About me

Address: New York: One Bryant Park, Bank of America Tower, New York, NY 10036-6745

Areas of Focus: Complex Commercial Litigation; Investment Funds Litigation; Securities Enforcement & Litigation; White Collar Defense & Government Investigations; Shareholder Activism; Fiduciary Litigation; Hedge Funds

Biography:
Doug is a leading litigator and regulatory and compliance lawyer serving as head of Akin’s investment funds litigation practice and co-head of the shareholder activism group.
On a daily basis, Doug advises investment fund clients and others on regulatory compliance and corporate governance matters, including those involving U.S. securities laws, trading issues, compliance policies and procedures and fiduciary obligations.
With significant litigation experience advising funds and companies, Doug has served as lead counsel in matters involving disputes over breaches of fiduciary duty, Section 16 short-swing trading, digital assets and the blockchain, secured assets, partnership interests, securities fraud, options backdating and insider trading. Doug has won numerous dispositive motions, trials and appeals in both state and federal courts.
Doug is Chambers USA- ranked in both securities litigation (New York) and shareholder activism (New York), the only attorney in the United States to be dual listed in both of these disciplines. Clients interviewed by Chambers USA describe Doug as “a fantastic litigator who is always available and most importantly, consistently delivers positive results.”
He also provides advice on activist investing issues, devising strategies regarding the solicitation of board seats, the displacement of existing corporate management and contests for corporate control.
In addition, Doug regularly represents investment funds, corporations and individuals in regulatory and internal investigations. His experience extends to matters before the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), the New York Attorney General’s office, and other state and non-U.S. securities agencies.

Representative Work:
- Secured a rare complete defense verdict for Armistice Capital in a high‑profile, three‑week securities class action jury trial in the Northern District of California, defeating claims of securities fraud and insider trading based on alleged pump‑and‑dump activity involving COVID‑19 vaccine company Vaxart. The victory earned recognition from The American Lawyer as a “Litigator of the Week” runner‑up and from Law360 as a “Legal Lion.”
- Obtained a complete defense verdict for a hedge fund client after a three-day civil jury trial related to Exchange Act Section 16(b) short swing profit rule.
- Regularly represents investment funds and their principals, as well as issuers, in derivative litigations in Delaware Chancery Court, New York courts and other jurisdictions.
- Regularly represents investment funds in short-swing trading litigations related to alleged violation of Section 16.
- Regularly represents investment funds in disputes with issuers and portfolio companies regarding breaches of contract, securities law violations and fiduciary duties.
- Counseling former executive of cryptocurrency exchange platform in relation to derivative action in Delaware Chancery.
- Represented an investment fund through trial in a case alleging breach of fiduciary duty in connection with a shareholder dispute.
- Represented an investment fund in connection with an action involving securities claims stemming from alleged misrepresentations in connection with the exchange rate on warrants.

Credentials:
Education: J.D., Harvard Law School, 1991 (cum laude); B.A., University of Pennsylvania, 1987 (summa cum laude)
Bar Admissions: New York, 1992
Court Admissions: U.S.C.A., 2nd Circuit; U.S.C.A., 8th Circuit; U.S.C.A., 10th Circuit, 2025; U.S. Tax Court; U.S.D.C., Eastern District of New York; U.S.D.C., Southern District of New York; U.S.D.C., District of Colorado, 2020; U.S.D.C., Western District of New York
Clerkships: U.S.D.C., Southern District of New York

Recognitions:
- The Legal 500 US , Shareholder Activism: Advice to Shareholders, 2019–2022, 2024–2025; Securities litigation: defense, 2024–2026; and General commercial disputes, 2025-2026.
- Chambers USA , Securities Litigation, 2022-2026 and Corporate/M&A: Shareholder Activism, 2023-2026.

Affiliations:
- Guest Lecturer, Wharton School of Economics, Investment Fund Structuring and Activist Investing, 2018-present
- Member, New York City Bar Association
- Member, Board of Directors, ArsNova, a nonprofit theatre and arts organization in New York City; Chair of Governance Committee, 2010-present
- Member, Board of Directors, Community Basketball, 2009-2019

Insights:
- Wave of Recent “Vishing” Attacks Target Hedge Funds and Other Financial Services Firms (August 6, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/wave-of-recent-vishing-attacks-target-hedge-funds-and-other-financial-services-firms
- Akin Named Among The Deal's Top Legal Advisers to Activists in the First Half of 2026  (August 4, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/media-mentions/akin-named-among-the-deals-top-legal-advisers-to-activists-in-the-first-half-of-2026
- Second Circuit Upholds the Validity of Contractual ‘Blockers’ and Holds They Are Not a ‘Scheme to Evade’ Reporting Requirements (July 15, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/second-circuit-upholds-the-validity-of-contractual-blockers-and-holds-they-are-not-a-scheme-to-evade-reporting-requirements
- Akin Landmark Appellate Victory in US Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit Earns AmLaw Litigator of the Week Shout Out (July 10, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/akin-landmark-appellate-victory-in-us-court-of-appeals-2nd-circuit-earns-amlaw-litigator-of-the-week-shout-out
- Chambers USA 2026 Recognizes Akin Lawyers and Practices  (June 4, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/chambers-usa-2026-recognizes-akin-lawyers-and-practices
- The Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance Publishes Akin Article on The Delaware Supreme Court and Advance Notice Bylaws   (May 22, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/media-mentions/the-harvard-law-school-forum-on-corporate-governance-publishes-akin-article-on-the-delaware-supreme-court-and-advance-notice-bylaws
- Akin Team Recognized as Law360 ‘Legal Lions’ for Securities Class Action Jury Trial Victory  (May 5, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/akin-team-recognized-as-law360-legal-lions-for-securities-class-action-jury-trial-victory
- Akin Team Named an AmLaw Litigator of the Week Runner-Up for Securities Class Action Jury Trial Victory  (May 4, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/awards-and-accolades/akin-team-named-an-amlaw-litigator-of-the-week-runner-up-for-securities-class-action-jury-trial-victory
- Delaware Supreme Court Affirms Dismissal of Premature Challenges to Advance Notice Bylaws  (May 1, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/delaware-supreme-court-affirms-dismissal-of-premature-challenges-to-advance-notice-bylaws
- Akin Secures Significant Victory for Armistice Capital in Securities Class Action Jury Trial  (April 30. 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/press-releases/akin-secures-significant-victory-for-armistice-capital-in-securities-class-action-jury-trial
- Delaware Supreme Court Upholds SB 21, Confirming Statutory Safe Harbors for Controller Transactions (March 2, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/delaware-supreme-court-upholds-sb-21-confirming-statutory-safe-harbors-for-controller-transactions
- SEC Charges Credit Fund Adviser Over Principal Transaction Pricing Practices (March 2, 2026): https://www.akingump.com/en/insights/alerts/sec-charges-credit-fund-adviser-over-principal-transaction-pricing-practices