He advises companies and boards of directors on a broad range of securities regulation and corporate governance issues and has substantial experience in dealing with restatements and internal control concerns. He also counsels both issuers and underwriters in the public offering process and in corporate compliance matters involving SEC reporting and disclosure requirements. Having been in-house counsel to two public companies, Mr. Lesmes has extensive experience in establishing corporate compliance programs and policies, including those relating to insider trading and corporate disclosure.
“Joining Morrison & Foerster was an easy decision,” said Mr. Lesmes. “I get to team up with some of the most widely recognized and respected securities lawyers, as well as work closely with Marty once again. It also gives me the chance to be a part of a practice that is a destination securities resource for our clients.”
Mr. Lesmes earned his J.D. from the College of William and Mary and his undergraduate degree from Elon University. He serves as pro bono legal counsel to the Catholic Coalition for Special Education.
In addition to Mr. Lesmes and Mr. Dunn, Morrison & Foerster recently added John Good and Justin Salon in Washington, D.C., furthering the firm’s strategic goal to grow its Corporate Finance practice. Mr. Good’s and Mr. Salon’s practices focus on securities offerings and other corporate finance matters, mergers and acquisitions, corporate governance and general representation of public and private companies and underwriters, with particular industry focus on real estate investment trusts (REITs) and business development companies (BDCs).
