O’Melveny announced that leading regulatory enforcement lawyer Todd M. Beaton, Jr. has joined the firm’s New York office as a partner in the Securities Litigation & Financial Services Practice. His arrival bolsters the firm’s broker-dealer capabilities, expands its offerings for financial services clients, and further strengthens its formidable roster of seasoned enforcement practitioners.
Beaton is recognized among the nation’s top financial services and broker-dealer enforcement lawyers by Chambers USA. For nearly 20 years, he has represented an array of the world’s major financial institutions, broker-dealers, investment advisers, public companies, and other market participants in inquiries and investigations initiated by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the US Department of Justice, the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), and other self-regulatory organizations (SROs). Beaton’s deep experience also includes a distinguished tenure as a chief counsel in the Enforcement Department at FINRA, an SRO under SEC oversight that is responsible for protecting investors, overseeing broker-dealers, and safeguarding the integrity of capital markets. Before entering private practice, he served as a clerk to the Hon. Richard K. Eaton of the US Court of International Trade.
Beaton comes to O’Melveny from the New York office of McGuireWoods, where he was a partner in that firm’s Securities Enforcement & Regulatory Counseling Practice. His arrival accelerates O’Melveny’s strategic growth. He is the 54th lateral partner to join the firm since 2023, and the third to join the firm’s broker-dealer team in just the past month—following the arrivals of internationally renowned financial services regulatory advisers James R. Burns and Brant K. Brown in Washington, DC.
“It is a pleasure to welcome Todd to our firm as we continue to expand our industry-leading broker-dealer team,” said O’Melveny chair Bradley J. Butwin. “Todd is a respected strategic adviser and top-notch enforcement lawyer with impeccable FINRA credentials. Our financial services clients, especially those in the complex and highly regulated broker-dealer space, will immediately benefit from Todd’s broad experience and exceptional skillset. We are delighted to welcome him aboard.”
“I’m excited to join O’Melveny and to work alongside Jim Burns and Brant Brown as we extend the firm’s impressive range of litigation, advisory, and regulatory services,” said Beaton. “O’Melveny is synonymous with excellence, and the firm’s collaborative culture is truly extraordinary. It’s an ideal fit for my practice and my clients.”
Beaton earned his J.D. magna cum laude from Albany Law School and his B.A., with honors, from Union College.
O’Melveny, a global law firm with 18 offices, is home to a talented team of more than 750 lawyers who help its clients grow, protect their assets, and navigate the challenges of complex law and regulation. A combination of sophisticated legal and business counseling and impeccable service has made them counsel of choice to an ever-growing list of market leaders, creating opportunities for our people to engage in the most challenging and exciting work.
