Drawing on deep experience leading high-stakes litigation and investigations as a lawyer in defense, regulatory enforcement, and in-house roles, Walker Newell brings Woodruff Sawyer clients a nuanced and business-focused perspective on D&O and corporate liability issues. He has specific expertise on enforcement issues related to financial services companies, investment advisers, broker-dealers, and cryptocurrency firms.
Walker previously served as Senior Counsel in the SEC's Division of Enforcement in San Francisco, where he led high-profile and groundbreaking matters. Walker also has years of experience advising and defending investment funds and advisers, public and private financial services and cryptocurrency companies, board members, founders, and senior executives as outside counsel with Cooley and Wilson Sonsini and as in-house counsel with Robinhood Markets (Nasdaq: HOOD).
Early in his career, Walker served as a law clerk on the US District Court for the Northern District of California and on the Alaska State Supreme Court. Walker earned his juris doctorate from Columbia Law School as a James Kent Scholar (high honors) and his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego. He is a member of the California Bar and holds the CIPP/US privacy law certification.